DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Australia's Westpac warns of $109 mln hit to fiscal 2023 profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The bank sees an increase in provisions for customer refunds and associated payments and restructuring costs, among others, in fiscal 2023. Westpac reported a net profit attributable of A$5.69 billion in fiscal 2022. The company noted that the notable items recorded in fiscal 2023 are significantly lower than the notable items of A$874 million recorded in fiscal 2022. The net impact of these one-off items will reduce the bank's common equity tier 1 capital ratio by 4 basis points, it added. ($1 = 1.5855 Australian dollars)(This story has been corrected to say Westpac warns of a hit, not lower fiscal 2023 profit, in the headline)Reporting by Roushni Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Roushni Nair, Shailesh Organizations: Westpac, Central Business District of, REUTERS, Westpac Banking Corp, Thomson Locations: Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Frail yen grazes 150 again as anxiety mounts over Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Vidya Ranganathan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Banknotes of Japanese yen and U.S. dollar are seen in this illustration picture taken September 23, 2022. U.S. Treasuries were subdued as investors hunkered down for a European Central Bank meeting and U.S. GDP data later in the week. "Potentially there are two camps out fighting around 150, so that's why dollar-yen doesn't move from here," Yamamoto said. While there was some speculation the BOJ might once again tweak its yield-curve policy band at a scheduled policy review next week, the BOJ had also shown it will not let domestic yields rise sharply, he said. Yields dipped on Friday after the BOJ announced more loans to encourage financial institutions to buy JGBs.

Persons: Florence Lo, Jerome Powell, Masafumi Yamamoto, Yamamoto, Sean Callow, Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, United, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Mizuho Securities, Westpac, Brent, ECB, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, Gaza, United States, U.S, Tokyo, East

Official data showed China's economy grew 1.3% in the third quarter, accelerating from 0.5% in the previous quarter and topping market forecasts for an increase of 1%. China's yuan hit a one-week high of 7.2905 per dollar, though it then retreated to 7.312. The China-sensitive Australian dollar , was last up 0.24% at $0.6381, while the New Zealand dollar was 0.18% higher at $0.5907. Reuters GraphicsThe euro was steady at $1.0571, while sterling was up 0.1% at $1.2194 after data showed British inflation failed to fall as expected in September. Israel's shekel was pinned to the weaker side of 4 to the dollar, around its lowest since 2015.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Joe Biden, I'm, Erik Nelson, Wells, Nelson, we're, It's, it's, Imre Speizer, Israel's shekel, Tom Westbrook, Harry Robertson, Shri Navaratnam, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S ., Israel, Wednesday, New Zealand, Westpac, Reuters, Treasury, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, LONDON, Gaza, China, Wells Fargo, Israel, Iran, U.S, Japan, Tokyo, Singapore, London

☆ Yuan leads rally in Asian currencies on China's economic bounce
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Asian currencies caught a boost from better-than-expected Chinese economic data on Wednesday, driving the yuan to a one-week high and putting a dampener on the U.S. dollar which has rallied for weeks on end as U.S. yields have climbed. A blast at a Gaza hospital also kept moves modest and traders on edge at the prospect of a widening conflict. Official data showed China's economy grew 1.3% in the third quarter, accelerating from 0.5% in the previous quarter and topping market forecasts for an increase of 1%. On Tuesday U.S. yields had shot sharply higher after data showed retail sales increased strongly, which had helped the dollar pile pressure on the low-yielding Japanese yen. "Maybe it's hitting the limits of this stage of the rally, and needs a bit of a correction."

Persons: Joe Biden, Woei Chen Ho, It's, it's, Imre Speizer, Sterling Organizations: U.S ., Israel, Wednesday, New, Tuesday, Bank of Japan, greenback, Treasury, Westpac Locations: Gaza, Singapore, New Zealand, Asia

☆ New Zealand election campaign winds down with Labour facing defeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Prime Minister and Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins speaks at the New Zealand Labour Party’s election campaign launch event in Auckland, New Zealand, September 2, 2023. However, Hipkins, 45 said Labour was starting to see momentum build in the final hours of campaigning. “We are expecting a really huge turnout ... and we’re expecting a really strong result tomorrow night," Hipkins, 45, told reporters. Polls predict that the nationalist New Zealand First Party will hold the balance of power. The party was Labour’s coalition partner in 2017 but has said it will not work with Labour again.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, David Rowland, Hipkins, Jacinda Ardern, we’re, Christopher Luxon, you've, ” Luxon, walkabouts, ”, Kelly Eckhold, Lucy Craymer, Stephen Coates Organizations: Labour Party, New Zealand Labour, REUTERS, Rights, Zealand, Labour, ACT Party, New Zealand First Party, National Party, MMP, Zealanders, “, Westpac, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, Hipkins

