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☆ Japanese yen weakness may force BOJ tightening sooner than expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowThe Bank of Japan could be forced into hiking rates sooner than expected, if the Japanese yen weakens beyond 150 to the dollar. The BOJ stands as an outlier as major central banks have hiked rates aggressively to combat burgeoning inflation. Decades of accommodative monetary policy in Japan — even as other global central banks tightened policy in the last 12 months — have concentrated carry trades in the Japanese yen. The Japanese yen slipped about 0.4% to around 148.16 against the dollar on Friday after the BOJ kept its negative rates unchanged, after the yen tested its lowest in almost 10 months at 148.47 per dollar Thursday. While a weaker yen makes Japanese exports cheaper, it also makes imports more expensive, given that most major economies are struggling to contain stubbornly high inflation.

Persons: Bob Michele, Michele, Kazuo Ueda's, Ueda Organizations: Bank of Japan, U.S . Federal Reserve, Morgan Asset Management, CNBC, Afp, Getty, Yomiuri Shimbun Locations: Bank, Japan, Tokyo, Central

☆ Bank of Japan leaves rates unchanged, maintaining ultra-loose monetary policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Javier Ghersi | Moment | Getty ImagesJapan's central bank maintained its ultra-loose policy and left rates unchanged on Friday, mindful of the "extremely high uncertainties" on the growth outlook domestically and globally. In a policy statement after its September meeting, the Bank of Japan said it would maintain short-term interest rates at -0.1%, and cap the 10-year Japanese government bond yield around zero, as widely expected. The yield curve control is a policy tool where the central bank targets an interest rate, and then buys and sells bonds as necessary to achieve that target. Wage growth, output gap — which measures the difference between an economy's actual and potential output — and price expectations are among factors the Bank of Japan has prioritized as meaningful inflation drivers. Japan needs to see meaningful and sustained wage inflation, which can have a psychological impact on consumption," he said.

Persons: Javier Ghersi, Kazuo Ueda's, Ueda's, Ueda, Bank of Japan's, Oliver Lee, it's Organizations: Bank of Japan, Bank, Yomiuri Shimbun, Bank of, Eastspring Investments Locations: Japan

☆ BOJ to heighten scrutiny on rising prices, yields at policy meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

All economists surveyed in a Reuters poll expect the central bank to maintain its short-term interest rate target of -0.1% and that for the 10-year bond yield around 0%. Ueda told a recent interview the BOJ could have enough data by year-end to determine whether to end negative rates, heightening market expectations of a near-term policy shift. A Reuters poll for September showed most economists predicting an end to negative interest rates in 2024. Growing prospects of longer-for-higher U.S. interest rates have pushed the yen down near the 150-per-dollar level seen as Tokyo’s line-in-the-sand for possible currency intervention. Mari Iwashita, chief market economist at Daiwa Securities, expects the BOJ to tweak its dovish forward guidance in October and end its negative rate policy early next year.

Persons: Issei Kato, Kazuo Ueda’s, Ueda, Haruhiko, Mari Iwashita, ” Organizations: Bank of, Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Daiwa Securities Locations: TOKYO, Bank of Japan, Tokyo, Japan, U.S

☆ BOJ keeps ultra-loose policy, dovish guidance on outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Leika Kihara | Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO: Japanese national flag is hoisted atop the headquarters of Bank of Japan in Tokyo, Japan September 20, 2023. It also left unchanged an allowance band of 50 basis point set either side of the yield target, as well as a new hard cap of 1.0% adopted in July. A Reuters poll for September showed most economists predicting an end to negative interest rates in 2024. But some analysts see the yen, rather than wage growth or inflation, as the primary trigger for BOJ action. Growing prospects of higher-for-longer U.S. interest rates have pushed the yen down near the 150-per-dollar level, seen as Tokyo’s line-in-the-sand for possible currency intervention.

