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☆ Yen under pressure as BOJ keeps rates steady
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Japanese Yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. The yen remained under pressure on Thursday as the Bank of Japan kept ultra-low interest rates steady, while the U.S. dollar consolidated ahead of jobs data later this week and the U.S. presidential election next week. The BOJ kept interest rates steady on Thursday and roughly maintained its forecast that inflation will hover near its 2% inflation target in coming years, signaling its readiness to continue rolling back its massive monetary stimulus. Analysts are divided over the prospect of additional interest rate hikes by year-end, putting the focus on BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda's post-meeting briefing for clues on the pace and timing of further increases. "Any strengthening of the yen at present would likely result from a general weakening of the U.S. dollar if interest rates begin to align," said Sean Teo, a sales trader at Saxo.

Persons: Yen, Kazuo Ueda's, Sean Teo, payrolls, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Sterling Organizations: Bank of Japan, U.S ., U.S, Treasury, Saxo, National Statistics, PMI, Westpac, European Central Bank, Australian, Analysts, New Zealand Locations: China, U.S

☆ Dollar extends gains while investors parse China's stimulus plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The dollar extended its gains in early Monday trades in Asia as a holiday in Japan sapped liquidity, leaving China's somewhat disappointing weekend stimulus announcements the focus of market attention. The dollar extended its gains in early Monday trades in Asia as a holiday in Japan sapped liquidity, leaving China's somewhat disappointing weekend stimulus announcements the focus of market attention. "Markets are likely disappointed that China's Finance Ministry did not unveil concrete additional stimulus," said Richard Franulovich, head of FX strategy at Westpac, in a note. The yuan is down 0.9% against the dollar since Sept. 24, when the People's Bank of China kicked off China's most aggressive stimulus measures since the pandemic. The yen and euro both fell around 0.3% each, sterling shed 0.4% and the dollar index climbed 0.4%.

Persons: Lan Foan, Richard Franulovich, Christopher Wong, Christopher Waller Organizations: Federal Reserve, Finance, China's Finance Ministry, Westpac, People's Bank of China, CSI, Fed, Traders, New Zealand Locations: Asia, Japan, China, Singapore, U.S, United States

☆ Dollar firm as war widens in Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The dollar held its sharpest gain in a week on Wednesday after an Iranian missile attack on Israel drove buying of safe assets as investors fretted about the widening of conflict in the Middle East. The dollar held its sharpest gain in a week on Wednesday after an Iranian missile attack on Israel drove buying of safe assets as investors fretted about the widening of conflict in the Middle East. The bid for safety kept the yen broadly steady at 143.45 per dollar and the Swiss franc at 0.8463 per dollar. The New Zealand dollar was nursing a 1.1% overnight fall at $0.6283 and oil prices had jumped 2.5%. Westpac strategist Imre Speizer said the Middle East was unpredictable but that in the absence of escalation market sentiment could recover and focus return to economics.

Persons: Sterling, Imre Speizer, Tim Walz, JD Vance Organizations: Swiss, New Zealand, U.S, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, ANZ, Westpac, BNZ, Gulf Coast dockworkers Locations: Iranian, Israel, Early Asia, Iran, Lebanon, Asia, New Zealand, dockside, East, Gulf Coast

☆ Waiting for clarity on Ishiba's impact on JPY: Strategist
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | 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 EmailWaiting for clarity on Ishiba's impact on JPY: StrategistRichard Franulovich, Head of FX Strategy at Westpac Institutional Bank, says he expects the Japanese yen to trade through 140 for now, affected more by the Fed & dollar direction as markets wait for clarity over the impact of Shigeru Ishiba's election as Japan's prime minister.

Persons: Richard Franulovich, Shigeru Ishiba's Organizations: FX, Westpac Institutional Bank, Fed

☆ RBNZ to leave rates this month given persistent core inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | 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 EmailEconomist expects RBNZ to leave rates steady this month given persistent core inflationKelly Eckhold from Westpac New Zealand says the RBNZ is likely to downgrade economic forecast given the latest weakness in the economy, despite leaving rates steady this month.

Persons: RBNZ, Kelly Eckhold Organizations: Westpac New Zealand

☆ Timeline: How the CrowdStrike outage unfolded
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Washington, DC, public transportation services — including trains and buses — begin experiencing delays, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. At 5:30 a.m., US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike tells customers that it was “aware of reports of crashes” of its software on Microsoft Windows operating systems, according to a company advisory viewed by CNN. Australian lenders ANZ and Westpac were also impacted, according to Downdetector, a website that tracks cyber outages. Other states also report impacts to their driving services, including Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee. CrowdStrike would take steps “to prevent anything like this from happening again,” according to a statement on the company’s website.

