Central banking
Bank of England faces the ‘most difficult combination,’ says governor Bailey as energy prices soar
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey attends the central bank’s Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank of England, in the City of London, on May 8, 2025. Carlos Jasso | Afp | Getty Images Bank of England policymakers must contend with the “most difficult combination” of economic effects, according to governor Andrew Bailey, […]
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Bank of England keeps rates on hold at 3.75% as Iran war shakes outlook
The Bank of England (BOE) in the City of London, UK, on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Bank of England voted to keep its key interest rate on hold at 3.75% on Thursday, as widely expected by economists, as the Iran war continues to pose a dilemma for policymakers. […]
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Australia reports lower-than-expected first-quarter inflation — but price rise highest in 2 years
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 06: Pedestrians and shoppers move along George Street on December 06, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. Lisa Maree Williams | Getty Images News | Getty Images Australia’s inflation rate soared to 4.09% in the first quarter, marking its highest level in more than two years. The first-quarter inflation figure was lower than the […]
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Here’s everything to expect when the Fed issues its latest interest rate decision Wednesday
Key Points In what could be Jerome Powell’s final meeting as Fed chair, he and his fellow policymakers are likely to continue their cautious approach to policy as questions linger over inflation and the labor market. The interest rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee is a virtual lock to keep its benchmark short-term interest rate steady. […]
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Bank of Japan keeps policy rate steady while raising inflation forecast on Iran war worries
The yen rose on Monday, helped by comments from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda who left the door open to a near-term rate hike. Javier Ghersi | Moment | Getty Images Japan’s central bank kept its policy rate steady at 0.75% on Tuesday, while revising its inflation estimates upwards as the Iran war raises […]
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Global stock markets are too inflated and will fall, top Bank of England official warns
A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 23, 2026. Jeenah Moon | Reuters International equity markets are priced too high and will fall, according to a senior leader at the Bank of England. Sarah Breeden, deputy governor for financial stability at the U.K.’s […]
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Asia markets open higher as Iran ceasefire extension lifts mood
Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets opened broadly higher Thursday, tracking U.S. stocks, which rose overnight after President Donald Trump’s extension of the Iran ceasefire helped to buoy investor sentiment, while upbeat earnings reports also lifted sentiment. Trump extended a two-week U.S. ceasefire on Tuesday, saying it was warranted due to Tehran’s “seriously […]
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Asia-Pacific markets set to fall as Trump extends Iran ceasefire but uncertainty drags on
A pedestrian looks at an electronic quotation board showing numbers of the Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo on September 11, 2020. Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to open broadly lower Wednesday as concerns grew that the Middle East conflict could drag on, after President Donald Trump extended a U.S. ceasefire […]
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Asia markets open higher as hopes for Iran peace talks offset Trump threat of escalation
The Tokyo Stock Exchange in January 2022. Toru Hanai | Bloomberg | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets opened higher Tuesday amid hopes for a resolution to the Middle East conflict, even as tensions between Iran and the U.S. continue to simmer. “Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table— […]
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China keeps benchmark lending rates unchanged as economic growth revs up, Mideast risks loom
BEIJING, CHINA – DECEMBER 22: A woman walks by the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) on December 22, 2025 in Beijing, China. Zhang Xiangyi | China News Service | Getty Images China held its benchmark lending rates unchanged for an 11th straight month, keeping its powder dry as policymakers weigh the economic […]
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