☆ New Zealand's economy poses challenge for election victor
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Christopher Luxon, Leader of the National Party, speaks at the New Zealand National Party’s election campaign launch in Auckland, New Zealand, September 3, 2023. That will stiffen the challenge for the nation's two major parties, the centre-left Labour Party and the centre-right National Party, to deliver its agenda where rising prices and government debt have been hot-button election issues. At the same time government borrowing costs are increasing and the country’s ballooning current account deficit poses a risk to the country’s credit rating. Kelly Eckhold, chief economist at Westpac New Zealand said tough fiscal choices face an incoming government. ($1 = 1.6551 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lucy Craymer Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, David Rowland, won’t, Kelly Eckhold, ”, Lucy Craymer, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: National Party, New Zealand National, REUTERS, Rights, Labour Party, Bank, Bank of New, National, Statistics New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New, Labour, NZ, Westpac New Zealand, Zealand, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, Bank of New Zealand, New Zealand, Zealanders, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ Dollar stalls as dovish Fed tone dials down rate expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The dollar remained steady against major peers on Tuesday, after a pause in its rally following a slight dovish shift in Federal Reserve officials' tone. "If long-term interest rates remain elevated because of higher term premiums, there may be less need to raise the Fed funds rate," said Dallas Fed president Lorie Logan -- a notable shift from previously hawkish rhetoric. Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said the central bank would need to "proceed carefully" given the recent rise in yields. "There are another 13 Fed speakers scheduled this week which could see this theme develop further," said analysts at Westpac. "The idea that the increases in bond yields have done part of the tightening job appears to be gaining traction among some Fed officials," said OCBC rates strategist Frances Cheung.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Lorie Logan, Philip Jefferson, Frances Cheung, Ken Cheung, Tom Westbrook, Sam Holmes, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal, New, East, Swiss, Palestinian, Dallas, Fed, Westpac, Columbus, People's Bank of, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, New Zealand, Israeli, Israel, Tokyo, People's Bank of China

☆ New Zealand's Economy Poses Challenge for Election Victor
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

That will stiffen the challenge for the nation's two major parties, the centre-left Labour Party and the centre-right National Party, to deliver its agenda where rising prices and government debt have been hot-button election issues. “The Reserve Bank will need the government to do its bit if it is to cap the cash rate at the 5.5% it currently suggests,” analysts at Bank of New Zealand said in a note. DEBT, AND MORE DEBTThe biggest challenge for many New Zealanders is mortgage rates. At the same time government borrowing costs are increasing and the country’s ballooning current account deficit poses a risk to the country’s credit rating. Kelly Eckhold, chief economist at Westpac New Zealand said tough fiscal choices face an incoming government.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, won’t, Kelly Eckhold, ”, Lucy Craymer, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Reuters, Labour Party, National Party, Bank, Bank of New, National, Statistics New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New, Labour, NZ, Westpac New Zealand, Zealand Locations: Bank of New Zealand, New Zealand, Zealanders, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ NZ central bank holds rates, signals higher hurdle to further hikes; kiwi tumbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

View of an entrance to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in Wellington, New Zealand November 10, 2022. “Interest rates are constraining economic activity and reducing inflationary pressure as required,” the central bank said in a statement. The past RBNZ rate hikes have sharply slowed New Zealand’s economy but recent data showed it was tracking above central bank expectations at 0.9% quarterly growth. The central bank releases a comprehensive update of economic indicators and the forecast official cash rate track when it publishes its quarterly Monetary Policy Statement (MPS), which is due on Nov. 29. “The Bank appears content to wait for restrictive policy settings to fully feed through to the real economy,” analysts at Capital Economics in a note.

