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Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. Traders have been on watch for weeks for a possible intervention by Japanese officials to combat a sustained depreciation in the yen. "It could just be people expecting intervention and then reacting to what they believed to be intervention," said Asher. To support the Japanese currency, authorities need to tap Japan's foreign reserves of dollars to sell for yen. A senior Japanese ministry of finance official declined to comment on whether Japan had intervened in foreign exchange markets.

Persons: Florence Lo, Michael Brown, Brown, Colin Asher, Asher, Niels Christensen, Jeremy Stretch, Edward Moya, Stretch, Tuesday's, Chuck Mikolajczak, Samuel Indyk, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Gertrude Chavez, Dreyfuss, Dhara Ranasinghe, Lucy Raitano, Ira Iosebashvili, Megan Davies, Jonathan Oatis, Andrea Ricci, Hugh Lawson, Gareth Jones Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Trader, Mizuho, Nordea, Bank of Japan, New York Federal Reserve, CIBC Capital Markets, Ministry, Finance, Seven, Japan, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, London, Copenhagen, Japan, U.S, Tokyo, Asia, New York, United States

[1/2] Banknotes of Japanese yen and U.S. dollar are seen in this illustration picture taken September 23, 2022. The dollar fell as low as 147.30 yen versus the Japanese currency, after hitting a one-year high of 150.165. Tuesday's low in the dollar was its weakest level in three weeks versus the Japanese currency. The euro dropped to a roughly two-month low against the yen of 154.39 yen and was last down 0.7% to 155.99. That earlier drove the dollar higher as real interest rates factor in inflation.

Persons: Florence Lo, Shunichi Suzuki, Colin Asher, Sterling, Marc Chandler, Jeremy Stretch, JGB, Herbert Lash, Gertrude Chavez, Dreyfuss, Lucy Raitano, Joice Alves, Marguerita Choy, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Japan, Japanese Finance, New York Federal Reserve, Mizuho, Bannockburn Global, U.S . Labor, Labor, Survey, CIBC Capital Markets, UST, Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Swiss, Thomson Locations: Japan, London, Bannockburn, New York

☆ Asian stocks slip on rate worries, yen in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Federal Reserve officials said that monetary policy will need to stay restrictive for "some time" to bring inflation back down to the Fed's 2% target. Still, the hawkish rhetoric from the Fed officials comes as an ongoing debate over another possible rate hike this year rages on. "If it were down to us, we would wait for another month of rising inflation and the third-quarter inflation numbers. The yen was last at 149.83 per U.S. dollar in Asian hours, having scaled a fresh near 12-month low of 149.895 earlier in the session. The dollar index , which measures the U.S currency against six major rivals, rose 0.093% to scale a fresh 10-month peak.

Persons: Hong, Michelle Bowman, Rob Carnell, Shunichi Suzuki, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Jamie Freed Organizations: Federal Reserve, Japan's Nikkei, . Federal, Fed, Reserve Bank of, Reuters, ING, Japanese Finance, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Reserve Bank of Australia

☆ Treasury's Yellen says US overdependent on China for critical supply chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen addresses a news conference during a G20 finance ministers' and Central Bank governors' meeting at Gandhinagar, India, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday the United States has become overly dependent on China for critical supply chains, particularly in clean energy products and needs to broaden out sources of supply. Yellen, speaking at a Fortune CEO event in Washington, repeated her longstanding view that the United States does not want to decouple economically from China. "We're fooling ourselves if we think that abandoning, for all practical purposes, semiconductor manufacturing, is a smart strategy for the United States," Yellen said. Reporting by David Lawder and Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Amit Dave, Yellen, David Lawder, Kanishka Singh, Jonathan Oatis, Deepa Babington Organizations: Treasury, Central Bank governors, REUTERS, Rights, . Treasury, United, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, United States, China, Washington, U.S

