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☆ 2024 is the year of the rate cut pivot — here's when the world's central banks will budge
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

EIU also expects the Bank of Japan will exit its negative interest rate policy in the second quarter. Markets currently expect the Fed to start with a 25-basis-point rate cut in June. Euro zoneThe European Central Bank last week also held its policy rate at a record high of 4%, signaling that it won't cut rates before June. JPMorgan said in a research note that the Turkish central bank may cut its policy rate in November and December, keeping its year-end policy rate forecast of 45%. IndonesiaIndonesia's central bank kept its benchmark policy rate at 6% in its recent meeting.

Persons: EIU, Jerome Powell, LSEG, Nomura, Perry Warjiyo, CNBC's JP Ong, BOK, Goldman Sachs, Goohoon Kwon, Kwon Organizations: Getty, Economist Intelligence Unit, Bank of Japan, United, United States U.S, Federal, Fed, European Central Bank, ECB, Swiss National Bank, UBS, Bank of Canada, Bank of, JPMorgan, Reserve Bank of, ANZ, New Zealand Auckland Savings Bank, Bank, Bank Indonesia, BMI, Fitch Solutions, U.S, Oxford Economics, Macquarie Locations: Czech, China, Japan, United States, Switzerland Swiss, Bank of Canada, Turkey, Turkish, Reserve Bank of Australia, New, Indonesia, South Korea, Asia

☆ Dollar falls with Treasury yields on views of looming U.S. rate cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Against the yen , the dollar bottomed at a roughly one-month trough of 148.94 in early Asian trade on Thursday. The euro and sterling held near one-month highs struck in the previous session and last bought $1.0902 and $1.2738 respectively. Market bets for imminent cuts also kept U.S. Treasury yields under pressure, with the two-year yield which typically reflects near-term rate expectations — last at 4.5640%. All of that left the greenback pinned near a one-month low against a basket of currencies. The New Zealand dollar rose 0.05% to $0.6133, while the Australian dollar edged 0.11% higher to $0.6572.

Persons: bitcoin, Jerome Powell, Carol Kong, Powell, Simon Harvey Organizations: U.S, Federal, Treasury, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Fed, Canadian, Bank of Canada, BoC, Wednesday, New Zealand

The moon rises over the Toronto city skyline as seen from Milton, Ontario, Canada, January 23, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTORONTO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Canadian banks had a mixed fourth quarter but a common theme underlining all the reports was the rise in bad loan provisions, signalling that lenders were strapping in for a shaky economy. Impaired loans related to residential mortgages, real estate and construction were also higher from the prior quarter, indicating that the banks were also being cautious when considering underwriting new loans. He noted that despite the mixed results, the banks reported healthy capital levels, giving investors assurance that the banks remain resilient. Reuters Graphics($1 = 1.3559 Canadian dollars)Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Toronto; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mark Blinch, Verecan, Colin White, Dave McKay, Mike Archibald, Nivedita Balu, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Bank of Canada, BOC, Royal Bank of Canada, CIBC, National Bank, Scotiabank, BMO, RBC, Reuters Graphics Reuters, AGF Investments, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Toronto, Milton , Ontario, Canada

☆ BoC to cut rates starting in Q2 2024, house prices seen flat in 2024: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Mumal Rathore | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem walks outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada June 22, 2020. But Macklem also said "right now, it is not time to start thinking about cutting interest rates." Interest rate futures are pricing the first rate cut in March, earlier than the poll prediction. "Accompanying labour market weakness should put downward pressure on inflation and prompt the Bank of Canada to cut the policy rate around of the spring of 2024," they wrote. That was despite several government measures announced in the latest Fall Economic Statement to boost housing supply and help lenders dealing with homeowners at risk amid high interest rates.

