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☆ The Fed likely won’t raise rates this month — but November is another matter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington, DC CNN —Last week’s economic data increasingly gave investors hope that the Federal Reserve could hold interest rates steady this month, following a hike in July that brought rates to their highest level in 22 years. It’s hard to say definitively if or when the central bank will hike interest rates again this year. The Fed could hold rates steady for the rest of the year if both the job market and the broader economy continue to slow, helping bring down inflation. Higher for longer means keeping interest rates elevated for a prolonged period. China’s National Bureau of Statistics releases August inflation data.

Persons: hasn’t, ” Leslie Thompson, Thompson, Jerome Powell, Powell, Susan Collins, Powell’s Jackson, there’s, Raphael Bostic, Olesya Dmitracova, ” Patrick Hummel, David Lesne, Juan Perez, Carrascosa, Barnes & Noble Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, Federal, Financial, Spectrum Wealth Management, CNN, Fed, Kansas City, Boston, Yahoo, Finance, Atlanta Fed, Volkswagen, Renault, UBS, French, Swiss, Barnes &, The Reserve Bank of Australia, US Commerce Department, Eagle, Express, P Global, Institute for Supply Management, Bank of Canada, US Labor Department, Kroger, China’s National Bureau of Statistics Locations: Washington, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Cape Town , South Africa, Europe

☆ 'The vast bulk of companies are in big trouble': A renowned bear who called the dot-com bubble warns a recession is still on the way as bankruptcies rise — threatening to sink even the mega-cap stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While big firms have survived high rates, Edwards said a recession would eventually hurt them too. Here are the effective interest rates for a few cohorts of the S&P 1500. The Federal Reserve's Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey shows 49% of banks are tightening lending standards for small companies. They weren't able to lock into long-term loans at almost zero interest rates and pile it high in the money markets at variable rates," Edwards said. "In our view, the current savings rate is unsustainably low, and the main downside risk to growth is that the savings rate will suddenly move higher."

Persons: Societe Generale's Albert Edwards, Edwards, haven't, Louis, that's, we'll, Brian Rose, Rose, Piper Sandler, it's Organizations: Societe Generale's, Societe Generale, American Bankruptcy Institute, Generale, Federal, Federal Reserve Bank of St, Institute, Supply Management's, UBS Americas, UBS Companies

☆ Billionaire banker Uday Kotak steps down as CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Jayshree P Upadhyay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO-Uday Kotak, Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank poses for a picture at the company's corporate office in Mumbai January 15, 2015. Kotak Mahindra Bank is India's fourth largest private sector bank by assets. Dipak Gupta, currently the joint managing director, will carry out the chief executive duties until Dec. 31, the bank added. "I thought it appropriate to hand over the baton and stagger the transition," Kotak wrote. The bank has already made an application for the new managing director to India's central bank, the bank said in its exchange notification.

Persons: Uday Kotak, Danish Siddiqui, Dipak Gupta, Kotak, Amit Tandon, Tandon, Anand Dama, Jayshree, Chris Thomas, Miral Fahmy, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Mahindra Bank, REUTERS, Danish, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Reserve Bank of India, Investor Advisory Services, Global Financial Services, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India

☆ Fortescue founder toys with reverse greenwashing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

First the $43 billion iron ore miner’s CEO, Fiona Hick, left abruptly on Sunday, barely six months after joining. But in trying to shrug off the mounting exodus, founder and Executive Chair Andrew Forrest, also known as Twiggy, introduces a new risk: reverse greenwashing. His approach to the energy transition is forcing a lot of change on the company in short order. That process surely would have involved rigorous discussions to ensure they were on board with Forrest’s goals and methods. That makes his absolutist twist to climate spin as unhelpful as the more traditional form of greenwashing.