Persons: Ted Wheeler, they’re, We’re, Charlotte, Biden, Joe Biden, George Kurtz, ”, Brigham, Dana, Blood, Andrea Cefarelli, Jenny Ficenec, “, Kurtz, CrowdStrike Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Aviation Administration, American Airlines, FAA, Allegiant Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Microsoft, CNN, CrowdStrike’s, Fortune, White, National Security, Global, Australia’s Commonwealth Bank, Bank of Israel, ANZ, Westpac, ASB Bank . Portland, Emergency, Dispatch, United Airlines, Air Lines, Hartsfield Jackson International, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, ”, Miami International Airport, Customs, Border, Alaska State Troopers, Phoenix Police Department, Computer, Police, Rescue, Federal Communications Commission, US Department of Homeland Security, CrowdStrike, Social, US Department of Justice, UPS, FedEx, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Vehicle, Mass, Penn Medicine, Northwell, Emory Healthcare, Farber Cancer Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Provincial Health Services Authority, New York Blood Center, Northeast, Centers of America, Assurance Locations: New York, Alaska, Arizona, Delta, United, Washington, DC, New York City, North, Georgia, North Carolina , Texas, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Atlanta, Boston, British Columbia, New, Northeast United States, North Carolina, Virginia

Villagers watch the sunset over a small lagoon near the village of Tangintebu on South Tarawa in the central Pacific island nation of Kiribati May 25, 2013. CHINESE INTEREST AS WESTERN BANKS EXIT"The proposed World Bank project is a creative way of addressing the challenge of de-risking and small scale in Pacific Island countries," said Lalita Moorty, the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific director for prosperity. Without access to overseas banks, Pacific countries would struggle to receive remittances - a key component of their economies - welcome holidaymakers or trade with the wider world. "It can create instability for the financial system," said Denton Rarawa, senior economics adviser at the Pacific Islands Forum. "What we're saying is that if you're not going to address concerns and issues we have, Pacific countries will start looking elsewhere for support."

Persons: David Gray, Solomon, Lalita Moorty, Denton Rarawa, Mark Brown, Janet Yellen, Ariff Ali, Lewis Jackson, Lucy Craymer, Ziyi Tang, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Villagers, WELLINGTON, Bank, U.S, Pacific Islands, World Bank, Pacific, ANZ Bank, Westpac, Bendigo Bank, Bank of China, Reuters, Cook, U.S . Treasury, Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of Fiji, Thomson Locations: Tangintebu, South, Pacific, Kiribati, SYDNEY, Australia, China, Washington, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Beijing, U.S, East Asia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Brisbane, Pacific Islands, Sydney, Wellington

☆ Steady dollar sends yen to the brink of 160
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The dollar was firm on Wednesday and trading on the precipice of the 160 yen barrier as investors turned cautious and counted down to the release of U.S. price data at the end of the week. The dollar was firm on Wednesday and trading on the precipice of the 160 yen barrier as investors turned cautious and counted down to the release of U.S. price data at the end of the week. The Australian dollar dipped 0.1% to $0.6640 and the New Zealand dollar similarly slipped to $0.6115, with small moves reflecting thin trade. Sterling was steady at $1.268, while bitcoin has recovered somewhat from a dip below $60,000 this week to trade at $61,668. "The yen moves more, and yuan moves are more controlled, but they seldom move in opposite directions," said Societe Generale strategist Kit Juckes.

Persons: Pat Bustamante, Lisa Cook, Michelle Bowman, Bowman, bitcoin, Kit Juckes Organizations: Canadian, Westpac, Federal, Fed, New Zealand, Citi, Sterling, Generale Locations: Asia, U.S, China

☆ Dollar finds footing as traders turn to U.S. services data
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US Dollar notes and euro coins are arranged for a photograph on Sept. 11, 2017. The dollar steadied on Wednesday as traders pared back on riskier bets in emerging markets while waiting on an interest rate decision in Canada and on U.S. services data. Japanese real wages fell for a 25th straight month in April, data on Wednesday showed, as inflation outpaces nominal pay rises. The Swiss franc rose for a fourth straight session on the dollar overnight and at 0.8902 per dollar is close to breaking through its 200-day moving average. The New Zealand dollar was steady at $0.6173, while the Canadian dollar held the middle of a months-long range at C$1.3678 per dollar.

