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☆ ECB's Makhlouf: Expect a change in rates in June in the absence of shocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | 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 EmailECB's Makhlouf: Expect a change in rates in June in the absence of shocksGabriel Makhlouf, governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, tells CNBC's Karen Tso that he expects a change in the European Central Bank's policy on interest rates, barring any unexpected events.

Persons: Gabriel Makhlouf, Karen Tso Organizations: Central Bank of Ireland

☆ Dollar firms after hot retail sales, yen languishes; China data awaited
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar stood just off its highest since early November against a handful of peer currencies on Tuesday, raising intervention worries as the yen languished at its lowest level since 1990 following hotter-than-expected U.S. retail sales. The dollar stood just off its highest since early November against a handful of peer currencies on Tuesday, raising intervention worries as the yen languished at its lowest level since 1990 following hotter-than-expected U.S. retail sales. In the U.S., retail sales rose 0.7% last month, compared with the 0.3% rise that economists polled by Reuters had forecast. The Japanese yen languished under the dollar's continued strength and large interest rate differential between the two countries, breaching 154 to hit a fresh 34-year low against the dollar on Monday. The offshore Chinese yuan was mostly unchanged at 7.2620 per dollar ahead of the key economic data releases out of China.

Persons: Matt Simpson, Shunichi Suzuki, Index's Simpson, bitcoin Organizations: Reuters, Federal Reserve, U.S ., U.S, Traders, Japanese Finance, European Central Bank Locations: China, U.S, Middle

☆ Oil prices head back up on Middle East jitters
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A view of an oil well at Arab Desert in Jebel Dukhan, Bahrain on March 4, 2024. Oil prices rose in early trade on Friday on heightened tensions in the Middle East, where Iran has promised to retaliate for a suspected Israeli air strike on its embassy in Syria, which could risk disruptions to supply from the oil producing region. Israel is keeping up its war in Gaza but is also preparing for scenarios in other areas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. "The European Central Bank's decision to leave policy rates unchanged ... was expected, but accompanying statements open the door for near-term monetary easing," S&P Global Market Intelligence said in a note. However in the U.S., Federal Reserve officials signalled on Thursday no rush to cut interest rates, as sticky U.S. inflation remains a concern.

Persons: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, Israel, Washington, ANZ Research, Organization of, Petroleum, P Global Market Intelligence, Federal Locations: Jebel Dukhan, Bahrain, Iran, Syria, Damascus, Gaza, Israel, Tehran, Europe, U.S

☆ European markets set to open higher; UK GDP grows 0.1% in February
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 31 points higher at 7,949, Germany's DAX up more than 100 points at 18,051, France's CAC 47 points higher at 8,064 and Italy's FTSE MIB 150 points higher at 33,212, according to data from IG. European markets are set to open higher on Friday morning as investors parse through U.K. economic data and reflect on a somewhat murky U.S. inflation outlook. The market moves come after the pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed lower in the previous session. Stateside, investors digested fresh inflation data in search of clues on exactly when the U.S. central bank may start cutting interest rates. In Europe, Britain's economic output increased by 0.1% in monthly terms in February, in line with expectations, according to figures published Friday by the Office for National Statistics.

Persons: Germany's DAX, Dow Jones Organizations: CAC, IG, European Central Bank, U.S, U.S . Federal, Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dow, Office, National Statistics Locations: U.S ., U.S, Europe

☆ Yen crumbles under towering dollar and U.S. Treasury yields
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this photo illustration, the man is holding several U.S. dollar bills with some Chinese yuan in the background. The yen struggled to break away from a 34-year low on Friday and was headed for a weekly decline, while the dollar hovered near a five-month high alongside U.S. Treasury yields as traders heavily scaled back bets for a slew of U.S. rate cuts this year. The yen was last marginally higher at 153.17 per dollar, languishing near a 34-year trough of 153.32 per dollar hit in the previous session on the back of a surge in U.S. Treasury yields, which the dollar/yen pair tends to closely track. The benchmark 10-year yield was last at 4.5784%, flirting with a five-month peak of 4.5930% hit in the previous session. The renewed dollar strength also weighed on the Australian and New Zealand dollars , which each fell 0.02%.