☆ Japan finance minister reiterates warning on currency market moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks with the media after a meeting of G7 leaders on the sidelines of G20 finance ministers' and Central Bank governors' meeting at Gandhinagar, India, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Tuesday authorities were watching the currency market closely and stood ready to respond, repeating a warning against speculative moves as the yen hovered near a one-year low against the dollar. The yen slid to within a hair of 150 per dollar, near a level that prompted intervention a year ago and putting traders on watch for action by the Japanese authorities. Speaking at a regularly scheduled press conference, Suzuki said authorities were watching market moves with a high sense of urgency. Suzuki said that, generally speaking, rises in long-term rates push up borrowing costs, and authorities are therefore closely watching the impact of moves in long-term rates and how they may affect households and businesses.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Amit Dave, Suzuki, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Chang, Ran Kim, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Central Bank governors, REUTERS, Rights, Japanese Finance, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, Ukraine

☆ Germany risks letting a good crisis go to waste
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Germany, the European Union’s largest economy and its traditional growth engine, is headed towards a contraction this year. Exports account for more than half of Germany’s GDP, compared to just a third in France and 37% in Italy, according to the World Bank. Germany’s growth potential is estimated at an annual 0.7% over the medium term by the Scope rating agency, about half the euro zone average. Exempting net public investment from the debt brake rule would help to reverse years of underspending. Unless they do, Europe’s leading economy risks letting a good crisis go to waste.

Persons: –, Hubertus Bardt, Germany’s, Carsten Brzeski, Oliver Rakau, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner’s, Sebastian Dullien, Scholz, Destatis, Francesco Guerrera, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, World Bank, EU, International Monetary Fund, Reuters Graphics Reuters, German Economic Institute, ING, Oxford Economics, BASF, Finance, Christian Democrats, Thomson Locations: Germany, Berlin, France, Italy, China –, Spain, Weimar Republic, China, Ukraine

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 3: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tours the Exhibitor's Hall on Day 3 of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Britain, October 3, 2023. We've had 30 years of a political system which incentivises the easy decision, not the right one. Thirty years of vested interests standing in the way of change," he will say, according to excerpts of his speech. "Our political system is too focused on short-term advantage, not long-term success ... Our mission is to fundamentally change our country." "The Labour party have set out their stall: to do and say as little as possible and hope no one notices.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Carl Court, Sunak, Grant Shapps, we've, We've, Jeremy Hunt, Keir Starmer, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout, William Maclean, Robert Birsel Organizations: British, Conservative Party Conference, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Conservative, Labour Party, Times, Euston, Labour, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, Manchester, Britain, Rights MANCHESTER, England, English, London

☆ Dollar weakens against the yen after yen breaches key 150 level
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Japanese yen has fallen about 25% year-to-date against the greenback. The sharp move lower suggested the Bank of Japan had intervened in the market to keep the yen from falling further. "The continued uptrend in UST-JGB encouraged the 150 to be breach in the wake of the better-than-expected JOLTS data. The dollar slipped 0.51% against the yen to 149.08 after hitting 150.165 on the JOLTS report. The dollar index, which tracks the unit against six peers, was up 0.13% at 107.16, at its highest since November.

Persons: Michael Brown, Marc Chandler, Jeremy Stretch, JGB, Stretch, Shunichi Suzuki, Wei Liang Chang, Russia's rouble Organizations: greenback, The, Bank of Japan, New York Federal Reserve, Trader, Bannockburn Global, U.S, CIBC Capital Markets, UST, Finance, DBS, Strong U.S, Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Swiss Locations: London, Bannockburn, New York, United States, Europe

☆ Ex-UK PM Liz Truss renews calls for Reagan-style tax cuts one year after mini-budget blowup
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's former Prime Minister, Liz Truss speaks at the 'Great British Growth Rally' event on day two of the annual Conservative Party conference on October 2., 2023 in Manchester, England. Carl Court | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesMANCHESTER, ENGLAND — Liz Truss, the Reaganomics enthusiast who lasted just 44 days as U.K. prime minister, staged somewhat of a comeback Monday, drawing fans from breakaway Conservative Party factions as she renewed calls for business tax cuts. A year after Truss' chaotic mini-budget of tax cuts roiled financial markets and led to her ultimate resignation, crowds gathered in their droves on the fringes of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester to hear the ex-leader deliver her economic vision for Britain. Truss was voted into power last year by Conservative Party members, whose number is estimated around 160,000 — or 0.3% of the U.K. population. She beat out Rishi Sunak, who later replaced her as prime minister following her resignation in October 2022.