Persons: Issei Kato, Kazuo Ueda’s, Ueda, Haruhiko Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan, “, U.S

☆ Global central banks unite in "higher for longer" credo
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The so-called "higher for longer" mantra is now the official stance of the U.S. Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and the Bank of England, as well as being echoed by monetary policy-makers from Oslo to Tapei. U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers had a similar message on Wednesday. Turkey's central bank confirmed its hawkish turn while in Asia, Taiwan's central bank flagged continued tight policy. Reuters Graphics"TIPPING POINT"Belgian central bank chief and ECB board member Pierre Wunsch - an early voice urging tougher central bank action to counter inflation from end-2021 - said on Thursday that monetary policy was now at the right level. That said, the prospect that global interest rates are pretty close to peak will be of huge relief to emerging economies suffering from heavy debt servicing loads.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Christine Lagarde, Kazuo Ueda, Ann, BoE, Andrew Bailey, Pierre Wunsch, Wunsch, COVID lockdowns, Jerome, Powell, Krishna Guha, Howard Schneider, Balazs Koranyi, Catherine Evans Organizations: European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Kansas City Federal, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, U.S . Federal, Swiss National Bank, South African Reserve Bank, People's Bank of, Reuters, ECB, Reuters Global Markets, Economics, Sterling, Swiss, United, Thomson Locations: Jackson Hole , Wyoming, U.S, Central, Oslo, Tapei, Europe, Norway, Sweden, Asia, People's Bank of China, Belgian, United States, Ukraine, Washington, Frankfurt, London, Stockholm, Zurich, Ankara

☆ Morning Bid: Fed fireworks set nervy stage for BoE
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters GraphicsU.S. yields pushed even higher in the Asian time zone, while U.S. stock futures pointed lower. Asian shares slumped region-wide (.MIAP00000PUS) - including a 1% slide for Japan's Nikkei - while crude oil extended its retreat from a 10-month peak. But the BoE is actually the last of the European central banks to set policy on Thursday, with the SNB and Riksbank kicking things off, followed shortly by Norges Bank. This week's central bank bonanza doesn't end in Europe either. Japan's currency, though, is at the mercy of the dollar, sinking to the weakest since the start of November to 148.465 yen , increasing the risk of central bank intervention.

Persons: Kevin Buckland, Jay Powell, BoE, Kazuo Ueda, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Reuters Graphics, Japan's Nikkei, Norges Bank, of, Yomiuri, Swiss National Bank, Thomson Locations: Europe

☆ Yen worries increase as dollar strengthens after Fed
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese 10,000 yen and U.S. 100 dollar banknotes are arranged for a photograph in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept. 7, 2017. The dollar hit fresh peaks on Thursday, sitting around its highest against the yen since November after a hawkish pause by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Fed met market expectations at its monetary policy meeting on Wednesday, holding interest rates steady at the 5.25% to 5.50% range. The index climbed for its ninth straight week last week, its longest winning streak in nearly a decade as resilient U.S. growth fueled a rebound in the dollar. The Japanese yen was feeling the heat after the Fed meeting, hovering around 148.39 per dollar and just off a fresh low of 148.47, its weakest since November.

Persons: Sterling, Ueda, Carol Kong, BOE Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Fed, U.S, Bank of Japan, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of, CPI, National Australia Bank Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S

Oil prices continued to push higher, with the international benchmark Brent crude price moving past $95 to its highest since November 2022. Reuters GraphicsInvestors and central bankers are contending with a sharp rise in oil prices as demand has picked up but Saudi Arabia and Russia have limited supply. Samuel Zief, head of global FX strategy at JPMorgan Private Bank, said central banks should not be overly concerned by the run-up in oil prices, which he said should fade as economies slow. "What the central banks are really, really focused on, it's not really the supply-side energy shocks anymore, it's really the sticky services part of the inflation basket," he said. "Pick whatever central bank you want, they're talking about either they're done already or they'll do one more hike and they'll go on pause."

