Central banking
Hong Kong central bank steps in to support weakening currency, in first intervention since Oct. 2020
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 […]
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Senate confirms Lisa Cook as first Black woman on Federal Reserve Board
Dr. Lisa DeNell Cook, of Michigan, nominated to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, speaks before a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2022. Ken Cedeno | Reuters WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed economist Lisa Cook on Tuesday […]
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ECB’s Lagarde cements expectations for upcoming rate hike
Lagarde has joined a growing number of ECB policymakers calling for a July rate hike. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images The European Central Bank is likely to end its bond-buying stimulus programme early in the third quarter of this year, followed by a rate hike that could come just “a few weeks” […]
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Don’t panic? Strategists give reasons to stay invested despite market turmoil
Global stocks have endured a bruising week, and a difficult year so far, but some strategists believe the recent sell-off is unlikely to pave the way for a market capitulation. The S&P 500 closed Monday’s trade down more than 16% since the beginning of the year, and almost 12% in the second quarter alone. The […]
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Philippine central bank chief says he’s ‘not concerned’ about recent peso weakness
There are multiple reasons why the Philippines’ central bank chief, Benjamin Diokno, is “not concerned” about recent weakness in the peso against the dollar. As of Tuesday morning during Asia trading hours, the peso has weakened more than 2.5% against the greenback so far this year. It last traded at 52.38 per dollar, after Reuters […]
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Southeast Asia faces a ‘big risk’ of social unrest if food inflation surges, says economist
A supermarket in Indonesia on May 1, 2022. Relative to other countries, food consumption accounts for a large proportion of what people spend on in countries like Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, said economist Mohamed Faiz Nagutha. Adriana Adie | Nurphoto | Getty Images Southeast Asia will face a “big risk” of social unrest if […]
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Indonesia’s economy maintains steady growth momentum in the first quarter
Morning commuters at a pedestrian crossing in the central business district of Jakarta, Indonesia, on Nov. 5, 2021. Indonesia’s economy grew for the fourth straight quarter between January and March as Covid-19 restrictions continued to be relaxed, statistics bureau data showed on Monday. Dimas Ardian | Bloomberg | Getty Images An historic rise in commodity […]
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ECB member pushes for quick move to raise rates, says Russia-Ukraine war could derail recovery
The European Central Bank should move quickly to raise interest rates in order to tackle soaring inflation, according to Finland’s central bank chief. His comments come as the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of England’s tightening cycle intensifies pressure on the ECB to follow suit. “We have a conflict in pressures in monetary policy,” […]
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‘We see a big recession in the making’: Top CEOs are fearing the worst in Europe
Top European CEOs are fearing a euro zone recession as a confluence of economic shocks continues to threaten the outlook for the bloc. Alex Kraus | Bloomberg | Getty Images LONDON — The CEOs of several European blue chip companies have told CNBC that they see a significant recession coming down the pike in Europe. […]
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British pound plummets as Bank of England warns of recession risk
Sterling notes and coins are laid out Matt Cardy | Getty Images The British pound on Thursday was set for its largest daily drop since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, after the Bank of England warned of a sharp growth slowdown in the U.K. economy. Sterling hit a low of 1.2393 against the dollar […]
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