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☆ Think falling prices would help? They could destroy an economy. Just ask China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

China, however, is having a different problem: Prices are falling at their fastest rate in 15 years. No, that wasn’t a typo, falling prices are a problem when they’re widespread across an economy, like in China, which is experiencing what’s known as deflation. At first glance, falling prices may sound good. Like the US Federal Reserve, most central banks target a 2% annual rate of inflation, not zero inflation whatsoever. “In a deflationary environment monetary policy may not be able to sufficiently stimulate the economy by using its interest rate instrument.

Persons: — Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Federal Reserve, European Central Bank Locations: New York, China

☆ Finland's New President Sees No Limit to NATO Ties, Ukraine Support
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

He said he agreed with his predecessor Sauli Niinisto "who said that we need a more European NATO". He would be "a Western president in many ways" and lean towards the United States, Britain and Nordic neighbours when it came to setting the tone of foreign policy, he told Reuters. "My starting point is, paraphrasing (European Central Bank President) Mario Draghi, whatever it takes," Stubb said. During his election campaign Stubb said Finland should be an active NATO member and seek to have some NATO troops stationed on its territory. Stubb is a keen amateur athlete and triathlon champion - though he has said he will cut down on sport once he becomes Finland's 13th president.

Persons: Anne Kauranen, Alexander Stubb, Sauli Niinisto, Mario Draghi, Stubb, Johanna Vuorelma, Vuorelma, Markku Jokisipila, Suzanne Innes, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, NATO, Reuters, European Investment Bank, European University Institute, Nordic, Ukraine, Central Bank, Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Finland's Centre, Parliamentary Studies, National Coalition Party Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Finland, Europe, Florence, United States, Britain, British

☆ Yen near 10-week low, dollar buoyant as traders adjust rate bets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The yen wallowed near a 10-week low on Friday, while the dollar ground towards a fourth weekly advance as traders dialed back bets on how quickly the Bank of Japan, or BOJ, will raise interest rates and how soon the Federal Reserve will cut them. The yen wallowed near a 10-week low on Friday, while the dollar ground towards a fourth weekly advance as traders dialed back bets on how quickly the Bank of Japan, or BOJ, will raise interest rates and how soon the Federal Reserve will cut them. The yen was little changed at 149.315 per dollar in early Asian trading, after dipping to 149.48 late in the previous session for the first time since Nov. 27. Both currencies have been relatively resilient with officials from the European Central Bank and Bank of England pushing back against market wagers on early rate reductions. New Zealand's dollar gained 0.34% to $0.6117, supported by bets for a delayed start to Reserve Bank rate cuts - or even the potential for further hikes - after data this week showed a stronger-than-forecast jobs market.

Persons: Shinichi Uchida, Shunichi Suzuki, Jerome Powell, FOMC, Richard Franulovich, Sharon Zollner, bitcoin Organizations: Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, BOJ, Japanese Finance, Traders, European Central Bank and Bank of England, Reserve, ANZ Locations: Tokyo

☆ The dollar is back. It’s not all good news
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —The greenback is strengthening again after a bumpy 2023, as Wall Street accepts that interest rate cuts are coming later than previously expected. The US Dollar Index, which tracks the dollar against the British pound, euro, Swiss franc, Japanese yen, Canadian dollar and Swedish krona, is up 2.8% for the year as of Friday morning. “All of a sudden the interest rate differential kicks in — if that is slower than the Fed or faster,” said Krosby. Higher interest rates tend to garner more international capital to flow into a country, raising demand for the currency and thus its value. Still, Todd Jones, chief investment officer at Gratus Capital, says he expects the dollar to trend lower eventually as the Fed gets closer to cutting rates.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Christine Lagarde, Quincy Krosby, ”, Neel Kashkari, Todd Jones, Jones, Anna Cooban, Richard Meade, Janet Yellen, Alicia Wallace, Yellen, ” Yellen Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Swiss, Canadian, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, LPL, Treasury, Minneapolis, Gratus, Fed, Hamas, Lloyds, CNN, Banking Committee Locations: New York, Swedish, Iran, Suez, Asia, Europe

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s central bank cut its key interest rate for the second straight time Thursday in an effort to help the struggling economy. The cut by a half-percentage point brought the interest rate down to 6.25%. Photos You Should See View All 15 ImagesThe Czech bank's decision comes as major central banks around the world are discussing when to start bringing down borrowing costs. The European Central Bank left its benchmark rate unchanged at a record-high 4% on Jan. 25, saying it was premature to discuss cuts. Last week, the U.S. Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate steady, indicating that it needed to see more evidence that inflation is truly in check before making cuts.