Persons: Germany's DAX, Duncan MacInnes, Jerome Powell's, Samuel Zief, it's, Kazuo Ueda, Harry Robertson, Kevin Buckland, Lewis Jackson, Stephen Coates, Bernadette Baum, Chizu Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Brent, FTSE, Nasdaq, Reuters Graphics Investors, . West Texas, JPMorgan Private Bank, of England, Bank of, Japan's Nikkei, Tokyo, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Asia, Japan, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Bank of Japan, London, Tokyo

☆ Euro gains, yen struggles in central bank-packed week
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A Reuters report on Monday citing six sources said the debate over the multi-trillion-euro pool of excess liquidity sloshing around banks was likely to start next month. However, this might not be enough to give the euro a more sustained boost, according to Lee Hardman, a strategist at MUFG. "While the ECB’s reported plans to tighten excess liquidity in the euro area have helped to support the euro, they are unlikely to be sufficient on their own to turn the current weakening trend," he said. This week brings a raft of central bank meetings, including those of the Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan, the Bank of England and the Swiss National Bank, among others, which kept currency volatility on the subdued side. In other currencies, sterling edged up 0.1% at $1.2398, ahead of an interest rate decision from the BoE on Thursday.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Lee Hardman, Kazuo Ueda, Rodrigo Catril, Erik Weisman, BoE, Rae Wee, Lincoln, Peter Graff, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, European Central Bank, Reuters, ECB, Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Bank of England, Swiss National Bank, National Australia Bank, NAB, U.S, Fed, MFS Investment Management, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Yen flounders, dollar drifts ahead of c.bank bonanza
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. The yen fell 0.1% to 147.76 per dollar and was kept pinned near last week's 10-month low of 147.95 per dollar. The euro meanwhile gave up some of its gains from the previous session and was last 0.12% lower at $1.0678. It had risen alongside euro zone government bond yields on Monday, following hawkish comments from European Central Bank (ECB) policymakers that further rate increases were on the cards. In other currencies, sterling edged 0.04% higher to $1.2390, ahead of an interest rate decision from the Bank of England (BoE) also due this week.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Kazuo Ueda, Rodrigo Catril, Erik Weisman, NAB's Catril, BoE, Rae Wee, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal, Wednesday, Bank of Japan's, National Australia Bank, NAB, Reserve Bank of Australia's, U.S, New Zealand, Fed, MFS Investment Management, European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, Asia

☆ Japan's central bank will keep stimulus for now as risks grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A man walks in front of the headquarters of Bank of Japan in Tokyo, Japan, January 18, 2023. Many central bank policymakers prefer to hold fire until there is more clarity on whether Japan's fragile economy can weather the hit from slowing U.S. and Chinese demand, they say. "Uncertainty over the global outlook is very high, posing a huge risk to Japan's economy," one of the sources said. At the two-day meeting ending on Friday, the BOJ is widely expected to maintain its short-term interest rate target of -0.1% and that for the 10-year bond yield around 0%. It is also seen leaving unchanged guidance pledging to keep intact its bond yield control policy until inflation stably hits the bank's 2% target, the sources said.

Persons: Issei Kato, Ueda, Kazuo Ueda, Haruhiko, Leika Kihara, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Bank of Japan, United States

☆ Euro gains; yen flounders ahead of c.bank bonanza
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, banknotes of Euro, Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan and US dollar bill are placed under one-ounce silver bullion coins arranged on February 20, 2021 in Katwijk, Netherlands. The euro clung to gains on Tuesday following hawkish comments from European Central Bank, or ECB, policymakers, while the yen languished near a 10-month low ahead of a key rate decision from the Bank of Japan, or BOJ, later in the week. In Asia, the yen slipped marginally to 147.64 per dollar and was kept pinned near last week's 10-month low of 147.95 per dollar. Elsewhere, the U.S. dollar edged broadly lower, though strayed not too far from a six-month peak hit against its major peers last week ahead of the Fed's interest rate decision on Wednesday. Sterling edged 0.04% higher to $1.2390, ahead of an interest rate decision from the Bank of England, or BoE, also due this week.