Persons: Blair Gable, Macklem, It's, Avery Shenfeld, Robert Hogue, Sebastian Mintah, Mumal Rathore, Ross Finley, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Reuters, BoC, U.S . Federal, Barclays, CIBC Capital Markets, of Canada, RBC, Desjardins, Moody's, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, BENGALURU, stagnate

OTTAWA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The Canadian economy unexpectedly contracted at an annualized rate of 1.1% in the third quarter, data showed on Thursday, avoiding a recession but showing growth stumbling ahead of next week's interest-rate decision. The economy avoided slipping into a technical recession - defined as two consecutive quarter-on-quarter contractions - because second-quarter GDP data was revised up to a 1.4% gain from an initial report of a 0.2% decline, Statistics Canada said. The BoC has remained on the sidelines since July after lifting its benchmark interest rate to a 22-year high of 5% to tame inflation. "The bottom line is that the economy is still sputtering along," said Royce Mendes, head of macro strategy at Desjardins Group. Real GDP most likely edged up 0.2% in October after a 0.1% gain in September, Statscan said.

Persons: Doug Porter, Royce Mendes, Bipan Rai, Statscan, Ismail Shakil, Steve Scherer, Dale Smith, Divya Rajagopal, Fergal Smith, Mark Porter Organizations: OTTAWA, Bank of Canada's, Statistics, BMO Capital Markets, Canadian, U.S ., BoC, Desjardins Group, Bank of Canada, Bank, CIBC Capital Markets, Thomson Locations: Canadian, Statistics Canada, North America, Ottawa, Toronto

With the Canadian economy showing signs of a slowdown, money markets are pricing in the first interest rate cuts since March 2020 as soon as April, which would bring down mortgage costs. Still, more home buyers took out fixed-rate mortgages in September compared with a year ago, eschewing variable rate mortgages where the interest rate varies based on current market rates. Since then, the central bank has raised the key interest rate to a 22-year high of 5% in July. The share of fixed rate loans among five-year and three-year mortgages rose to 68% in August compared with 32% a year ago. In the first three weeks of November, 79% of mortgage seekers in Canada opted for a fixed mortgage, said Hanif Bayat, CEO of financial data firm Wowa Leads.

Persons: you've, Macklem, Sophie Tremblay, Hanif Bayat, Wowa, Carolyn Rogers, Rogers, Ryan Sims, William Coyle, Nivedita Balu, Denny Thomas, Deepa Babington Organizations: TORONTO, Bank, Bank of Canada, Montreal, NEW, National Bank analysts, BoC, The Mortgage Group Inc, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Canada, Niagara, Huntsville, Toronto

☆ Bank of Canada says rates may now be at peak, excess demand now gone
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem walks outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada June 22, 2020. The Bank of Canada (BoC) - seeking to control soaring inflation - hiked rates 10 times between March of last year and July 2023, pushing them up to a 22-year high of 5.00%. "Higher interest rates are squeezing many Canadians, but these rates are relieving price pressures," Macklem said. "To return to low inflation and stable growth in the years ahead, we need these higher interest rates and slow growth in the short term," he added. Some 60% of mortgage holders have yet to renew their home loans at higher rates, the BoC says.

Persons: Blair Gable, Steve Scherer, David Ljunggren OTTAWA, Macklem, David Ljunggren Organizations: Bank of Canada, REUTERS, BoC, Saint, Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce, CBC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Saint John, Atlantic, New Brunswick, Reuters Ottawa

☆ Exclusive: China govt advisers call for steady growth target in 2024, more stimulus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Five of the seven advisers who spoke with Reuters said they favoured a target of around 5%, matching this year's goal. The proposals will be made next month at the ruling Communist Party's annual Central Economic Work Conference that discusses policy plans and the outlook for the world's second-largest economy. "We need to adopt expansionary fiscal and monetary policy to stimulate aggregate demand," Yu Yongding, a government economist who advocates for a growth target of roughly 5%, told Reuters. "We are stepping up fiscal policy support," said another adviser, to make the "difficult" 2024 target "achievable." The stuttering post-COVID recovery has prompted many analysts to call for structural reforms that tilt the drivers of economic growth away from property and infrastructure investment and towards household consumption and market-allocation of resources.