Persons: Jane Foley, Ryozo Himino, Narendra Modi, Chris Weston Organizations: Swiss, Bloomberg News, Bank of, Rabobank, BOJ, Westpac, New Zealand, African National Congress, Morena Locations: Canada, U.S, Bank of Japan, Asia, Japan, Morena

☆ Dollar holds firm as traders trim U.S. rate cut bets
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The carry of holding dollars is far juicier," he said, while policymakers' rhetoric has also made traders nervous about inflation and the risk rate cuts would be distant or small. Traders have pushed out the timing of the first Fed rate cut to December. Thursday's business surveys from S&P Global supported the conviction among many traders that the Fed may keep rates higher for longer. But not for traders who are positioned for Fed cuts. Rates markets still price a near 90% chance the ECB cuts rates next month.

Persons: Martin Whetton, Matt Simpson, Sterling, Christopher Waller Organizations: U.S, Westpac, Federal, Traders, P Global, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve Locations: Sydney

☆ Dollar set for weekly drop on U.S. slowdown signs
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The dollar headed for its largest weekly fall versus the euro in two-and-a-half months on Friday as signs of cooling inflation and a softening U.S. economy raised the prospect of rate cuts. The dollar headed for its largest weekly fall versus the euro in two-and-a-half months on Friday as signs of cooling inflation and a softening U.S. economy raised the prospect of rate cuts. The euro is up 0.9% on the dollar this week, has broken above resistance around $1.0855 and traded as high as $1.0895 in the wake of U.S. inflation posting a slowdown. "(Besides inflation) a lot of activity data has been cooling off," said Westpac strategist Imre Speizer, contributing to selling of the dollar. The New Zealand dollar was last steady at $0.6120 with traders looking ahead to next week's central bank meeting, where the official cash rate is expected to stay at 5.5%.

Persons: Imre Speizer, Sterling Organizations: Federal, Westpac, New, U.S, Aussie, New Zealand Locations: New Zealand

☆ Markets wary of intervention as yen struggles at 155 level
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Having traded in a tight range over the past few days, a buoyant dollar finally broke above the 155 yen level for the first time since 1990 in the previous session, and was last steady at 155.34 yen in early Asia trade. The breach of the 155 yen level comes as the BOJ meets to discuss monetary policy, though expectations are for the central bank to keep its short-term interest rate target unchanged following last month's landmark exit from negative rates. "We expect the BOJ meeting to deliver a marginally hawkish hold outcome," said Carl Ang, fixed income research analyst at MFS Investment Management. Continued expectations of gradual policy tightening and a low terminal policy rate make it difficult for the yen to appreciate significantly, even if at historically depressed levels." The dollar steadied at 105.79 against a basket of currencies, pulling away from a nearly two-week low hit in the previous session.

Persons: Carl Ang, Kazuo Ueda, Justin Smirk Organizations: Bank of Japan, MFS Investment Management, Reserve Bank of Australia, Westpac, New Zealand Locations: Tokyo, Asia, Australia

☆ Dollar ascendant as Fed cut bets pared, jawboning props up yen
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. dollar hovered near a 4-1/2-month high against major peers on Tuesday as traders rushed to push back bets for the Federal Reserve's first interest rate cut this year. The U.S. dollar hovered near a 4-1/2-month high against major peers on Tuesday as traders rushed to push back bets for the Federal Reserve's first interest rate cut this year. The U.S. rate futures market now factors in 61.3% odds of a Fed rate cut in June, down from about 70.1% probability a week ago, according to the CME's FedWatch tool. The Japanese yen firmed slightly on Tuesday to 151.565 per dollar, after dipping to 151.77 the previous day. Japanese authorities intervened in 2022 when the yen slid toward a 32-year low of 152 to the dollar.

Persons: –, Richard Franulovich, Sterling, Shunichi Suzuki, Westpac's, skidding, cryptocurrency bitcoin Organizations: U.S, Federal, Treasury, Bank of Japan's Locations: U.S, Japan

☆ Yen gains as bets firm for imminent rate hike; sterling slides
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, the man is holding several U.S. dollar bills with some Chinese yuan in the background. Sterling pulled back sharply from a multi-month high, following its best week since November of 2022, amid bets the Bank of England will be slower to cut rates than the Fed or European Central Bank. The greenback eased 0.17% to 146.82 yen , heading back toward the five-week low of 146.48 reached on Friday. The next Fed meeting runs March 19-20. The ECB left rates at record highs last Thursday while cautiously laying the ground to lower them later this year.