Persons: Oscar Wilde, Fortescue, Fiona Hick, Christine Morris, Guy Debelle, Andrew Forrest, Twiggy, Forrest, Hick, Morris, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Fortescue Metals, Reserve Bank of Australia, Fortescue Future Industries, Australian, Thomson Locations: MELBOURNE, Tivan

☆ India's twin growth engines face turbulent weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Sept 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - India’s gross domestic product grew 7.8% in the April to June quarter, its fastest pace in a year. The print preserves the South Asian nation’s title for the fastest-growing major economy, yet the eye-popping level may not sustain. A patchy monsoon and high food costs threaten the twin engines behind the latest headline figure. Meanwhile, El Nino weather conditions mean the winter agriculture crop could be as weak as the summer yield, keeping prices high for longer. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Narendra Modi’s, Modi, Shritama Bose, Pernod Ricard, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Tata Consultancy Services, Reserve Bank, India’s, X, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, El Nino

☆ 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

☆ Take Five: A September to remember?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 29, 2023. 1/ SCARY SEPTEMBERNow the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole confab is over, investors are strapping in for a potentially volatile month. Reuters Graphics2/ THE SICK MAN OF EUROPEGermany looks likely to be the only major economy to contract this year. No wonder the region's economic powerhouse is once again being called the sick man of Europe. But economists are sceptical, noting that at just 0.2% of GDP, the package is no game-changer and that the sick man will need more medicine.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Ira Iosebashvili, Kevin Buckland, Dhara Ranasinghe, Libby George, Naomi Rovnick, Jackson, Jerome Powell, Olaf Scholz, Xi Jinping, Philip Lowe, Michele Bullock, BoE, Amanda Cooper, John Stonestreet Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Federal, Reuters, ECB, Germany's, Reserve Bank of Australia, Traders, Bank of, British Retail Consortium, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Ira, New York, Tokyo, London, Germany, Europe, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Zambia, Delhi, China, Bullock, Bank of England, Halifax

☆ Australia Q2 business investment hits highest in 7-1/2 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The central business district (CBD) of Melbourne can be seen from the area located along the Yarra River called Southbank located in Melbourne, Australia, July 27, 2016. Spending of A$37.58 billion ($24.43 billion) was the highest since late 2015, while investment in equipment reached a record peak of A$17.53 billion. Firms also lifted spending plans for the fiscal year to June 2024 to A$157.8 billion, up 14.5% on the previous quarter. Figures for gross domestic product (GDP) for the June quarter are due next week and analysts are tipping growth of only around 0.3%. ($1 = 1.5370 Australian dollars)Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Gray, Nomura, Andrew Ticehurst, Wayne Cole, Christopher Cushing, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Australian Bureau, Statistics, Reserve Bank of Australia, Investors, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Southbank, 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

☆ "Barbenheimer" makes waves for July's movie spending, but box office recovery still lags
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Amina Niasse | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 31 (Reuters) - "Barbenheimer" - the twin-bill summer box office phenom - sure helped to drive U.S. consumers back to cinemas last month, but movie-going is still struggling to catch up to other recreational spending categories post-pandemic. While that helped long-suffering box office receipts, it made less of a splash for overall consumer spending when compared to larger categories like clothing and household furnishings, economists at Oxford Economics said. It made a big difference in the live-event spending area though, at least for the moment. This summer’s box office has been out of the ordinary with ticket sales for the season up $500 million from last summer’s sales, according to data firm Box Office Mojo. While other categories of live-event spending have fully recovered from the hit delivered by pandemic shutdowns, film attendance outlays remain at roughly 65% of their pre-COVID levels.

Persons: Mike Blake, Oppenheimer, Michael Pearce, Taylor, Amina Niasse, Dan Burns, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Commerce Department, Warner Bros, Oxford Economics, Graphics, Mojo, Sporting, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Gillette, Billboard, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Massachusetts

☆ Here's why some economists are concerned student loans may cause the next big bubble
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Juhohn Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Billions of dollars worth of student loans are packed and sold as assets known as student loan asset-backed securities to some of the biggest investors in America. But as student loans continue to balloon, experts have expressed growing concerns surrounding the SLABS market. She continued, "I think one of the key ways to uncover the similarities between student loans and mortgages is to look at the affordability issue." But the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimates that one in five student loan borrowers have risk factors that could cause them to struggle when federal student loan payments resume in October. Watch the video to learn more about why experts are concerned about the state of the SLABS market.