Persons: Yuan, Rodrigo Catril, Kazuo Ueda, Erik Weisman, BoE Organizations: European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, ECB, National Australia Bank, Reuters, U.S, New Zealand, Fed, MFS Investment Management, Bank of England Locations: Katwijk , Netherlands, Asia

☆ Morning Bid: No calm before the central bank storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Kevin BucklandEurope yet again wakes up to a swathe of red in Asian markets on Tuesday. Japanese markets were closed on Monday for a national holiday, so are only now catching up on the TSMC news. Trading was volatile, with Hong Kong's property share subindex (.HSMPI), for example, swinging from an early 1.7% loss to be slightly up by lunchtime. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThursday is packed, with the Bank of England, Swiss National Bank, Riksbank, and Norges Bank. Certainly FX and rates markets are taking notice of the calendar, with the dollar and Treasury yields content to trade in tight ranges just below recent highs.

Persons: Kevin Buckland, Hong, Sunac, Kazuo Ueda's, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Nikkei, HK, Sunac China Holdings, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Bank of England, Swiss National Bank, Riksbank, Norges Bank, of Japan, Yomiuri, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Kevin Buckland Europe

☆ Dollar eases as traders eye upcoming central bank decisions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Data on Monday showed U.S. homebuilder confidence fell for a second month in September, with optimism dropping to the lowest since April as high interest rates cut into affordability for prospective buyers. Fed fund futures show investors expect the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates on hold in the 5.25% to 5.5% range on Wednesday. The European Central Bank raised interest rates to 4% last week, but said this hike could be its last. Traders think Sweden's central bank is highly likely to raise interest rates on Thursday by 25 basis points to 4%, piling more pressure on the economy. The yen was up about 0.15% against the dollar at 147.62 to the dollar, with traders out for a Japanese public holiday.

Persons: Lee Jae, BoE, BoJ, Michael Brown, Janet Yellen, Brown, Kazuo Ueda, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Chris Reese, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Trader, Treasury, European Central Bank, Traders, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Seoul, Swedish, Bank of England

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield hit 4.399% overnight in Asia, its highest rate since early November 2007, and the two-year yield rose further above 5%. MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe (.MIWD00000PUS) shed 0.27%, while the pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) lost 1.05%, hit by lowered growth outlooks. CENTRAL BANKSGlobal central banks take stage, with five of those overseeing the 10 most-heavily traded currencies holding rate-setting meetings this week. A swathe of emerging market central banks including Turkey and South Africa will also meet. The Swedish crown sank to a record low against the euro on Monday, days before the Riksbank is expected to raise interest rates again.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, BOE, Brent, Marc Chandler, Chandler, Saira Malik, France's, Stocks, Xi, Kazuo Ueda, Herbert Lash, Nell Mackenzie, Dhara, Stella Qiu, Philippa Fletcher, Alexander Smith, Christina Fincher Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Treasury, Global, Federal, United Auto Workers, Detroit Three, Bannockburn Global, U.S, Societe Generale, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, China Evergrande, HK, CENTRAL, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, Bannockburn, New York, Asia, Turkey, South Africa, Swedish, London, Sydney

REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON/SINGAPORE, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar hovered near a six-month high on Monday as traders looked ahead to interest rate decisions this week from the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan. the yen was up a similar amount at 147.69 to the dollar, with traders out for a Japanese public holiday. Traders were looking towards central bank decisions later in the week which could shake up the currency market. Investors expect the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates on hold in the 5.25% to 5.5% range on Wednesday. The European Central Bank raised interest rates to 4% last week, but said this hike could be its last.

Persons: Lee Jae, Alvin Tan, RBC's Tan, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda's, Carol Kong, Ueda, Sterling, BoE, Harry Robertson, Vidya Ranganathan, Lincoln, Bernadette Baum, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Traders, Investors, Bank of, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Seoul, SINGAPORE, U.S, Asia, Europe, China, Bank of England, Ukraine, London, Singapore

China property woes, geopolitical tensions and ongoing strikes also stoked worries about global growth. CENTRAL BANKSGlobal central banks take centre stage, with five of those overseeing the 10 most heavily traded currencies holding rate-setting meetings this week. A swathe of emerging market central banks such as Turkey and South Africa will also meet. In currency markets, the dollar drifted lower with the dollar index last down a touch at 105.24 but within sight of recent six-month highs. The euro gained about 0.1% to $1.0663, after slumping to a 3-1/2 month low of $1.0632 last week as the European Central Bank signalled its rate hikes could be over.