Persons: Liz Truss, Carl Court, Jeremy Hunt —, Ronald Reagan's, Donald Trump, Truss, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Conservative Party, Getty, Getty Images, Conservative Party Conference, Britain, Finance, AstraZeneca Locations: Manchester, England, Getty Images MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

[1/2] Banknotes of Japanese yen and U.S. dollar are seen in this illustration picture taken September 23, 2022. The sharp move lower suggested the Bank of Japan had intervened in the market to keep the yen from falling further. "It has all the hallmarks of intervention in all honesty," said Michael Brown, market analyst at Trader X in London. "The continued uptrend in UST-JGB encouraged the 150 to be breach in the wake of the better-than-expected JOLTS data. The dollar slipped 0.51% against the yen to 149.08 after hitting 150.165 on the JOLTS report.

Persons: Florence Lo, Michael Brown, Marc Chandler, Jeremy Stretch, JGB, Stretch, Shunichi Suzuki, Wei Liang Chang, Russia's rouble, Herbert Lash, Brigid Riley, Alun John, Joice Alves, Kevin Buckland, Marguerita Choy, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, New York Federal Reserve, Trader, Bannockburn Global, CIBC Capital Markets, UST, Finance, DBS, Strong U.S, Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Swiss, Thomson Locations: London, Bannockburn, New York, United States, Europe, Tokyo

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. "It's the feeling that the U.S. economy can stomach higher interest rates for a little bit longer," said Bipan Rai, North America head of FX strategy at CIBC Capital Markets in Toronto. "Implicitly it also means that the Fed might not be so quick to cut rates next year either," he said. The Japanese yen weakened 0.31% versus the greenback at 149.77, after falling to 149.90. Investors have been closely watching for signs of intervention in the Japanese currency by the Bank of Japan (BOJ).

Persons: Florence Lo, Kevin McCarthy, Bipan Rai, Edward Moya, Michelle Bowman, Shunichi Suzuki, Chuck Mikolajczak, Marguerita Choy, Alison Williams Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Institute for Supply Management, Congress, Democratic, Republican, Treasury, CIBC Capital Markets, Investors, Bank of Japan, Fed, Bank of Japan's, Japan's Finance, Thomson Locations: U.S, North America, Toronto, New York

☆ Global stock index dips while bond yields, dollar climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Sinéad Carew | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. While U.S. indexes were a mixed bag in morning trading, in Europe stocks lost earlier gains after September PMI data, a key indicator of economic health, showed manufacturing activity remains in a broad-based downturn. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) lost 1.21% and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe (.MIWD00000PUS) shed 0.56%. In currencies, the dollar index rose 0.565%, with the euro down 0.69% to $1.0497. Spot gold dropped 1.1% to $1,828.70 an ounce, while U.S. gold futures fell 0.65% to $1,836.00 an ounce.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Michael Lorizio, Shunichi Suzuki, Brent, Karen Brettell, Marc Jones, Kevin Buckland, Nick Macfie, Mark Potter, Jan Harvey Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nasdaq, U.S, Treasury, PMI, Manulife Investment Management, Dow Jones, Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Europe, Boston, New York, London, Tokyo

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. The yen eased to 149.83 per dollar, its weakest in more than 11 months, moving ever closer to the 150 mark that some traders believe could prompt intervention by Tokyo to support the currency. "If the yen breaks 150 per dollar, which I think is likely, and verbal intervention is not followed by action then we could see dollar-yen at 155." In the broader currency market, sterling was last 0.4% lower at $1.2158, having slid nearly 4% against the dollar in the third quarter. Elsewhere, the Australian dollar slid 0.6% to $0.6395, while the New Zealand dollar edged 0.4% lower to $0.5972, as traders looked ahead to rate decisions from their respective central banks this week.