Persons: Louis, Allison Pyburn, Eleanor Xu, Elen Callahan, Xu Organizations: U.S, Federal Reserve Bank of St, U.S . Department of Education, Financial, Seton Hall University, Structured Finance Locations: America

☆ India’s economy grows at fastest pace in a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

India’s economy grew at its quickest pace in a year in the April-June quarter, buoyed by strong services activity and robust demand, but a drier than normal monsoon season could restrain future growth. India’s Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran maintained his 6.5% growth forecast for the full year. Thamashi De Silva at Capital Economics said India’s GDP data was strong despite policy tightening by the Reserve Bank of India. Food prices climbIndia’s retail inflation in July rose to its highest in 15 months as vegetable and cereals prices skyrocketed. “High food inflation for a prolonged period could weigh on consumption growth,” said Rajani Sinha, Chief Economist, CareEdge Ratings.

Persons: Anantha Nageswaran, ” Nageswaran, Thamashi De Silva, ”, Madan Sabnavis, “, Suvodeep Rakshit, Nageswaran, Rajani Sinha Organizations: Gross, Capital Economics, Reserve Bank of India, Bank of Baroda Locations: India

☆ Euro steadies as markets raise bets of ECB hike after inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Euro and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. Money markets raised their bets on a September rate hike from the ECB, pricing in a 60% chance of a 25 basis-point move. "One key input to arrive at a final assessment is the inflation data this week," he added. The dollar index - which measures the currency against six major peers including the yen and euro - slipped 0.1% to 103.47. INTERVENTION TERRITORYThe dollar rose 0.35% to 146.38 yen .

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Benjamin Schroeder, pare, Charu, Jerome Powell, Naoki Tamura, bitcoin, cryptocurrency, Joice Alves, Kevin Buckland, Tom Westbrook, Miral Fahmy, Alex Richardson Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, European Central Bank, Federal, Reuters, Money, ECB, ING, Fed, Saxo . Money, Bank of Japan, Reserve Bank of Australia, People's Bank of, Thomson Locations: Germany, Spain, North Rhine, Westphalia, NRW, People's Bank of China, London, Tokyo

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON/TOKYO, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The euro eased against the dollar on Wednesday as investors looked to more labour market data in the U.S. and inflation data in the euro zone to provide clues on the path for central banks policies. "One key input to arrive at a final assessment is the inflation data this week," he added. The euro eased 0.2% to $1.0856. The dollar index - which measures the currency against six major peers including the yen and euro - edged 0.1% higher at 103.67. INTERVENTION TERRITORYThe dollar rose 0.38% to 146.43 yen .

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Benjamin Schroeder, pare, Matt Simpson, Jerome Powell, Naoki Tamura, bitcoin, cryptocurrency, Joice Alves, Kevin Buckland, Tom Westbrook, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Money, ECB, ING, Index, Fed, Bank of Japan, Reserve Bank of Australia, People's Bank of, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, U.S, Spain, Germany, Westphalia, NRW, People's Bank of China, London, Tokyo

☆ Dollar finds feet as investors await further clues on Fed path
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar on Wednesday clawed back some of the previous session's sharp declines as investors looked ahead to more labour market data for clues on the path for Federal Reserve policy. The dollar index - which measures the currency against six major peers including the yen and euro - added 0.09% to 103.64 as of the Asian afternoon. On Tuesday, it had surged to a 10-month peak at 147.375 leading into the JOLTS report, only to end the day with a 0.45% decline. The Aussie dollar dipped as much as 0.46% after the data but eventually shook the data off to trade little changed at $0.64775. The Chinese yuan weakened slightly in offshore trading to 7.3002 per dollar, but remained well above the Aug. 17 low of 7.3490.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, pare, Matt Simpson, Simpson, Naoki Tamura, Jerome Powell, bitcoin, cryptocurrency, we're, Chris Weston, Kevin Buckland, Tom Westbrook, Lincoln, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Federal Reserve, U.S ., Treasury, Bank of Japan, Money, Fed, Reserve Bank of Australia, People's Bank of, Thomson Locations: People's Bank of China

☆ New Zealand house prices to rise again on supply shortage, rate cut hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Anant Chandak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary poll dataBENGALURU, Aug 30 (Reuters) - New Zealand house prices are forecast to rise again next year due to an ongoing supply shortage and expectations for interest rate cuts, according to a Reuters poll of property market analysts. That is short of a roughly 20% correction most property analysts predicted in May following a pandemic-era boom that boosted prices by more than 40%. Prices have started to rise again on returning demand meeting limited available supply. New Zealand house prices were expected to decline 4.8% this year, the latest Reuters poll of 11 property market analysts taken Aug. 14-28 showed. Average property prices were then expected to rise 5.0% and 6.0% in 2024 and 2025, respectively, an upgrade from 3.4% and 5.0% in the previous poll.