Persons: Tony Sycamore, Shunichi Suzuki, David Doyle Organizations: U.S, Treasury, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, IG, Japanese Finance, ECB, New, Macquarie Locations: U.S, United States, freefall, Tokyo, New Zealand

☆ European Central Bank gives strong signal that cuts are on the way despite Fed uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), at a rates decision news conference in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, March 7, 2024. The European Central Bank on Thursday held interest rates steady for a fifth straight meeting and gave its clearest signal yet of an upcoming rate cut, despite uncertainty over the U.S. Federal Reserve's next moves. In a press conference following the announcement, ECB President Christine Lagarde said this "important" new sentence was a "loud and clear indication" of the bank's current sentiment. The ECB made no direct reference to loosening monetary policy in its previous communiques. The central bank for the 20 countries that share the euro currency hiked its key rate to a record 4% in September.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Hussain Mehdi Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, U.S, U.S . Federal, HSBC Asset Management Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, U.S .

☆ Dollar firms, yen skids as Fed cut wagers crumble
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. one hundred dollar bills are being shown in this picture illustration taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 15, 2023. Japan intervened in the currency market three times in 2022 as the yen slid toward what was then a 32-year low of 152 to the dollar. The Japanese central bank last month ended eight years of negative interest rates but yen has remained rooted near 151 per dollar levels since then. The euro was last at $1.0744, having dropped 1% on Wednesday ahead of the European Central Bank, or ECB, meeting later in the day. The Australian dollar was little changed at $0.651, while the New Zealand dollar eased 0.17% to $0.598.

Persons: Masato Kanda, Kyle Rodda, Rodda, Kazuo Ueda, Kevin Cummins, Sterling Organizations: Fed, Reuters, Bank of, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, U.S, NatWest, Treasury, European Central Bank, ECB, New Zealand Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tokyo, Japan, Bank of Japan, U.S

☆ Fed likely to cut rates before ECB blinks, former BOE member says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Federal Reserve is likely to cut interest rates before the European Central Bank does, a former member of the Bank of England said, defying current market expectations. Investors are closely monitoring central bank moves on the back of a considerable reduction in inflation across major economies. So far, Switzerland was the first major economy to cut interest rates back in late March. Market players are currently pricing in a 92.8% chance that the ECB will cut rates in June from the historically high level of 4%, according to LSEG data. Her comments come just ahead of a European Central Bank meeting due on Thursday.

Persons: DeAnne Julius, Julius, Christine Lagarde, Lagarde Organizations: U.S . Federal, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Monetary, CNBC, Tuesday, ECB, Federal Reserve Locations: Switzerland, U.S, United States

☆ E.C.B. Holds Rates Steady as Markets Look for Hints on First Cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Eshe Nelson | More About Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The European Central Bank held interest rates steady on Thursday, keeping the deposit rate at 4 percent, the highest in central bank’s history. It was the fifth consecutive decision to leave rates untouched as inflation closes in on the central bank’s 2 percent target. Central bankers have been trying to work out the delicate timing of when to loosen their rate policy. They don’t want to keep rates higher longer than necessary, which could hurt the economies of the eurozone, but at the same time, they don’t want to ease too early and revive price pressures. In March, core inflation slowed more than economists expected, to 2.9 percent.

Organizations: European Central Bank

☆ European stocks set for mixed open as markets digest U.S. inflation data, look ahead to ECB decision
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

European markets are heading for a mixed open on Thursday as global investors digested the latest U.S. inflation data, which came in hotter than expected. European and U.S. stocks traded lower after the U.S. inflation data for March came in at 3.5% year on year, above the 3.4% expected by economists surveyed by Dow Jones and 0.3 percentage points higher than in February. Markets had expected the U.S. Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates in June, with further cuts expected later this year, but that shifted dramatically following the release, with traders now expecting the first cut in September, according to CME Group calculations. European investors' focus is on the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision Thursday, with the central bank being closely watched for clues that it could start to cut rates in summer.

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: Markets, U.S . Federal Reserve, Central Locations: U.S

☆ Banks say they’re meeting climate pledges. A new report says they’re ineffective
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Why gold prices are at record highsFrom central banks to Costco customers, it seems everyone is buying gold these days, reports CNN’s John Towfighi. Central banks see gold as a long-term store of value and a safe haven during times of economic and international turmoil. When interest rates fall, gold prices tend to rise, as bullion becomes more appealing than income-paying assets like bonds. The People’s Bank of China bought gold for the 17th straight month in March, adding 160,000 ounces to bring reserves to 72.74 million troy ounces of gold, according to Reuters. The Honest Company posted a strong fourth quarter in March.