Organizations: Czech Statistics Office, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England Locations: PRAGUE, Czech

☆ Dollar poised for weekly decline; US jobs data up next
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The dollar index was last at 103.02 and on track for its first weekly decline for the year. The New Zealand dollar rose 0.07% to $0.6149 and was on track for a weekly rise of nearly 1%, its best performance in over a month. It was poised for a weekly gain of nearly 1.3%, its best week in over a month. That highlighted a growing view within the board that conditions were falling in place to soon pull short-term interest rates out of negative territory, which would be Japan's first interest rate hike since 2007. Data on Thursday showed euro zone inflation eased as expected last month but underlying price pressures fell less than forecast, likely boosting the European Central Bank's argument that rate cuts should not be rushed.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Ray Attrill, Raf Choudhury, BoE, Thierry Wizman Organizations: Federal Reserve, New Zealand, National Australia Bank, Friday's, Analysts, Bank of Japan's, Bank of England, Monetary, European Locations: Abrdn, U.S

☆ Euro zone inflation eases as expected, but core figures disappoint
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Euro zone headline inflation eased slightly in January, flash figures published by the European Union's statistics agency showed on Thursday, while core figures declined less than expected. Inflation stood at 2.9% in December, up from 2.4% in November, largely due to the wind-down of energy price support measures. By sector, services inflation — an important gauge for policymakers due to its link to domestic wage pressures — held steady at 4%. Preliminary figures out earlier this week showed inflation in Germany easing slightly more than had been forecast, reaching 3.1%. "However, core inflation only inched lower, with services especially coming in quite hot.

Persons: Janis, Price, Christine Lagarde, Kamil Kovar, Kovar Organizations: Reuters, Inflation, European Central Bank, ECB, Moody's Locations: Cais, Lisbon, Portugal, Germany

☆ Eurozone Inflation Dips at Start of Year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Melissa Eddy | More About Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Why It Matters: The timing of interest rate cuts depends on dataInvestors are watching for signs that the European Central Bank will lower interest rates, which policymakers last week held at a record high of 4 percent. The numbers released on Thursday could raise expectations that rates may come down sooner rather than later. Core inflation, the rate of inflation that excludes the volatile prices of food and energy, continued its downward trend, cooling to 3.3 percent in January from 3.4 percent in December. That figure is crucial to the E.C.B., as it reflects underlying trends in prices across the eurozone. will remain cautious, he said, “and will not contemplate any rate cut before June.”

Persons: Christine Lagarde, “, Peter Vanden Houte, ” Organizations: European Central Bank, ING Locations: midyear, Germany, Europe’s

☆ Russia’s frozen assets are generating billions. The EU is getting ready to send them to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Russian assets frozen in European accounts are generating billions of dollars in interest payments that could be diverted to help repair Ukraine’s war-torn economy — and the European Union just took a step closer to doing that. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries froze nearly half of Moscow’s foreign reserves — some €300 billion ($327 billion). Around €200 billion ($218 billion) sits in the European Union — mostly at Euroclear, a financial institution that keeps assets safe for banks, exchanges and investors. The EU has been at pains to contrast the illegality of Russia’s invasion with its own strict adherence to the rule of law. Lawyers are working on the text of the agreement before returning it to EU member states for final approval.