Persons: Miles Workman, homebuyers, Anant Chandak, Susobhan Sarkar, Ross Finley, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Reserve Bank of New Zealand, ANZ, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Bengaluru

☆ Job Openings Dropped in July as Labor Market Cooled
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | More About J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Labor market data is closely watched by policymakers at the Federal Reserve as they combat stubborn inflation. Background: A surprisingly robust labor market. Many have taken a more optimistic view recently as inflation has begun to moderate alongside a strong labor market. The unemployment rate dropped to 3.5 percent in July, a sign that although the labor market is cooling, workers are generally still able to find opportunities. The unemployment data for August will be one of the last labor market pulses Fed policymakers will get before their next meeting on Sept. 19-20.

Persons: Jerome H, Powell, Mr Organizations: Labor, Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Bank of, Jackson, Fed, Labor Department Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas, Wyoming, U.S

☆ Key San Francisco Fed official who oversaw supervision of SVB will retire
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Azher Abbasi, head of supervision at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco — and a key official with direct oversight over failed Silicon Valley Bank — will retire at the end of October, the regional reserve bank announced this week. Abbasi and Mary Daly, president of the San Francisco Fed, came under scrutiny after a post-mortem report undertaken by the Federal Reserve found problems with how SVB was supervised. The San Francisco Fed declined to share additional details with CNN about Abbasi’s departure. Outside of the report, there have been concerns about potential conflicts of interest regarding Greg Becker, the former CEO of SVB, serving as a director on the San Francisco Fed board, potentially having a say over how SVB was supervised. Willardson previously worked at the Minneapolis Fed in a variety of positions from 1990 to 2022, including as senior vice president for supervision, regulation and credit for eight years.

Persons: New York CNN — Azher Abbasi, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco —, Abbasi, Mary Daly, SVB, San Francisco Fed, Greg Becker, Niel Willardson, Willardson Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve Bank of San, San Francisco, Federal Reserve, Fed, CNN, San Francisco Fed, Minneapolis Fed, Deposit Insurance Corporation Locations: New York, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, San Francisco Fed, midsized

☆ San Francisco Fed's chief of supervision to retire
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A pedestrian walks near the branch of Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., April 7, 2023. REUTERS/Ann Saphir Acquire Licensing RightsAug 28 (Reuters) - Azher Abbasi, head of supervision at the San Francisco Federal Reserve, will retire at the end of October, the bank's spokesperson said on Monday. Abbasi will be succeeded by Niel Willardson, who will join the San Francisco Fed as interim executive vice president of supervision and credit, the spokesperson said via email. Abbasi joined the San Francisco Fed in 2015. Reporting by Evelyn Nikhila S in Bengaluru Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ann Saphir, Azher Abbasi, Abbasi, Niel Willardson, Willardson, Evelyn Nikhila, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of San, REUTERS, San Francisco Federal Reserve, San Francisco Fed, Minneapolis Fed, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Salt Lake City , Utah, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ China's economy is struggling, but it might not be all that bad for the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

US imports from China are down this year, and direct investment in China is a sliver of the US GDP. However, William Lee, the Milken Institute's chief economist, told Insider China's economic stumble might not be all bad for the US. Meanwhile, Chinese imports of US goods, which may continue to slow, amounted to less than 1% of the US GDP, suggesting a reduction in Chinese imports wouldn't drastically harm the US economy. In addition, China's slowing economy has already chipped away at some American companies' revenues, including DuPont's and Danaher's. AdvertisementAdvertisementThough China's economy has been plagued by a number of crises, including low consumer confidence, many Americans may not have to worry about the downturn hurting their wallets.