Persons: –, ” Mark Carney, ”, GFANZ, Jamie Dimon, ” Dimon, JPMorgan, CNN’s John Towfighi, China —, Read, Jessica Alba, Ramishah Maruf, Alba’s, Chuck Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, European Central Bank, Glasgow Financial Alliance, UN, Bank of England, ECB, MIT, Columbia Business School, Zero Banking Alliance, United Nations, decarbonization, CNN, JPMorgan Chase, State, JPMorgan, Investors, Federal Reserve, China, People’s Bank of China, Reuters, UBS, The Honest, The Honest Company, Honest, Nasdaq Locations: New York, Glasgow, China, India, Turkey

☆ Dollar firm, yen under watch ahead of key US CPI release
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Japanese yen and U.S. dollar on display in Yichang, Hubei province, Nov 13, 2023. The inflation data follows a strong jobs report last Friday that blew past forecasts, raising questions on how soon and how much the central bank will cut rates this year. On the yen, Wednesday's CPI data will be "a big test for Japanese authorities," Kong added. The U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback against six rivals, held firm at 104.12. The kiwi climbed as high as $0.6077 versus the U.S. dollar, its strongest since March 21, before flattening at $0.60595.

Persons: Carol Kong, Kong, Kazuo Ueda, Sterling, bitcoin Organizations: U.S, Reserve Bank of New, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of Japan, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, U.S ., Treasury, Traders, European Central Bank, ECB Locations: Yichang, Hubei province, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, U.S, China

☆ Banks Made Big Climate Promises. A New Study Doubts They Work.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two and half years ago, bankers and investors attended the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, an annual event normally dominated by activists and policymakers. It was considered a milestone as the financial sector agreed to put its might into tackling climate change. But a recent study, published by the European Central Bank, disputed the effectiveness of those promises. The researchers found that since 2018 the banks had reduced lending 20 percent to sectors they had targeted in their climate goals, such as oil and gas and transport. That seems like progress, but the researchers argued it was not sufficient because the decline was the same for banks that had not made the same commitment.

Persons: ” Organizations: United, Glasgow Financial Alliance, European Central Bank, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia Business School, Zero Banking Alliance Locations: United Nations, Glasgow

☆ European close markets higher on busy week for central bank action
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The regional Stoxx 600 closed up 0.5%, with mining stocks up 2% and media stocks down 0.2%. The benchmark index dropped 1.2% last week, its worst performance since January after a run of consistent gains. European stocks closed higher Monday at the start of a busy a week of key data releases and central bank decisions. U.S. stocks also had a shaky week, though a stronger-than-expected jobs report released Friday boosted sentiment around the economy and earnings. The European Central Bank meets Thursday for its latest monetary policy decision.

Persons: Neel Kashkari Organizations: Federal, Minneapolis, European Central Bank

☆ Biden’s manufacturing industry is expanding, but that could be bad for inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But a resurgence in the industry could complicate the Federal Reserve’s ongoing inflation fight, either delaying the first interest rate cut or resulting in fewer cuts this year, some economists say. Interest rates have been at a two-decade high since July, after the Fed raised rates aggressively over the prior year and a half. The economy picking up further strength would spook Wall Street because of what it means for interest rates — and some manufacturers say they’re optimistic about the future. The Bank of Canada announces its latest interest rate decision. China’s National Bureau of Statistics releases March inflation data.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Tom Barkin, “, Mary Daly, ” Daly, Jerome Powell, Neel Kashkari, ” Kashkari, ” Richard de Chazal, Blair, they’re “, Amazon’s, It’s, Ramishah Maruf, Amazon, haven’t, Read Organizations: Washington CNN, Institute for Supply Management, Congress, Fed, ” Richmond Fed, ” San Francisco Fed, Minneapolis, Dow, Blair Equity Research, Amazon, Fresh, Delta Air Lines, US Labor Department, Index, Bank of Canada, Federal Reserve, National Bureau of Statistics, Constellation Brands, European Central Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, State, National Statistics, The University of Michigan Locations: Richmond , Virginia, ” San, Las Vegas, India, Wells Fargo, Progressive, BlackRock

☆ Goldman Sachs chief economist: Strong case for consecutive ECB rate cuts from June
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | 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 EmailGoldman Sachs chief economist: Strong case for consecutive ECB rate cuts from JuneJan Hatzius, chief economist at Goldman Sachs, discusses the outlook for European Central Bank interest rate cuts.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Jan Hatzius Organizations: European Central Bank

☆ Dollar takes a breather ahead of U.S. jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