Persons: Sterling, Jerome Powell's, bitcoin Organizations: Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, European Central Bank, Westpac, Fed, ECB

☆ Dollar a spectator to China news, yen ponders rate risks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There was more action in bitcoin , which gained 1.2% to $68,341 after surging more than 7% on Monday. The Japanese yen held steady after data showed Tokyo core inflation sped up to 2.5% in February, from 1.8% the previous month. "Accordingly, we're sticking to our forecast that the Bank of Japan will hike interest rates into positive territory next month." The dollar was a fraction lower at 150.44 yen , having again shied away from resistance around 150.85, which has capped the currency for more than three months now. The European Central Bank, or ECB, holds a meeting on Thursday and markets are convinced it will keep rates at 4.0%.

Persons: Marcel Thieliant, Jerome Powell, Sterling, Jeremy Hunt Organizations: People's Congress, Bank of Japan's, Capital Economics, Bank of, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, ECB, Westpac, . Finance Locations: China, Tokyo, Japan, bitcoin, United States, Beijing, Asia, Bank of Japan

☆ Dollar eases as Fed clues awaited; bitcoin hits 2-year high
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. one hundred dollar bills are being shown in this picture illustration taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 15, 2023. The U.S. dollar drifted weaker on Monday, pressured by lower Treasury yields, as traders waited for more crucial economic data for fresh clues on the timing of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The U.S. dollar drifted weaker on Monday, pressured by lower Treasury yields, as traders waited for more crucial economic data for fresh clues on the timing of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The euro was firm following Friday's 0.33% advance, with a European Central Bank, or ECB, policy decision looming on Thursday. That also weighed on Treasury yields, removing additional support for the dollar, with the benchmark 10-year yield sliding as low as 4.178% for the first time in two weeks.

Persons: Bias, Jerome Powell's, Kazuo Ueda, Hajime Takata, Christine Lagarde's, Bitcoin Organizations: U.S, European Central Bank, Bank of, Treasury, Congress, Westpac, ECB Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina

☆ Dollar droops as key U.S. data looms; yen firms on CPI beat
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The dollar traded on the back foot on Tuesday, as markets looked ahead to a week of key U.S. economic data that will provide fresh signals on how soon the Federal Reserve may begin cutting interest rates. The dollar traded on the back foot on Tuesday, as markets looked ahead to a week of key U.S. economic data that will provide fresh signals on how soon the Federal Reserve may begin cutting interest rates. The U.S. dollar index , which measures the currency against a basket of peers including the yen and euro, traded flat at 103.78 early in Asian time, following a 0.17% slide on Monday. U.S. durable goods data is due later on Tuesday, while January's U.S. personal consumption expenditures price index, which is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, will be released Thursday. The dollar slipped 0.1% to 150.54 yen as a slightly hotter-than-expected reading for Japan's January consumer price index kept the BOJ on track to exit negative interest rate policy as soon as next month.

Persons: CME's, Richard Franulovich, Cryptocurrency bitcoin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan's, U.S, January's, New Zealand, Aussie, Traders, Reserve Bank of New, MicroStrategy Inc Locations: January's U.S, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ 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

☆ Dollar hovers near 7-week high as Fed cut bets shift to May
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, a person seen holding a 100 US dollar bill in his hand. The dollar has been buoyed by U.S. economic data suggesting the Fed can wait longer before cutting interest rates. Powell gave the currency another push overnight by calling a cut in March "not the base case." Traders are now pricing in a 38% probability the Fed will cut rates in March, down from 59% ahead of the Fed decision. Against Japan's currency, the dollar drifted 0.06% lower to 146.81 yen , adding to Wednesday's 0.47% decline.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Hogan, Riley, Sean Callow Organizations: Federal, Treasury, U.S, New, Bancorp, Fed, Traders, New York Community Bancorp, Investors, UST, Westpac, U.S . Locations: U.S, New York

☆ Dollar stems decline after heavy November selloff
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in Chicago on October 18, 2022. The dollar regained some ground on Tuesday and hovered near a one-week high against major peers, while bitcoin extended its momentum on optimism that U.S. regulators could soon approve exchange-traded spot bitcoin funds. The euro , meanwhile, languished near a three-week low hit on Monday and last traded $1.0840, while the dollar index stood near a more than one-week high and was last at 103.59. Analysts say the greenback's move higher was in part due to a reversal of its heavy selloff in recent weeks, which saw the dollar index falling some 3% in November, its steepest monthly decline in a year. In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin last stood at $41,873, not far from the previous session's peak of $42,404, its highest level since April 2022.