Persons: Yu Yongding, Yu, Guan Tao, Xi Jinping, Kevin Yao, Marius Zaharia Organizations: Reuters, Communist, Economic Work Conference, BOC International, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, Beijing, outflows, Japan

OTTAWA, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Canada's annual inflation rate eased more than expected to 3.1% in October and core inflation measures edged down to their lowest levels in about two years, data showed on Tuesday, likely closing the door to further rate hikes. The Bank of Canada (BoC) targets 2% annual inflation. "If the door wasn't already shut to additional rate hikes, it now should be." The bank projects inflation to hover around 3.5% until mid-2024, before trickling down to its 2% target in late 2025. Dragging the annual inflation rate in October was a 7.8% drop in gasoline prices, which benefited from comparison with a price surge in October 2022.

Persons: Royce Mendes, Simon Harvey, Chrystia Freeland, Justin Trudeau's, Ismail Shakil, Steve Scherer, Dale Smith, Fergal Smith, Divya Rajagopal, Chizu Organizations: OTTAWA, Reuters, Statistics, Bank of Canada, BoC, CPI, Desjardins Group, Canadian, Justin Trudeau's Liberal, Thomson Locations: Statistics Canada, Europe, Canada, Ottawa, Toronto

☆ Downturn in Canada's economy seen deepening if US growth fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Canadian central bank expects that the economy will avoid a recession, and last month forecast growth of 0.8% for both the third and fourth quarters. Since then, preliminary data has indicted a shallow economic contraction for a second straight quarter in the third quarter. Analysts say that if U.S. activity slows, then the Canadian economy could shrink in the current quarter as well. BMO projects that U.S. growth will slow to 0.9% in the fourth quarter and that Canada's economy will shrink 1%. The potential for further weakening in the Canadian economy is already evident in money markets.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Karl Schamotta, Sal Guatieri, Stephen Brown, Brown, Fergal Smith, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Roberts Bank, REUTERS, Rights TORONTO, Bank of, BoC, BMO Capital Markets, Federal Reserve Bank, Atlanta's, BMO, North, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Delta, British Columbia, Canada, United States, Bank of Canada, Canadian, U.S, sniffles, North America

☆ PetroChina to replace Exxon as lead contractor for Iraq's West Qurna 1 oilfield, oil executive says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Aref Mohammed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We studied the settlement agreement and the oil ministry with the Basra Oil Company believe that the best option is for Petrochina to become the lead contractor of West Qurna 1," Hassan Mohammed, deputy Basra Oil Co. manager in charge of oilfields and licensing rounds affairs, told Reuters. Exxon and PetroChina were not immediately available for comment, but two oil managers at the West Qurna 1 field confirmed the details of the settlement and sale agreement signed with Exxon. Basra Oil Company director Khalid Hamza told Reuters in an interview in 2021 that Exxon was seeking to sell the share for $350 million. West Qurna 1, in southern Iraq, is one of the world’s largest oilfields with recoverable reserves estimated at more than 20 billion barrels. Following its exit from West Qurna 1, Exxon will have no presence in Iraq's energy sectory, said BOC officials.

Persons: Hassan Mohammed, PetroChina, Mohammed, Pertamina, Khalid Hamza, Aref Mohammed, Hadeel Al, Ahmed Rasheed, Kirsten Donovan, Giles Elgood Organizations: Exxon Mobil Corp, Basra Oil Company, Basra Oil Co, Reuters, Exxon, Exxon Mobil Corp's, BOC, Exxon Mobil’s, Thomson Locations: BASRA, Iraq, Iraqi, Basra, West, Indonesia’s, Iraq’s, Hadeel Al Sayegh, Dubai

☆ Bank of Canada: era of very low rates is likely over, people and firms must adjust
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senior Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada Carolyn Rogers takes part in a news conference, announcing an interest rate decision in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada January 25, 2023. Rogers said she wanted "to stress the importance of adjusting proactively to a future where interest rates may be higher than they've been over the past 15 years". The bank increased rates 10 times between March 2022 and this July to tame inflation that peaked at more than 8% last year. However, economists expect the central bank to start easing interest rates as soon as April and money markets see them coming down around mid-year. (Reporting by Steve Scherer, editing by David Ljunggren)((Reuters Ottawa bureau, david.ljunggren@tr.com))Keywords: CANADA CENBANK/Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bank of Canada Carolyn Rogers, Blair Gable, Steve Scherer, David Ljunggren OTTAWA, Carolyn Rogers, Advocis, Rogers, they've, David Ljunggren Organizations: Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Ukraine, Israel, Advocis Vancouver, West Coast, Reuters Ottawa

