Are emerging markets getting their mojo back? May 4, 2016 Emerging markets may be getting some of their mojo back after a tough couple of years. So says Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM), citing a rally in emerging market bonds. Yacov Arnopolin, a portfolio manager for the GSAM emerging markets debt team, is encouraged that the recent interest in emerging markets has been broad-based and [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open April 28, 2016 The futures market is pointing to a weaker open on Wall Street after the Bank of Japan decided not to issue further stimulus measures, taking the market by surprise. Earlier the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 futures were down 0.8 per cent, while Nasdaq futures were 0.6 per cent lower. The Bank of Japan left its [...]
Yen surges and Nikkei slumps after Bank of Japan shocks markets April 28, 2016 "Surprise" was the word used this morning to describe the Bank of Japan (BoJ)'s decision not to cut interest rates. In the stage-managed world of central banks, "surprise" is not a good thing. When Mario Draghi last caught the markets off guard just a few weeks ago when he said he could not see the European [...]
US Federal Reserve keeps benchmark interest rates unchanged with a 9/1 vote April 27, 2016 The US Federal Reserve has left its overnight lending rate for banks unchanged at a target range of between 0.25 and 0.50 per cent at its latest meeting. The committee of 10 said in a statement it would continue to monitor the US and global economic situation. The Committee expects that economic conditions will evolve in a manner [...]
Get ready for another bout of Fedspeak when the US Federal Reserve holds interest rates this evening April 27, 2016 The US Federal Reserve will not be raising interest rates this evening. Neither will Janet Yellen – or anybody from the rate-setting Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) – be holding a press conference to announce the non-decision. That won't be enough to stop markets working themselves into a frenzy at around 7pm when a written [...]
The end of the road for monetary policy? With a strong yen and negative interest rates doing little to boost Japan’s economy, could helicopter money be the answer? April 26, 2016 Since the financial crisis, developed economies have turned to central banks as their only hope for stimulating demand. Trillions have been spent buying government bonds, interest rates have been kept at record lows and credit remains cheap. And still, growth in GDP, prices and wages is elusive. When the Bank of Japan (BoJ) meets on Thursday to decide its next [...]
Silver prices are massively outshining gold, after it reached an 11-month high overnight April 21, 2016 It seems all that glitters definitely isn't gold at the moment – investors are increasingly going berserk for silver. After a none-too-impressive end to 2016, the metal has become increasingly sought-after – and last night, it reached an 11-month high. This morning silver was up 1.6 per cent at $17.41 per troy ounce, according to Bloomberg. [...]
“Fantastic Four” prepare to face off against the tax avoiders in new multinational initiative – so we don’t have to April 19, 2016 Four of the world’s foremost international bodies are to team up to launch a fresh fight against tax avoidance in the wake of the Panama Papers. The revelations have claimed the scalp of one global leader so far, embroiled hundreds of others and left a trail of metaphorical destruction in their path. Now, the multinational [...]
Leicester City 2, West Ham United 2: Tottenham don’t scare me, says Claudio Ranieri, after Foxes snatch point despite Jamie Vardy’s sending off for diving April 17, 2016 Leicester City 2, West Ham United 2 Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri insists his team are not worried about the growing threat of Premier League title rivals Tottenham despite dropping points at home to West Ham. Spurs could cut the gap to five points with four games remaining if they beat Stoke on Monday, yet Ranieri maintained [...]
Inflation slips back in the United States, but Federal Reserve still likely to raise rates in June April 14, 2016 US INFLATION slipped back in March as cheaper clothes and food helped to offset a jump in petrol prices, easing the immediate pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. The headline consumer prices index (CPI) came in at 0.9 per cent in the 12 months to March — down from a reading of [...]