Persons: bitcoin, Sean Callow, Thierry Wizman, Bitcoin, Nexo, Antoni Trenchev Organizations: U.S, Westpac, Traders, Federal Reserve, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of Locations: Chicago, Asia, Tokyo, Reserve Bank of Australia

A pedestrian looks at his phone as he walks past a logo for Australia's Westpac Banking Corp located outside a branch in central Sydney, Australia, November 5, 2018. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX), Australia's third largest bank by market capitalisation, said on Monday it would raise A$750 million ($488.1 million) in an Additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital transaction. The AT1 bonds are used by banks to stabilise cashflow in periods of stress, according to APRA. Under that deal, holders of Credit Suisse AT1 bonds received nothing, while shareholders, who usually rank below bondholders in terms of who gets paid when a bank or company collapses, received $3.23 billion. ($1 = 1.5366 Australian dollars)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Gray, Stephen Jones, Scott Murdoch, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Stephen Coates Organizations: Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Westpac Banking Corp, Westpac, prudential, Credit Suisse, APRA, Credit Suisse AT1s, Commonwealth Bank, Credit, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Yen eyes best week in four months, dollar heads for weekly decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The yen was on track for its best week against the dollar in four months on Friday on the prospect of a narrowing U.S.-Japan rate differential, with bets that the Federal Reserve is done raising rates leaving the greenback headed for a weekly loss. That's led to a decline in U.S. Treasury yields alongside a fall in the dollar, which was on track to lose nearly 0.6% on the yen for the week, its worst weekly performance since July. Against the greenback, the euro and sterling were likewise eyeing a weekly jump of more than 1.5% each, while the dollar index was on track to lose 1.3%. The Japanese yen last stood at 150.72 per dollar, remaining on the weaker side of the 150 threshold and not far from Monday's one-year low of 151.92 per dollar. It's our house view that they don't touch policy settings for many, many months, so deep into next year," said Callow.

Persons: That's, Sean Callow, Callow Organizations: Federal, Fed, Treasury, CPI, Westpac, Bank of Japan, U.S, New Locations: Japan, U.S, United States, New Zealand

☆ Morning Bid: Oil slide, Walmart stoke disinflation speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oil, miniatures of oil barrels and U.S. dollar banknote are seen in this illustration taken, June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 17 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. Asia has been in a contemplative mood so far on Friday after another week of wild swings in bonds, equities and commodities. The market now implies 98 basis points of cuts next year, compared with 73 basis points a week ago. U.S. data on housing starts for OctBy Wayne Cole; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Wayne Cole, Brent, Christine Lagarde, De Cos, BoE's Greene, Ramsden, Barr, Daly, Collins, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Walmart, Federal Reserve, Westpac, EU, Thomson Locations: Wayne, Asia, Ukraine, Goolsbee .

☆ Australia's CBA Q1 profit flat as competition in home loan market intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Himanshi Akhand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Even though rate hikes since last year have boosted interest incomes and margins at Australian banks, rising cost of repayments has intensified competition in the home loan market, capping profit margins and hindering credit growth. Australia's biggest lender said cash net profit after tax was A$2.50 billion ($1.59 billion) for the quarter ended Sept. 30, same as the year earlier. CBA dominates Australia's A$2 trillion mortgage industry, which benefited from a property boom through COVID-19 restrictions. That had prompted Australia's "Big Four" banks to start offering cash payments for mortgage refinancing to lure borrowers. CBA's rivals National Australia Bank (NAB.AX), Westpac (WBC.AX) and ANZ Group (ANZ.AX) all posted higher annual profit earlier this month despite inflationary headwinds.

Persons: Edgar Su, CBA's, Matt Comyn, Australia's, Himanshi, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Commonwealth Bank of Australia's, Citi, CBA, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Australia's, COVID, Bengaluru

CBA said cash profit was A$2.5 billion ($1.6 billion) for the quarter, which was 3% better than a consensus estimate for the period, according to data aggregator Visible Alpha. "Home lending margins stabilised in the quarter," it added, without giving figures. Shares of CBA rose as much as 1% in morning trading, in line with the broader market (.AXJO) as analysts welcomed the better-than-expected margin outcome and a smaller-than-expected provision for potential loan impairments. Commenting on the bank's stabilising home loan margins, E&P Financial analyst Azib Khan said that "it would be helping on this front that CBA has been willing to forgo market share". For the year to September, CBA said it grew its mortgage book at 0.7 times the rate of the overall mortgage industry.

Persons: Brendan Sproules, Azib Khan, Himanshi, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Commonwealth Bank of, ANZ, Westpac, National Australia Bank, CBA, Citi, P, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

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