Persons: Joe Biden, Janet Yellen, William Lee, Milken, Lee, Paul Krugman, —, Luis Torres, it's Organizations: Service, Milken Institute's, US, New York Times, Commerce Department, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, United States, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Vietnam, India, Mexico, Hong Kong, Canada, American

☆ New Zealand's opposition vows to shake up central bank, as it leads in polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) building in Wellington, New Zealand, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. New Zealand's central bank could have its policy goals narrowed significantly and be subject to an external review if the center-right National Party opposition wins election this year, as political scrutiny of the bank intensifies. As the country heads to an election in October, opinion polls show the opposition leading the center-left Labor government, which has held office since 2017. National's platform includes returning the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's, or RBNZ, goal to a single target of keeping inflation between 1% and 3% and jettisoning recent additions of an employment mandate. "New Zealanders need confidence that the Reserve Bank will not deprioritize inflation in the pursuit of other goals," National finance spokesperson Nicola Willis said in an emailed response to questions from Reuters.

Persons: Nicola Willis Organizations: Bank of New Zealand, National Party, Labor, Reserve Bank of New, Reserve Bank, National, Reuters Locations: Wellington , New Zealand, New

☆ Australia retail sales rebound after fall, annual rate slows further
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Holiday shoppers stand in line inside a mall in the city centre of Sydney, Australia, December 17, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales rebounded in July after a sharp fall the previous month, but the annual rate slowed further, a result that should not upset the outlook for interest rates as high borrowing costs work to slow consumer spending. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Monday showed nominal retail sales rose 0.5% in July from June. Ben Dorber, ABS head of retail statistics, said the rebound was boosted by additional spending at catering and takeaway food outlets linked to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and school holidays. The rate hikes have added hundreds of dollars to average monthly mortgage repayments, weighing on consumer spending, which had been resilient at first thanks in part to savings amassed during the pandemic.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Ben Dorber, Stella Qiu, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Analysts, FIFA, Reserve Bank of Australia, ANZ, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ 'Interest rates are killing our industry': Here's what businesses are saying about the Fed's impact on the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes are having a negative impact on the economy. "Interest rates are killing our industry," said an executive from the transportation equipment sector. AdvertisementAdvertisement"High interest rates are affecting industrial production like never before... interest rates have placed an inverted incentive to grow due to a major slowdown in capital equipment expenditures. This is the time to stop raising interest rates," one survey respondent in the computer and electronic product manufacturing industry said. Finally, a survey respondent from the transportation equipment manufacturing industry had this to say about what the Fed is doing with interest rates: "Interest rates are killing our industry."

Persons: Jerome Powell, Jackson Organizations: Dallas Fed's, Dallas Fed's Texas Manufacturing, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Federal Locations: Dallas Fed's Texas, Dallas

☆ Australia concerned about China economy, monitoring 'very closely'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Amit Dave Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Sunday the government was closely watching China amid "concerning" signs of economic weakness that could weigh on Australia's economy. "I share the pretty substantial concerns that people have voiced about the Chinese economy," Chalmers told Sky News television. "Our concerns for China in particular is something that we're monitoring very closely." Australia's growth "will be substantially weaker" due to China's slowdown and Australian interest rates rises, he said. Australia's economy grew 0.2% in the first quarter, its slowest in 1-1/2 years as high prices and rising interest rates sapped consumer spending.

Persons: Jim Chalmers, Amit Dave, Chalmers, they've, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: Central Bank governors, REUTERS, Rights, Sky News, Reserve Bank of, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, China, Australia, Canberra, Reserve Bank of Australia, Sydney

☆ No appetite at Fed, ECB for changing inflation goal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde speaks to the media following the Governing Council's monetary policy meeting at the ECB headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, July 27, 2023. "Two percent is and will remain our inflation target," Powell said in his keynote address. After aggressive interest rate increases by the Fed and the ECB, among others, inflation has fallen but has not yet reached the 2% goal in either Europe or the United States. Increasing the target could undermine efforts to anchor inflation expectations, she said, and anchored expectations are key to keeping inflation constrained. Reporting by Ann Saphir, Howard Schneider and Balazs Koryani; Editing by Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Kai Pfaffenbach, JACKSON, Jerome Powell, Powell, Lagarde, Ann Saphir, Howard Schneider, Balazs Koryani, Andrea Ricci Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas, Fed, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, , Wyoming, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Europe, United States

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