☆ Some Bank of Canada governors saw likely need for higher rates - minutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem walks outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada June 22, 2020. "Some members felt that it was more likely than not that the policy rate would need to increase further to return inflation to target," the minutes read. The minutes went on to say that the council decided to be "patient" and leave rates on hold. "They agreed to revisit the need for a higher policy rate at future decisions with the benefit of more information," the minutes said. The bank increased rates 10 times between March 2022 and this July, with inflation peaking at more than 8% last year.

Persons: Blair Gable, Steve Scherer, David Ljunggren OTTAWA, Macklem, David Ljunggren Organizations: Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Bank of Canada's, BoC, CBC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Reuters Ottawa

☆ EUROPE Australia hikes but tempers its outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Two women walk next to the Reserve Bank of Australia headquarters in central Sydney, Australia February 6, 2018. The Aussie dollar fell more than 0.8% and Australian government bonds rallied because the 25 basis point hike by the Reserve Bank of Australia came with a softening of language on whether further hikes would be needed. It was an otherwise quiet session in the absence of major updates that might have consequences for the interest rate outlook. Last week's chaos in Chinese money markets has subsided but it left behind a glimpse of financial pressures beneath the surface and the challenges around China's uneven recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. British house prices, German industrial output and European producer prices are due later on Tuesday, as are earnings from UBS (UBSG.S).

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Tom Westbrook, Read, SoftBank, Benjamin Netanyahu, Fed's Waller, Logan, Schmid, ECB's de, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Bond, South, Read Reuters, UBS, 163rd Melbourne, NY, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Asia, Japan, British, Gaza

☆ Bank Of Canada seen starting to cut interest rates in April -survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pedestrians are reflected in a window while walking past the Bank of Canada office in Ottawa March 4, 2015. The survey showed a median of 27 financial participants expect interest rates to drop to 4.00% in the fourth quarter of 2024, up from an expectation of 3.50% in the previous survey released in July. A median of market participants expect inflation to drop to 2.2% by end-2024 and the gross domestic product to grow 1.2% in 2024 versus a year earlier. Both unchanged from the previous survey. The BoC has raised interest rates ten times between March 2022 and July 2023 to cool inflation, which the bank expects to slowly edge down to its 2% target by end-2025.

Persons: Chris Wattie, Ismail Shakil, David Ljunggren, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, BoC, Thomson Locations: Ottawa, Canadian

☆ Bank of Canada voices concerns about variable rate mortgage products -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senior Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada Carolyn Rogers takes part in a press conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada October 25, 2023. REUTERS/Patrick Doyle/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 3 (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada has urged banks to reconsider offering variable rate mortgages with fixed payments, concerned about the number of borrowers faced with negative amortization of their loans. “I think you’ll see the industry reflect on how much they want to offer that product,” she addedMany variable rate mortgages in Canada require borrowers to make regular payments in fixed amounts. You don’t want a big portfolio of negative amortizing mortgages," Rogers said. Money markets see little chance of further tightening by the BoC and have moved to price in a rate cut by June.

Persons: Bank of Canada Carolyn Rogers, Patrick Doyle, ”, Carolyn Rogers, “, Rogers, Fergal Smith, Gursimran Kaur, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler Organizations: Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Bloomberg News, BoC, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Toronto, Bengaluru