Persons: Florence Lo, Dane Cekov, Shunichi Suzuki, Jarrod Kerr, Nordea's Cekov, bitcoin, Samuel Indyk, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron, Moore, Emelia, Alex Richardson Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Bank of Japan's, Finance, Congress, Democratic, Australian, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Britain, U.S

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 2 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt poured cold water on growing calls for tax cuts within the governing Conservative Party on Monday, saying he could not commit to any "inflationary" reduction before the next election. But his message was overshadowed by calls from senior Conservative lawmakers, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's predecessor, for tax cuts to try to close the gap in opinion polls with the opposition Labour Party before an election expected next year. He said any tax cuts this year would be inflationary, making it more difficult to achieve Sunak's pledge made in January to halve inflation by the end of the year. Yes, but it means difficult decisions and we're prepared to take those difficult decisions," Hunt told Sky News, adding that voters understood "how difficult these decisions are". "So ahead of this year's Autumn Statement, we must make the Conservative Party the party of business once again, by getting Corporation Tax back down to 19%.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, we're, Liz Truss, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Kylie MacLellan, Sachin Ravikumar, Sarah Young, Emelia Sithole, Catherine Evans Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservative, Labour Party, Times, Sky News, Labour, Corporation, Tax, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England, British, Manchester

In 2021, the year before Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, defence spending totalled 3.57 trillion roubles, 14.4% of total spending. In 2022, the share of defence spending rose to 17.7%, data on Russia's electronic budget page showed earlier this year. That may mean that defence spending will also be significantly higher than first envisaged. Moscow doubled its target for defence spending in 2023 to 9.7 trillion roubles, Reuters reported exclusively in August, citing a government document. EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE FREEZEAs defence spending in 2024 triples from pre-invasion levels, the share of spending on "national security", which covers funding for law enforcement agencies, is also rising, set to reach 9.2% in 2024, the documents showed.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Anton Siluanov, Siluanov, Donets, Dmitry Peskov, Darya, Alexander Marrow, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Defence, Reuters, CIS, Renaissance, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Russian

☆ British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt rules out short-term tax cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Jeremy Hunt, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, speaks on the second day of the the Conservative Party Conference on October 02, 2023 in Manchester, England. Christopher Furlong | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesMANCHESTER, ENGLAND — U.K. Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday ruled out tax cuts in the short-term, arguing that to reduce them now would be inflationary. "Right now we're focused on bringing down inflation," Hunt said on the second day of the Conservative Party Conference currently underway in Manchester, England. Hunt has previously argued that tax cuts are "virtually impossible," and could only be afforded if the government took some "difficult decisions." Hunt also unveiled plans for tougher benefit restrictions in a bid to make savings on the government's welfare bill.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Britain's, Christopher Furlong, Hunt, Margaret Thatcher, Liz Truss, Truss, Rishi Sunak, flack Organizations: Conservative Party Conference, Getty, Getty Images, Finance, Conservative Party, Tories, Labour Party, Conservative, British Locations: Manchester, England, Getty Images MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

☆ Would-Be EU Climate Policy Chief Seeks Green Light From Lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

But lawmakers want to test him - particularly those from left-leaning groups that have recently clashed with centre-right lawmakers seeking to weaken some green policies. "We must ensure that the Commission sticks to its commitments on the Green Deal and avoids backsliding as right-wing politicians up their attacks on climate policies," Green lawmaker Philippe Lamberts said. Some lawmakers have questioned whether his previous roles equip him to lead climate policy. It is not uncommon, however, for EU commissioners to take on new portfolios and work with the EU civil service to master them. "I've met with him on the areas that I work on, and I've been very impressed," one EU official said.