Persons: Euroclear, —, ” — James Frater Organizations: London CNN, European Union, EU, immobilised Central Bank of Russia, ”, Group, World Bank, European, European Central Bank, CNN Locations: Ukraine, ” Belgium, Euroclear, Russia, EU

Energy prices fell 6.3%, contributing to the drop in inflation in the 20 European Union countries that use the euro currency. Inflation has fallen steadily as the ECB rapidly raised interest rates, the typical antidote to out-of-control price increases. Inflation decreased to 3.1% in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, down from 3.8% in December and the lowest since June 2021. The decline in inflation has unleashed speculation that the European Central Bank could start cutting interest rates as early as April. And European growth could use a boost.

Persons: Christoph Swonke, ” Organizations: European Union, Energy, Union, European Central Bank, ECB, DZ Bank, Bank of England, U.S . Federal Reserve Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Europe’s, France, Europe, Iranian, Yemen, Africa, Suez, Israel, U.S

Late last year, Wall Street investors had bet that a rate cut in March was a near-certainty. Collectively, the policymakers likely feel little urgency to start cutting rates, a point that Chair Jerome Powell may stress in a news conference Wednesday. The unemployment rate, at 3.7%, isn't far above a half-century low. Yet some cracks have begun to appear in the job market and, if they worsen, could spur the Fed to cut rates more quickly. Though the European Central Bank could cut rates as soon as April, many economists think that might not happen until June.

Persons: Joe, Biden, Jerome Powell, they’re, ”, Subadra Rajappa Organizations: WASHINGTON, Federal Reserve, Republicans, Congress, Wall Street, Consumers, General Motors, United Auto Workers, Conference Board, European Central Bank Locations: U.S, United States

☆ Eurozone Economy Flatlines, Raising Concerns About Falling Behind
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The eurozone economy stagnated late last year as a lingering energy crisis sparked a loss of competitiveness in some European industries, and consumers reined in spending to grapple with high living costs, Europe’s statistics agency reported Tuesday. But economists believe the worst may be over, as the European Central Bank continues its campaign to wring out inflation without plunging the eurozone economy into a deep downturn. Compared with a year ago, the eurozone grew by just 0.1 percent. The anemic pace is keeping Europe far behind the United States, where the economy, although slowing from a breakneck growth pace, continues to be powered by consumer spending. Aggressive interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve have brought a slowdown in inflation, and the Fed is expected to begin unwinding those increases soon.

Organizations: European Central Bank, Federal Reserve Locations: Europe, United States

☆ Europe should brace for ‘harsh decisions’ if Trump is re-elected, says ECB’s Lagarde
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Europe should prepare for possible threats to its economy — including new US tariffs on its exports — if Donald Trump returns to the White House, according to European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde. “Let us prepare for potential tariffs, for potential harsh decisions that would be unexpected. The transatlantic relationship was strained during Trump’s first term, not least by a tit-for-tat trade spat between Washington and Brussels. That dispute saw the United States impose tariffs on EU steel and aluminum, to which the EU responded with tariffs on $3 billion worth of US goods, including whiskey, motorcycles and denim. The United States is the EU’s biggest source of foreign direct investment.

Persons: Donald Trump, Christine Lagarde, Mr Trump, ”, CNN’s Richard Quest, ” Lagarde, Trump, Trump’s, Lagarde, “ Organizations: London CNN, White, European Central Bank, United, EU, Republican, Ukraine, Russia, Trade, Trump, French, France, NATO Locations: Europe, United States, Washington, Brussels, Paris

☆ Europe narrowly avoids a recession
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Europe’s economy avoided ending 2023 in a recession by the narrowest of margins, official data showed Tuesday. In the July-to-September quarter, GDP dipped 0.1%. Europe’s economy has struggled to regain momentum following the pandemic, hamstrung by high inflation and rapid interest rate hikes to combat it. The French economy, Europe’s second-largest, stagnated in the fourth quarter but grew 0.7% over the whole of 2023. He expects the eurozone economy to “flatline” in the first half of 2024 “as the effects of past monetary tightening continue to feed through and fiscal policy becomes more restrictive.”