A help wanted sign hangs in a bar window along Queen Street West in Toronto Ontario, Canada June 10, 2022. Canada added a net 17,500 jobs in October, Statistics Canada data showed. The softer-than-anticipated jobs report follows data out earlier this week indicating that the economy likely slipped into a shallow recession in the third quarter. "This will keep the Bank of Canada pinned more fully to the sidelines, although we still believe that rate relief remains a distant prospect." The services sector gained 10,000 jobs, led by information, culture and recreation as well as healthcare and social assistance.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Royce Mendes, that's, Paul Smith, Doug Porter, Ismail Shakil, Steve Scherer, Fergal Smith, Nivedita Balu, Dale Smith, Louise Heavens, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Queen, West, REUTERS, Statistics, Reuters, Desjardins, Bank of Canada’s, The Bank of Canada, BoC, P, P Global Market Intelligence, CENTRAL BANK, Canadian, BMO Capital Markets, Bank of Canada, Thomson Locations: Toronto Ontario, Canada, OTTAWA, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Toronto

Amid the economic turmoil of the pandemic, his government racked up Canada's highest ever deficit. Failing to curb spending now risks "the market dictating to you what you have to do with fiscal policy," said Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. "I do think they have to trim the sails a bit," he added. "It's going to be easier to get inflation down if monetary and fiscal policy are rowing in the same direction," Macklem said. Fitch Ratings stripped Canada of its triple-A credit rating in June 2020, citing pandemic spending.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Doug Porter, Chrystia Freeland, Katherine Cuplinskas, Trudeau, Macklem, Desjardins, Randall Bartlett, Simon Deeley, Robert Asselin, DBRS Morningstar, Julia Smith, Steve Scherer, Fergal Smith, Denny Thomas, Josie Kao Organizations: OTTAWA, Trudeau's Liberal, BMO Capital Markets, Finance, International Monetary Fund, of Canada's, BoC, UK, RBC Dominion Securities Inc, New, Business Council of Canada, Fitch, Moody's Investors, Canada, Thomson Locations: Canada, FES, Germany, High, Ottawa, Toronto

OTTAWA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Spending by federal and provincial governments in Canada will start feeding into inflation next year if current spending plans are maintained, Bank of Canada (BoC) Governor Tiff Macklem said on Wednesday. If governments follow through with spending plans for 2024, it would mean "government spending is starting to get in the way of getting inflation back to target" of 2%, Macklem told members of a Senate committee. If governments spend less, "it would be easier to reduce inflation," Macklem said. The federal government's Fall Economic Statement (FES) could come as early as next week. It looks like there could be more federal spending on the way because Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has said she will unveil measures in the FES to help Canadians tackle housing and affordability.

Persons: Macklem, Chrystia Freeland, Justin Trudeau, Carolyn Rogers, Rogers, Ismail Shakil, Steve Scherer, David Gregorio Our Organizations: OTTAWA, Bank of Canada, BoC, Thomson Locations: Canada, FES, Ottawa

With the economy stumbling along slower than the Bank of Canada forecast just last week, analysts said there is no need to raise rates again from 5.0%, a 22-year high. July GDP was revised to being marginally negative from an initial report of zero growth, Statistics Canada said. This data reaffirms our view that the Bank of Canada is done raising rates for this cycle," Figueiredo said. The central bank has said its previous rate hikes are sinking in. The projected contraction in third-quarter annualized growth is far lower than the Bank of Canada (BoC) forecast last week.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Tiago Figueiredo, Figueiredo, Macklem, Benjamin Reitzes, Reitzes, Ismail Shakil, Steve Scherer, Dale Smith, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Roberts Bank, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Bank of Canada, Canadian, Reuters, Statistics, BoC, BMO Capital Markets, Thomson Locations: Delta, British Columbia, Canada, Canadian, Statistics Canada, Ottawa

☆ Bank of Canada says high rates, slow growth will impact govt spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada on Monday said higher interest rates and low growth will impact the federal government's budget spending and although the country's fiscal position is sustainable, expenditure should be contained to protect social programs. "Lower growth and higher interest rates will certainly impact on the government's budget," Governor Tiff Macklem told lawmakers in the House of Commons. "I don't think fiscal policy in Canada is in a situation where it's unsustainable. The bank said price risks were on the rise and inflation could exceed its 2% target for another two years. The bank increased rates 10 times between March 2022 and this July to tame inflation, which peaked at a four-decade high of 8.1% last year.