Persons: Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, Wopke Hoekstra, Hoekstra, Ursula von der, Philippe Lamberts, I've, Kate Abnett, Kevin Liffey Organizations: European Commission, Green, Shell, EU Locations: Dutch, Europe, China, United States, Netherlands

☆ Britain's finance minister to announce higher minimum wage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANCHESTER, England, Oct 1 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday will announce a rise in the minimum wage in his annual Conservative party conference speech, where he is expected to ignore a growing clamour for tax cuts within his party. On Monday Hunt will announce that the living wage, the minimum wage for workers over 23 years old, will rise to at least 11 pounds ($13.42) an hour from 10.42 pounds. Prior to Hunt's speech, former Prime Minister Liz Truss will put pressure on the government to lower taxes in her only expected intervention at this year's conference. A year ago as prime minister, she had to scale back her tax-cutting plans in a U-turn at conference, and the market turmoil she sparked forced her resignation in October. However, since then she has stuck to her message that lower tax, especially for businesses, is part of what Britain needs to spark growth.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Michael Gove, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Liz Truss, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Conservative, Bank of England, Low, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Rights MANCHESTER, England, British

☆ Germany welcomes China's support for G20 debt restructuring framework
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner speaks during a session of the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building, in Berlin, Germany September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Germany has welcomed a show of support from China for the G20 debt restructuring framework for poorer countries in a joint statement after their financial dialogue in Frankfurt over the weekend. Neither provided further details on the rules for the restructuring plans and the joint statement did not give specifics. "This creates opportunities on both sides for more responsible trade and investment," German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Sunday. The meeting took place in Frankfurt, as Germany want to further strengthen this city as an European hub for financial services, the finance minister said.

Persons: Christian Lindner, Liesa, Sunday's, Lindner, ” Lindner, Maria Martinez, Alison Williams Organizations: Bundestag, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, China, Frankfurt, Africa, Asia, Beijing, European

☆ Britain’s PM seeks to rally his party ahead of an election they are tipped to lose
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —Rishi Sunak will gather with members of his governing Conservative Party on Sunday for what is likely to be their final party conference before the UK’s next general, which Sunak is currently projected to lose. Party conference season is an important date fixture in the annual British political calendar. For the governing party, conference is typically a time when members rally around the leadership and unite against the opposition, insulated from whatever is happening in the wider world of politics. Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak led the UK government through much of the Covid pandemic. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking in June on his plan to "stop the boats."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Dan Kitwood, Priti Patel, Margaret Thatcher, Johnson, Rishi, Reuters Johnson, He’s, ”, Yui Mok, “, Will Jennings, it’s, Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn Organizations: London CNN, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, for Fiscal Studies, Party, Conservatives ’, British, Conservative, Daily Mail, Greenpeace, Reuters, University of Southampton, Labour Locations: tacking, Sunak, France, “, Manchester

"The discussion about where the tax burden should fall I think is one that we need to take, not now, but in a little bit (of) time," Gove told Sky News. "I would like to see the tax burden reduced before the next election," he said, adding that workers should be the focus of any such reductions. "Rishi Sunak is desperate for people to think he’s in charge," said Jon Ashworth, a member of leader Keir Starmer's team. Liz Truss, Sunak's predecessor, and other senior Conservative lawmakers signed a letter on Saturday saying they would not support "any new taxes that increase the overall tax burden". "We're not in a position to talk about tax cuts at all."

Persons: Michael Gove, Phil Noble, Gove, Sunak, Rishi Sunak, Opinium, Labour's, Jon Ashworth, Keir Starmer's, Liz Truss, Jeremy Hunt, We're, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, Kirsten Donovan, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Britain’s, REUTERS, Conservatives, Labour Party, Sky News, Conservative, Labour, for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, MANCHESTER, England

"We know that the British economy recovered faster from the pandemic than anyone previously thought and data out today once again proves the doubters wrong," finance minister Jeremy Hunt said. And that's before the full drag from higher interest rates has been felt," said Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at Capital Economics. The upward revisions were concentrated in 2020 and 2021, during the height of the pandemic and immediate aftermath. Growth in 2021 was revised to 8.7% from 7.6%, while the size of 2020's historic slump was reduced to 10.4% from 11.0%, in line with preliminary guidance on Sept. 1. Growth in 2022 was revised up to 4.3% from 4.1%.