Persons: —, Russia’s, ‘, Christoph Weil, ”, ” “, Jack Allen, Reynolds, “ Organizations: London CNN, Gross, Eurostat, Union, EU, ’, Commerzbank, European Central Bank, Capital Economics, ECB Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Italy, Spain

☆ Euro zone economy narrowly skirts recession, stagnates in fourth quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The euro zone economy stabilized in the fourth quarter of 2023, flash figures published by the European Union's statistics agency showed on Tuesday. The euro zone's seasonally-adjusted GDP was flat compared with the previous quarter and expanded by 0.1% versus the previous year. The French economy was steady in the fourth quarter, while Spain outperformed forecasts to expand by 0.6%. The U.S. economy smashed expectations for the end of the year, expanding by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. The latest euro zone inflation flash figures are due Thursday.

Persons: industrials, Bert Colijn Organizations: ING, U.S, European Central Bank Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Spain, U.S

☆ Dollar keeps tight ranges ahead of Fed, jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A Chinese 100 yuan banknote, a 1 U.S. dollar bill and a 50 euro banknote are lying on a table. The dollar was steady in the Asian morning, with market participants moving cautiously ahead of the two-day FOMC meeting that kicks off on Tuesday. "I suspect that the FOMC meeting will not be as dovish as current market pricing suggests," said Matt Simpson, senior market analyst at City Index. The data will give another indication of whether the world's largest economy remains strong after the Fed's aggressive hiking campaign. Sterling was last trading at $1.2716, holding firm ahead of the Bank of England's monetary policy meeting this week.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Matt Simpson, hasn't, Sterling, Wei Liang Chang Organizations: U.S . Department of Labor, U.S ., Central Bank, Bank, DBS, Fed Locations: U.S

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe’s economy failed to expand at the end of 2023, with the stagnation now lasting for more than a year amid higher energy prices, costlier credit and lagging growth in powerhouse Germany. Zero economic growth for the October-to-December period of last year follows a 0.1% contraction in the three months before that, according to figures released Tuesday by EU statistics agency Eurostat. That extends a miserable run of economic blahs: The 20 countries that use the euro currency have not shown significant growth since the third quarter of 2022, when the economy grew 0.5%. With higher shipping costs and delays to products from clothes to keyboard components, concerns are growing of new consumer price spikes if the conflict in Gaza drags on or escalates. The trade disruption could add as much as 0.5% to core inflation, which excludes volatile fuel and food prices, Oxford Economics said.

Persons: ”, Holger Schmieding, Yemen's Houthi Organizations: EU, Eurostat, European Central Bank, Oxford Economics, ECB, Hamas, Oxford Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Suez, Asia, Europe, Berenberg, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Red, Africa, Gaza

☆ European stocks set to slip after notching two-year high; Fed and BoE meetings ahead
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European stock markets are heading for a lower start to the week as investors prepare for a slew of earnings, data and central bank announcements. The regional Stoxx 600 climbed 3.1% last week, closing at its highest level since January 2022, according to LSEG data. Gains came amid some positive fourth-quarter company results, and as the market ramped up bets that the European Central Bank will begin cutting interest rates in April. It is a big week for earnings, with Big Tech's Microsoft, Apple, Meta, Amazon and Alphabet all set to report. In Asia-Pacific, markets traded mixed with all attention on Hong Kong's High Court ordering the liquidation of Chinese property developer Evergrande.

Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, U.S . Federal, Bank of England, Big, Microsoft, Apple, Philips, Ryanair, Hong Locations: Europe, Asia, Pacific, Hong Kong's

☆ European markets set to open higher following ECB decision, U.S. data
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

European markets are expected to open higher Friday as investors digest the European Central Bank's latest decision and fresh economic data from the U.K. and U.S. The ECB met market expectations Thursday and held interest rates steady at their current record high. U.K. consumers are their most confident since January 2022, buoyed by falling inflation, new survey data showed Friday. Stateside, U.S. stock futures were higher after economic growth for the quarter came in well above expectations. Meantime, Asia-Pacific markets mostly declined Friday as electric vehicle stocks in the region dropped for a second day, while investors also digested inflation data from Tokyo.