Persons: Lucy Craymer, ”, Kelly Eckhold, “ Organizations: WELLINGTON, Reuters, Reserve Bank of New, REUTERS, Bank of New Zealand, New Zealand, Westpac NZ, U.S . Federal Reserve, Capital Economics Locations: Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Wellington , New Zealand, Global, New Zealand

☆ Australia's Westpac fails to sell pacific banking business
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A woman exits the ground floor of an office building with Westpac logo amidst the easing of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in the Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, June 3, 2020. "Any failure to successfully divest businesses means that we may have sustained exposure to higher operating costs and to the higher inherent risks in those businesses," Westpac had told the market during its interim results in May. The bank would be starting a new brand campaign in the months ahead in both the countries in a move to improve its standing in local markets, Anthony Miller, CEO of Westpac business and wealth division said in a statement. The company said its pacific business was continuing to see growth along with operational recovery post COVID, which presented Westpac an option to invest in the operations. ($1 = 1.5863 Australian dollars)Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Additional Reporting by Ayushman Ojha; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Anthony Miller, Rishav Chatterjee, Ayushman Ojha, Rashmi Organizations: Westpac, Central Business District of, REUTERS, Kina Securities, Thomson Locations: Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Bengaluru

☆ US yields revisit highs, Asia stocks sag on hawkish Fed angst
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Asia-Pacific stock benchmarks sagged along with gold, while crude oil continued to drift back from 10-month highs. Westpac strategists see risks skewed toward even higher yields in the near term, pulling up the dollar as well. "We expect 10yr yields to establish a new, higher, yield range in coming weeks," with a possible peak around 4.75%, they said. The European Central Bank and Bank of England have also touted higher rates for longer in policy meetings since the middle of the month. Crude oil remained weak amid concerns that fuel demand will be crimped by major central banks holding interest rates higher for longer, even with supply expected to be tight.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Hong, HSI, Austan Goolsbee, Sterling, Gold, Kevin Buckland, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Treasury, Federal Reserve, U.S, Tokyo's Nikkei, Traders, Westpac, Chicago Fed, Fed, European Central Bank and Bank of England, Brent, U.S . West Texas, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Britain

☆ Dollar at 10-month top as US yields spike; yen slides
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The dollar stood by 10-month highs against a basket of major currencies on Tuesday, supported by U.S. bond yields scaling 16-year peaks, while the yen tiptoed deeper into the intervention danger zone. "Few currencies will resist the bullish dollar macro resiliency theme and the euro and Chinese yuan look more vulnerable than most." The yen has slowly but inexorably slid toward the 150-per-dollar mark as policymakers stuck with ultra-easy settings. The yen hit 148.97 to the dollar on Monday and last traded at 148.72.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sterling, Jane Foley, Tom Westbrook, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Treasury, U.S, Australia's Westpac, Swiss, Traders, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, Europe, Asia, U.S, Tokyo

☆ Dollar at 10-month top as U.S. yields spike, yen slides
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar stood by 10-month highs against a basket of major currencies on Tuesday, supported by U.S. bond yields scaling 16-year peaks, while the yen tiptoed deeper into the intervention danger zone. "Few currencies will resist the bullish dollar macro resiliency theme and the euro and Chinese yuan look more vulnerable than most." The yen has slowly but inexorably slid toward the 150-per-dollar mark as policymakers stuck with ultra-easy settings. The yen hit 148.97 to the dollar on Monday and last traded at 148.72. "We remain of the view that the dollar is unlikely to weaken significantly until Fed rate cuts are firmly on the horizon," she said.

Persons: Sterling, Jane Foley Organizations: Treasury, U.S, Australia's Westpac, Swiss, Traders, Bank of Japan Locations: Europe, Asia, U.S

☆ Not much exciting about Aussie banks as high costs pressure earnings - Macquarie
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Australia's "Big Four" banks - among the top seven listed companies in the country - control 75% of the country's A$2 trillion mortgage market. That euphoria is now largely over as high living costs impact borrowers' capacity to repay loans. Macquarie, an investment bank with a small retail banking operation, said banks' cost bases are likely to remain under pressure as more than 70% of their expenses related to personnel. Macquarie added that it expects banks' expenses to grow by around 1% to 7% in fiscal 2023 through to fiscal 2025, with third-biggest lender Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX) seen being impacted more than its peers. The regional banks will remain disadvantaged in the current environment as they will have to continue to invest to keep up, Macquarie said, estimating up to 4% higher expenses than consensus.

