Central banking
Swiss central bank cuts rates by a quarter point in third trim this year
A view of the headquarters of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), before a press conference in Zurich, Switzerland, March 21, 2024. Denis Balibouse | Reuters The Swiss National Bank on Thursday took a third step to loosen monetary policy this year, bringing its key interest rate down by 25 basis points to 1.0%. The trim, […]
Read More
Fed Governor Bowman explains dissent on rate vote, says she’s worried about inflation
Key Points Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said Tuesday she thought her colleagues should have taken a more measured approach to last week’s half percentage point interest rate cut. The jumbo cut “could be interpreted as a premature declaration of victory on our price-stability mandate,” she said in remarks to a bankers’ group in Kentucky. Source
Read More
Fed’s jumbo interest rate cut puts the U.S. on track for a soft landing, Goldman CFO says
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell holds a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2024. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images The Federal Reserve’s move to lower interest rates by 50 basis points puts the U.S. economy on track for a soft landing, according to Goldman Sachs‘ chief financial officer. His comments […]
Read More
Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari sees a slower pace of rate cuts ahead
Key Points Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said Monday that he expects policymakers to dial down the pace of interest rate cuts after last week’s half percentage point reduction. Speaking separately Monday morning, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic indicated he expects the Fed to move aggressively in getting back to a neutral rate. Source
Read More
Bank of Japan keeps benchmark interest rate steady as it treads cautiously on normalizing policy
The Japanese flag flutters over the Bank of Japan (BoJ) head office building (bottom) in Tokyo on April 27, 2022. Kazuhiro Nogi | Afp | Getty Images The Bank of Japan kept its benchmark interest rate steady at around 0.25% — the highest rate since 2008 — at the conclusion of a two-day meeting Friday. […]
Read More
China unexpectedly leaves benchmark lending rates unchanged after Fed’s jumbo cut
The central bank of the People’s Republic of China is responsible for formulating and implementing monetary policies, preventing and defusing financial risks and maintaining financial stability. Peng Song | Moment | Getty Images China on Friday kept its main benchmark lending rates unchanged at the monthly fixing. Market watchers polled by Reuters had expected a […]
Read More
Bank of England presses pause on rate cuts, highlights ‘gradual approach’
Commuters cycles past the Bank of England (BOE), left, in the City of London, UK, on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee’s interest rate decision is scheduled for release on Sept. 19. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images LONDON — The Bank of England on Thursday said it would hold interest […]
Read More
Hong Kong central bank cuts interest rate, tracks Fed move
People wearing face masks walk by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority on March 4, 2020 in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority bought HK$1.586 billion ($202 million) from the market on Thursday to stop the local currency weakening and breaking its peg to the U.S. dollar, the de-facto central bank’s first intervention in 18 […]
Read More
Ray Dalio says the Fed faces a tough balancing act as the economy faces ‘enormous amount of debt’
Key Points As the U.S. Federal Reserve implemented its first interest rate cut since the early Covid pandemic, billionaire investor Ray Dalio flagged that the U.S. economy still faces an “enormous amount of debt.” “The challenge of the Federal Reserve is to keep interest rates high enough that they’re good for the creditor, while keeping […]
Read More
An aggressive Fed move is unlikely to spur a surprise Bank of England rate cut
Commuters outside the Bank of England (BOE) in the City of London, UK, on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee’s interest rate decision is scheduled for release on Sept. 19. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images LONDON — With traders preparing for the double impact of monetary policy decisions by both […]
Read More