Persons: Macklem, Chrystia Freeland, Ismail Shakil, Steve Scherer, Jonathan Oatis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: OTTAWA, Bank of Canada, Finance, Thomson Locations: Canada, FES, Ottawa

☆ Big central banks hit pause, with rate cuts far off
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

On Oct. 23, Fed Chair Jay Powell said a strong economy and tight jobs market could warrant more rate rises. Interest rate futures show traders believe the BoE will not cut rates, now at their highest since 2008, until at least June 2024. "The Governing Council’s past interest rate increases continue to be transmitted forcefully into financing conditions," the ECB said, adding it would follow a "data-dependent" approach and future decisions would be based on incoming data. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told parliament last week interest rates may have peaked. Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics8) AUSTRALIAThe Reserve Bank of Australia held rates steady at 4.1% for a fourth meeting in October.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Jay Powell, BoE, Jonas Gahr Stoere, Michele Bullock, Naomi Rovnick, Harry Robertson, Alun John, Yoruk Bahceli, Samuel Indyk, Chiara Elisei, Kripa Jayaram, Pasit, Riddhima, Sumanta Sen, Vineet, Amanda Cooper, Giles Elgood Organizations: . Federal, REUTERS, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, UNITED, Reuters, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, BRITAIN, Bank of Canada, BoC, ECB, Norges Bank, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Washington, Japan, hawkish, dovish, NORWAY, SWEDEN Sweden, SWITZERLAND, Swiss, Gaza, JAPAN

☆ Bank of Canada leaves rates on hold, sees weak growth and stubborn inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem walks outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada June 22, 2020. The bank increased rates 10 times between March 2022 and this July, with inflation peaking at more than 8% last year. Inflation in September dipped to 3.8% from 4.0% in August, and the central bank said it would average 3.5% through mid-2024. "There is growing evidence that past interest rate increases are dampening economic activity and relieving price pressures," the Bank of Canada (BoC) said in a statement. In July, the BoC forecast third-quarter annualized growth of 1.5%.

Persons: Blair Gable, Steve Scherer, David Ljunggren OTTAWA, David Ljunggren Organizations: Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Wednesday, BoC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Israel, Gaza, Reuters Ottawa

☆ Canadian dollar hits 7-month low as BoC stays sidelined
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Canadian dollar coin, commonly known as the "Loonie", is pictured in this illustration picture taken in Toronto, January 23, 2015. The Canadian central bank held its key overnight rate at a 22-year high of 5.0%, as expected, for a second straight meeting. Wall Street fell after lackluster corporate results, while the U.S. dollar (.DXY) rallied against a basket of major currencies. Canadian government bond yields were higher across a steeper curve but the move for shorter-dated maturities was less than for the equivalent U.S. Treasury yields. The 2-year rose 2.9 basis points to 4.749%, while the 10-year was up 11.3 basis points at 4.131%.

Persons: Mark Blinch, Tom O'Gorman, we're, Michael Goshko, maturities, Fergal Smith, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, greenback, BoC, Canadian, U.S, Bank of, Franklin Templeton, Convera Canada, U.S ., Treasury, Thomson Locations: Toronto, TORONTO, Canadian, Franklin Templeton Canada, Wall

☆ Analysis: China to choose fiscal muscle over big reforms to revive economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The foundation of economic recovery is not solid," said an adviser to the cabinet who spoke on condition of anonymity. The debate about economic policy in China has heated up in recent months with some government advisers advocating reforms to help unleash new growth engines beyond property and infrastructure investment. For those looking for structural reforms, the focus is on policies that spur urbanisation and household spending power, reduce the reliance on investment and level the playing field between state-owned enterprises and private firms. "Fiscal policy should still play the leading role next year," said Xu Hongcai, deputy director of the economic policy commission at the state-backed China Association of Policy Science. "We should push reforms as many problems are structural, but reforms are difficult to implement and require political will," said one policy insider.

Persons: Xu Hongcai, Xu, Guan Tao, Kevin Yao, Sam Holmes Organizations: Reuters, China Association of Policy, BOC International, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Communist, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, Beijing

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