Persons: Macquarie, Sameer Manekar, Janane Organizations: Macquarie, Westpac Banking Corp, ANZ Group Holdings, CBA, NAB, Adelaide Bank, Bank of Queensland, Thomson Locations: Bendigo, Bengaluru

☆ Not much exciting about Aussie banks as high costs pressure earnings, Macquarie says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Loren Elliott, Macquarie, Sameer Manekar, Janane Organizations: Central Business, REUTERS, Macquarie, Westpac Banking Corp, ANZ Group Holdings, CBA, NAB, Adelaide Bank, Bank of Queensland, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bendigo, Bengaluru

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 14 (Reuters) - National Australia Bank (NAB) (NAB.AX) said on Thursday it would shut its Hong Kong branch, as offices in Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai were its preferred customer outreach hubs in Asia. The move is likely to impact about 50 roles in the Hong Kong, however, the lender said in a statement that its "too early" to confirm the impact of the branch closing. "The decision probably reflects that foreign businesses are not finding operating conditions in Hong Kong as conducive as they once were," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. The office shutdown comes after Finance Sector Union said earlier this month that the bank was planning to cut 222 back-office jobs.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Tim Waterer, NAB's, Navya Mittal, Subhranshu Sahu, Rashmi Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, NAB, KCM, Westpac, Finance Sector Union, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai, Asia, Bengaluru

☆ Aussie lender NAB to cut 222 back-office jobs, says trade union
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Poonam Behura | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - National Australia Bank (NAB.AX) is planning to cut 222 back-office jobs, the Finance Sector Union (FSU) said in an emailed response to Reuters. FSU, a white-collar trade union, said NAB’s restructuring will impact its departments such as Personal Direct Lending, Technology and Operations, Corporate Finance and Client Coverage. "This means certain roles may no longer be required or need to be moved to support other teams." NAB reported a 5% jump in third-quarter cash earnings in August, including a decline in its margins due to higher home lending competition and deposit costs.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Julia Angrisano, Poonam, Shilpi Majumdar, Devika Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, Finance Sector Union, FSU, Reuters, Technology, Corporate Finance, NAB, Australian, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corp, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Westpac acknowledges legal proceedings on financial hardships negligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Loren Elliott Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Westpac Banking Corp FollowSept 4 (Reuters) - Australia's Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX) on Tuesday said it was aware of legal proceedings launched by the country's corporate regulator alleging the lender's failure to assist its customers with financial hardship notices between 2015 and 2022. The legal proceedings are linked with a "technology failure" in which the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) claimed 229 applications for financial hardship assistance logged between 2015 and 2022 were not evaluated within 21 days, Westpac said in an email response to Reuters. "This error meant we didn't provide some of our customers with the help they needed. For this, we are deeply sorry," said Westpac Group Chief Information Officer Scott Collary. Over the alleged period of breach, Westpac received about 630,000 applications for hardship assistance, the company told Reuters.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Scott Collary, Roushni Nair, Sandra Maler Organizations: Westpac, Central Business District of, REUTERS, Rights Companies Westpac Banking, Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Reuters, Westpac Group, Australia's National, Thomson Locations: Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Bank of America: Asian buybacks just hit a 20-year high — and these stocks are a buying opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Analysts at Bank of America named Asian stocks with high buybacks, which they said are an opportunity for investors. "Data since Jan-90 shows Asia stocks with High Share Buybacks tend to outperform," the analysts wrote in an August 31 research note. "The proportion of Asia stocks buying back shares is at a 20-year high, suggesting increased opportunity for investors," said the analysts led by Nigel Tupper. Other Chinese stocks on BofA's list include semiconductor supplier Daqo New Energy and utilities firm Huaneng Power . Australian stocks on BofA's list included banks Westpac and National Australia Bank .

Persons: Nigel Tupper, BofA, CJ Cheil Organizations: Bank of America, Companies, Smart, New Energy, Huaneng, Catcher Tech, Westpac, National Australia Bank, Woolworths, Keppel Corp, HK Land, Swire Pacific Locations: Asia, China, Huaneng Power, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, U.S