Persons: Rachel Adams, Jeremy Hunt, Ruth Gregory, Thomas Pugh, Capital's Gregory, David Milliken, Andy Bruce, William James, Toby Chopra Organizations: Oxford, REUTERS, National Statistics, European Union, Capital Economics, The Bank of England, RSM, Reuters Graphics Reuters, ONS, Thomson Locations: Britain, London, Germany, France, United States, Japan, Italy, Canada, Ukraine

☆ UK economic recovery picks up steam, overtaking 'sick man' Germany — for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — The U.K.'s economic performance since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic has surpassed that of France and Germany, according to new data revisions published on Friday. A previous ONS estimate in August had suggested that U.K. GDP was still 0.2% below pre-pandemic levels, making it the slowest recovery among advanced economies. British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt said in a statement Friday said the revised data "once again proves the doubters wrong." Still a 'flatlining economy' The U.K. economy has proven surprisingly resilient so far. "Unfortunately this snapshot of economic data is not significant enough to change the overall picture of a flatlining economy," said PwC economist Jake Finney.

Persons: Germany —, Jeremy Hunt, Jake Finney Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, National Statistics, British, IMF, Bank of England Locations: Canary, London, France, Germany, British, Europe, Italy

☆ To fix Britain, Labour will need new debt rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Having fiscal rules – and sticking to them – is crucial for governments. The Bank of England expects anaemic GDP growth of 0.5% next year and 0.25% in 2025, and long-term growth of just 1%. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe Labour leadership is concerned that rewriting debt rules would unsettle bond investors still scarred by Truss’s fiscal follies. What Britain’s next government shouldn’t do is obsess about restrictive fiscal rules at the expense of investments that could get the country out of its current hole. The reports said that Sunak was looking at scrapping the portion of the project linking the northern cities of Manchester and Birmingham because costs have been soaring from the original 55.7 billion pounds to an estimated 106 billion pounds.

Persons: Grant Shapps, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Keir Starmer, Worth ”, Ian Ball, Willem Buiter, John Crompton, Dag Detter, Jacob Soll, Crompton, Breakingviews, PSNW, –, Rachel Reeves, Labour’s, “, Reeves, Britain’s, Sunak, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Sunday, Sky News, Labour, Conservative, Bank of England, Sunak’s, Worth, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Britain’s, Thomson Locations: Britain, New Zealand, Zealand, Manchester, Birmingham

☆ Yen intervention a hard sell even as 150 to the dollar 'red line' beckons
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But, Japanese authorities could find propping up their currency both difficult to achieve and hard to justify. To make even a ripple in the $5 trillion currency market, the BOJ would need to draw down massive amounts of dollar reserves. Wakabayashi, like many other analysts and investors, considers the 150 yen per dollar level a red line for currency intervention, not least because of its significance as a symbol of climbing costs of living from imported food and fuel. INTERVENTION IMMINENTThe yen careened to a 32-year trough at 151.94 last October before being reined in by several bouts of heavy intervention, the first by Japanese authorities in a generation. Measures of expected market volatility remain subdued.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Bank of Japan's hesitancy, Kazuo Ueda, You've, they're, Bart Wakabayashi, Fumio Kishida, Shunichi Suzuki, Masayuki Kichikawa, Ray Attrill, Janet Yellen, Aninda Mitra, Mitra, Kevin Buckland, Alun John, Vidya Ranganathan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: National Printing Bureau, Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan's, U.S . Federal Reserve, U.S, Treasury, Fed, State Street Bank, Trust, Finance, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management, Ministry of Finance, National Australia Bank, BNY Mellon Investment Management, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S, Washington, Asia, London

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