Organizations: Central, ECB Locations: Asia, Pacific, Tokyo

☆ CNBC Daily Open: What recession? The U.S. economy kept growing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with workers while visiting CS Wind, the largest wind tower manufacturer in the world, in Pueblo, Colorado, U.S., November 29, 2023. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Apple opens iPhone store in EuropeApple plans to open up its iPhone App Store in Europe to competitors. Some investors have been wary since Beijing has been struggling with a property debt crisis that has triggered financial risks across the broader economy.

Persons: Joe Biden, Tesla, Lagarde, Christine Lagarde Organizations: CS Wind, CNBC, U.S, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Apple, Europe Apple, Digital Markets, European Central Bank, Pro Locations: Pueblo , Colorado, U.S, Tesla, Europe, China, Beijing

☆ IPSO: High dissatisfaction with Lagarde's leadership style
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIPSO: High dissatisfaction with Lagarde's leadership styleCarlos Bowles, vice-president of the European Central Bank's staff union, discusses the latest employee survey.

Persons: Carlos Bowles Organizations: European Central Bank's

☆ European Central Bank holds rates steady, gives no hint at cuts ahead
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The European Central Bank on Thursday held interest rates unchanged, and reiterated it would keep them high for a "sufficiently long duration" to bring inflation to target. The central bank is holding steady for the third straight meeting, after hiking its deposit rate to 4% in September. The central bank is facing a sluggish euro area economy and fragile financial stability, but it is also focused on bringing inflation down to 2% from 2.9% currently. The ECB is highly concerned with cutting rates too soon and undoing some of the effects of the existing tightening. On Thursday morning, markets were factoring in a 62% probability of an April cut, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Christine Lagarde Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB

☆ Dollar treads water ahead of U.S. GDP; ECB meeting in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Traders have been consolidating positions ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week. The report is, however, likely to show that the U.S. avoided a recession in 2023 and is expected to show moderating inflation in the last quarter, stoking expectations of rate cuts sometime in the first half of 2024. Other U.S. data this week includes the Fed's favourite gauge of inflation - the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) data - on Friday. The move from the central bank comes after a Bloomberg report earlier this week of a rescue package worth $278 billion to help stabilise the battered stock markets. The Australian dollar and the New Zealand dollar struggled to sustain a China-inspired rally earlier this week.

Persons: Kieran Williams, Jerome Powell, Kazuo Ueda Organizations: Central Bank, Traders, U.S, Asia FX, InTouch, ECB, Wednesday, Bloomberg, Australian, New Zealand, Aussie, Bank of, Bank of Japan Locations: Asia, U.S, China

☆ ECB's Lagarde responds to scathing staff survey: 'I'm very proud and honored to lead the institution'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde looks on as she attends the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, at the European Parliament, in Brussels, Belgium September 25, 2023. President Christine Lagarde on Thursday said she was "proud and honored" to leead the European Central Bank, after her leadership was slammed in a union-run survey of staff. The survey's qualitative responses suggested some staff believed she had created a negative atmosphere at the central bank, and that she spends "too much time on topics unrelated to monetary policy," IPSO said. Appearing unfazed, former politician and lawyer Lagarde said that the ECB conducted its own surveys in a "way that we can trust." The surveys are conducted by around 60% of employees, and also cover wages, respect in the workplace and workplace satisfaction, she said.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, IPSO, Lagarde Organizations: European Central Bank, European Parliament's, Economic, Monetary Affairs, ECB, IPSO Locations: Brussels, Belgium

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank raised its key interest rate by another 2.5 percentage points on Thursday, pressing ahead with a series of hikes aimed at combating inflation that reached nearly 65% in December. Erdogan is a longtime proponent of an unorthodox policy of cutting interest rates to fight inflation, which runs contrary to mainstream economic thinking. The European Central Bank is expected to keep its record-high benchmark rate steady at its meeting Thursday, following a rapid series of hikes over more than a year. Hafize Gaye Erkan, a former U.S.-based bank executive, took over as central bank governor in June, becoming the first woman to hold that position in Turkey. Previously, Erdogan had fired central governments who reportedly resisted his push to cut interest rates.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Merrill Lynch, Mehmet Simsek, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Erkan, ” Organizations: European Central Bank, Turkish Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Ukraine, U.S

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