☆ RBA to hold rates at 4.10% on Tuesday, but will hike again next quarter: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Devayani Sathyan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Two respondents in the Aug 30-Sept 1 poll expected a 25 basis point (bps) hike. Among major local banks, ANZ, CBA, and Westpac expected rates to remain unchanged until at least end-2023, while NAB predicted one more rate hike to 4.35% in November. Three economists expected two more 25 bps hikes in the fourth quarter. While BlackRock and Deutsche Bank expected hikes in November and December, Citi expected moves in October and November. "We think they'll maintain the tightening bias and there may be further risk of a rate hike later in the year," said Benjamin Picton, senior strategist at Rabobank.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Taylor Nugent, Michele Bullock's, Benjamin Picton, Devayani Sathyan, Susobhan Sarkar, Anant Chandak, Ross Finley, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Rights, NAB, ANZ, CBA, Westpac, BlackRock, Deutsche Bank, Citi, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Aussie home price downturn over, to rise this year and next
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Devayani Sathyan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Aug. 14-29 Reuters survey of 14 analysts forecast home prices will rise 4.4% this calendar year, a significant upgrade from the flat-lining predicted in a poll published in June. In 2024, average house prices were forecast to drift up another 5%, in line with the latest New Zealand home price poll forecast and a slight increase from 4.5% in the previous poll. With many aspiring homebuyers kept away from ownership and remaining in the rental market, average lease prices were also expected to rise sharply. "Unfortunately, most indicators suggest the squeeze has longer to run with additional supply unlikely to come onto the rental market anytime soon." Home prices in Sydney were forecast to rise 6.9% this year and 5.0% next, while prices in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth were expected to rise between 3% and 6% in 2023 and 2024.

Persons: Michelle Ciesielski, Knight Frank, Ciesielski, homebuyers, Matthew Hassan, Devayani Sathyan, Susobhan Sarkar, Hari Kishan, David Holmes Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, Westpac, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Australia, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth

☆ Aussie lender NAB to cut 10% jobs in markets division, Australian Financial Review reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 28 (Reuters) - National Australia Bank (NAB.AX) is preparing to cut around 60 jobs of the 600-staff at its markets division and undertake a broad restructuring exercise across its seven business, the Australian Financial Review said on early on Monday citing sources. The country's second-biggest bank would begin the layoffs as early as this week but is yet to announce the changes internally, AFR said. Layoffs at NAB would include capital markets types working within its corporate and institutional banking unit, where its markets business sits with a team of about 600. Reporting by Poonam Behura in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, AFR, Poonam, Alison Williams Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, Australian Financial, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corp, NAB, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Dollar eases before Jackson Hole, yen rises amid intervention jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Dollar and Chinese Yuan banknotes are seen in this illustration taken January 30, 2023. China's yuan briefly popped to a one-week high as the central bank again tried to bolster the currency by setting a much stronger-than-anticipated daily mid-point, but those gains fizzled out quickly. Money markets currently lay a bit less than 50/50 odds for another 25 basis point Fed hike by November, before the central bank shifts to rate cuts next year. Traders are wary of intervention after levels around 146 spurred the first yen buying by Japanese officials in a generation last September. On Thursday, the dollar reached 146.565 yen for the first time since Nov. 10.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jerome Powell, Kazuo Ueda, Richard Franulovich, Powell, Kristina Clifton, Kevin Buckland, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Federal, Bank of Japan, U.S ., Westpac, Treasury, Traders, Sterling, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Bank, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, China's, Beijing, China

☆ Strategist discusses outlook for the Chinese yuan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | 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 EmailChinese yuan: Authorities want pace of decline to be as slow as possible, strategist saysSean Callow of Westpac Bank discusses the outlook for the Chinese yuan and says "we're getting a clear message from the daily fixing that they want to keep a lid on the pace of depreciation."

Persons: Sean Callow, we're Organizations: Westpac Bank

☆ Dollar hovers near highs as U.S. yields surge; PBOC bolsters yuan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, 100 U.S. dollar notes and 100 yuan notes are displayed. Money markets currently lay a bit less than 50/50 odds for another 25 basis point Fed hike by November, before the central bank shifts to rate cuts next year. The offshore yuan was little changed at 7.2872, after firming about 0.1% after the fixing. The Australian dollar , which often trades as a proxy to China, was also little changed at $0.6413 after initially strengthening slightly following the fixing. The Aussie has grinded higher in recent sessions after dropping to a 9 1/2-month low of $0.6365 on Thursday.

Persons: Richard Franulovich, Jerome Powell's, Franulovich, Powell, Kristina Clifton Organizations: U.S, U.S ., Westpac, Treasury, Commonwealth Bank of Australia Locations: Jackson Hole , Wyoming, China's, Beijing, China

Search resuls for: "Westpac"

25 mentions found