Persons: BOE, BOJ, France's, Taiwan's TSMC, Xi, James Rossiter, Rossiter, Marc Chandler, Goldman Sachs, Kazuo Ueda, Nell Mackenzie, Stella Qiu, Dhara, Philippa Fletcher, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Societe Generale, China Evergrande, HK, Technology, Reuters, TD Securities, Japan's Nikkei, Brent, . West Texas, Federal Reserve, Bannockburn Global, CENTRAL, Global, Fed, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Treasury, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, China, United States, Japan, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Britain, Asia, U.S, London, Bannockburn, Turkey, South Africa, Europe, SYDNEY

☆ Take Five: A central bank bonanza
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Now it's the turn of the world's most important central bank. Also on Thursday, the Bank of England is tipped to hike for the 15th consecutive meeting, taking benchmark borrowing costs to 5.5%. Norway's central bank is also expected to nudge benchmark borrowing costs higher, following a 25 bps rise in August to 4%. Reuters Graphics4/ DIVERGING TRAJECTORIESThe push and pull factors on central banks are nowhere more visible than in emerging markets. But for Turkey's central bank, convening on Thursday, the only way is up.

Persons: Lewis Krauskopf, Kevin Buckland, Amanda Cooper, Naomi Rovnick, Karin Strohecker, Jerome Powell, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, hypothesise, Tayyip Erdogan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: U.S . Federal, ECB, Bank of England, Reuters, Bank of Japan, Japan's, of Finance, Thomson Locations: Central, Lewis, New York, Tokyo, London, United States, Europe, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Norway's, Latin America, South Africa, Egypt, Taiwan

☆ Asian shares drop as investors brace for central bank-packed week
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 0.8% to $91.52, their highest level since November, while Brent crude futures rose 0.7% to $94.55 per barrel. In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.7%. This week, global central banks will take centre stage, with five of those overseeing the 10 most heavily traded currencies holding rate-setting meetings. Last Friday, Wall Street ended sharply lower as U.S. industrial labour action weighed on auto shares. The euro gained 0.1% to $1.0667, after slumping to a 3-1/2 month low of $1.0632 last week as the European Central Bank signalled its rate hikes could be over.

Persons: BOE, BOJ, Taiwan's TSMC, Hong, Tommy Xie, Chris Weston, Weston, Kazuo Ueda, Cash Treasuries, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Nasdaq, . West Texas, Brent, Japan's Nikkei, Technology, Reuters, Trust, Greater, Greater China Research, OCBC Bank, China Evergrande, Fed, U.S ., Bank of England, Treasury, Amazon, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: China, SYDNEY, Europe, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Zhongrong, Greater China, HK, Pepperstone, Tokyo

☆ Japan's yen takes the spotlight in central bank week
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Vidya Ranganathan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Bank of Japan's policy meeting on Friday is the highlight of the week in Asia, after Governor Kazuo Ueda stoked speculation of an imminent move away from ultra-loose policy. The yen was flat versus the greenback between 147.63 and 147.88 per dollar, with markets in Japan closed for a national holiday. "Anticipation of new BOJ rate guidance could support the yen into the meeting date, with the FOMC meeting also contributing to volatility this week," Chang said. The European Central Bank raised interest rates to 4% last week but said this hike could be its last. Futures are pricing in almost no chance that the Fed raises interest rates at the end of its two-day meeting next Wednesday.

Persons: Yen, Dado Ruvic, Kazuo Ueda, That's, Carol Kong, Kong, Ueda, Wei, Liang Chang, Chang, Sterling, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, The, of, U.S . Federal, Bank of, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, DBS Bank, European Central Bank, Japan, . U.S, Treasury, The Bank of England, Brent, Saudi, Global, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, Bank of England, Japan, ., U.S, Ukraine

☆ Asian shares stumble as investors brace for central bank packed week
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

S&P 500 futures advanced 0.2% while Nasdaq futures edged 0.1% higher. Also, Chinese trust firm Zhongrong International Trust Co, with exposure to Chinese property developers, said over the weekend it was unable to make payments on some trust products on time. The euro recovered 0.1% to $1.0673 in early Asia trade, after slumping to a 3-1/2 month low of $1.0629 last week as the European Central Bank signalled its rate hikes could be over. Brent crude futures rose 0.3% at $94.20 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 0.4% at $91.14. Reporting by Stella Qiu; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: BOE, BOJ, Tommy Xie, Jerome Powell, Chris Weston, Weston, Kazuo Ueda, Cash Treasuries, Stella Qiu, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Nasdaq, Japan's Nikkei, China Evergrande, HK, International Trust Co, Greater, Greater China Research, OCBC Bank, U.S . Federal, Fed, U.S ., Bank of England, Treasury, Amazon, European Central Bank, Brent, . West Texas, Thomson Locations: China, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, Beijing, Greater China, Tokyo

☆ Gold steadies as investors brace for key cenbank verdicts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Brijesh Patel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Spot gold was flat at $1,923.40 per ounce by 09:59 a.m. EDT (1359 GMT). Non-yielding gold tends to fall out of favour among investors when interest rates rise. [USD/Chinese gold prices hit record highs last week, extending a months-long rally as consumers snap up the safe-haven asset to offset a depreciating yuan. "While the developments in China are worth watching, we currently do not believe that this will change the outlook for the gold market," said Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke. Reporting by Brijesh Patel and Anjana Anil in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Edward Moya, CME's, Kazuo Ueda, Julius Baer, Carsten Menke, Brijesh Patel, Anjana Anil, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Wednesday, U.S . Federal Reserve, The Bank of, U.S, Treasury, Thomson Locations: requisitions, The Bank of England, China, Bengaluru

☆ Japan's yen in spotlight ahead of 'live' BOJ meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In a week packed with central bank meetings, decisions are also due from the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday and Bank of England on Thursday. The yen was flat versus the greenback at 147.82 per dollar with markets in Japan closed for a national holiday. Carol Kong, economist and currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said she expects the yen to be volatile leading up to the policy meeting. "So that means dollar yen can track higher, particularly if Governor Ueda sounds dovish and dashes hopes of policy tightening at the upcoming meeting," she said. The European Central Bank raised interest rates to 4% last week but said this hike could be its last.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Carol Kong, Kong, Ueda, Sterling Organizations: U.S ., The, of, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, European Central Bank, Japan, . U.S, Treasury, Deutsche Bank Research, Brent, Saudi Locations: Asia, Japan, ., U.S, Ukraine

☆ Morning Bid: Chips are down
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The global chip sector is stealing the spotlight from major central banks, after the world's top contract chipmaker raised concerns over demand, hitting share prices of semiconductor stocks. In a week packed with central bank meetings, decisions are also due from the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday and Bank of England on Thursday. After the European Central Bank's fireworks last week, the euro will be closely watched as a signal for whether the backlash from more hawkish ECB members is gaining any traction with traders and investors. The BOE is likely to hike interest rates for the 15th time later in the week, while the Fed seems set for a hawkish pause. One more little complication is the steady grind higher in oil prices to new highs that is stoking inflation concerns, just as central banks in most developed economies are at or approaching the end of their tightening cycles.

Persons: Vidya Ranganathan, chipmaker, There's, Kazuo Ueda, BOE, Guindos, Panetta, Sam Holmes Organizations: Vidya, Reuters, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, International, Co, of, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, ECB, Thomson Locations: Asia, Detroit

A man walks in front of the headquarters of Bank of Japan in Tokyo, Japan, January 18, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 18 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. Attention this week turns to the Federal Reserve and Bank of England policy meetings, and in Asia, the BOJ on Friday. The currency and JGB markets are sending different signals, and both will be seeking more clarity from the BOJ on Friday. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Issei Kato, Jamie McGeever, Kazuo Ueda's hawkish, Bond, Li, Guindos, Panetta, Diane Craft Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, The, of, ECB, Federal Reserve, Bank of, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Bank of England, Singapore, China, Moscow

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