European inflation came in softer-than-expected on Wednesday, reinforcing expectations for a European rate cut in June. "The speech broadly affirmed the Fed is on track to cut rates this year, with data determining the timing. The Australian dollar broke above its 200-day moving average as the U.S. dollar dipped overnight and was steady at $0.6568 on Thursday. The Aussie is at a five-month high on the New Zealand dollar with traders expecting New Zealand rate cuts beginning in August but Australian rates on hold until November. The New Zealand dollar rose 0.7% on the greenback overnight to regain a foothold above $0.60.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Sterling Organizations: Federal, Traders, ANZ, Australian, U.S, New Zealand, . U.S, Treasury, PMI, Central Bank Locations: Zealand, ., Europe

☆ European markets set to open higher as momentum returns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

European markets look poised to open higher Thursday as investors look to build momentum following a shaky start to the new trading quarter. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed higher Wednesday, shaking off some of the negative sentiment after euro zone inflation fell more than expected. Thursday is light on the earnings front, while the release of notes from the European Central Bank's last monetary policy meeting is expected to shine some light on the path for interest rate cuts. In Asia-Pacific, markets rebounded following a selloff in the previous session. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures inched higher overnight as investors digested comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Persons: Jerome Powell Organizations: Central, Rio Tinto, U.S . Federal Locations: Rio, Asia, Pacific, U.S

☆ Euro zone inflation unexpectedly slows to 2.4% in March, with core print also below forecast
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Inflation in the 20-nation euro zone eased to 2.4% in March, according to flash figures published on Wednesday, boosting expectations for interest rate cuts to begin in the summer. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the rate would hold steady against the previous month at 2.6%. The core rate of inflation, excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, cooled from 3.1% to 2.9%, also coming in below expectations. Markets expect the euro zone's central bank will begin lowering borrowing costs in June — a position reflected in the recent messaging of ECB decision-makers. "Inflation has declined despite a jump in energy inflation, and a boost from an early Easter.

Persons: European Central Bank —, Price, Robert Holzmann, Carsten Brzeski, Kamil Kovar, Kovar Organizations: Reuters, European Central Bank, ECB, ING, Moody's Locations: Rome, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austrian

☆ Inflation Cools in Eurozone, Nearing Central Bank’s Target
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Melissa Eddy | More About Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The annual inflation rate across most economies in Europe eased for the third month in a row, nearing the target set by the European Central Bank. The rate was slightly lower than economists expected and brought overall inflation closer to the 2 percent target set by the E.C.B., which will hold its next meeting to set interest rates on April 11. The central bank also keeps a close eye on core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices. That dipped to 2.9 percent in the year through March in the eurozone, ticking below the 3-percent mark for the first time since Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine broke out in February 2022, driving up energy prices. Germany, the eurozone’s largest economy, saw consumer prices rise at an annual rate of 2.3 percent in March, its slowest inflation since June 2021.

Organizations: European Central Bank, Consumer, European Union, Ukraine Locations: Europe, Germany

☆ Oil prices advance as investors reassess U.S. inventories data
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Global oil prices edged up on Thursday, recovering from two consecutive sessions of decline, as investors reassessed the latest U.S. crude oil and gasoline inventories data and returned to buying mode. In the prior session, oil prices were under pressure after U.S. crude oil and gasoline inventories rose unexpectedly last week driven by a rise in crude imports and sluggish gasoline demand, according the Energy Information Administration data. "We... expect U.S. inventories to rise less than normal in reflection of a global oil market in a slight deficit. This will likely hand support to the Brent crude oil price going forward," Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB Research, said in a note. Lower interest rates support oil demand.

Persons: Brent, Bjarne Schieldrop Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, Energy, Administration, American Petroleum Institute, SEB Research, U.S . Federal Reserve, Fed, European Central Bank, JPMorgan Locations: Midland , Texas

☆ Intervention threat curbs dollar's ascent towards new high on the yen
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar was on the front foot on Monday and kept the yen pinned near a multi-decade low, though the threat of currency intervention from Japanese authorities prevented the greenback from heading further north. "Japanese officials' verbal intervention is making 152 a very strong near-term resistance for dollar/yen," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "Markets are fully aware of a potential actual FX intervention from authorities, so I think that's keeping dollar/yen from moving substantially higher. "I think there is still a high risk that they will come in to prop up the yen if dollar/yen were to surge materially perhaps to 155. The yuan has been pressured by growing market expectations of further monetary easing to prop up the world's second-largest economy.

Persons: Carol Kong, That's, BoE, Andrew Bailey, Chris Weston Organizations: Bank of Japan's, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Swiss National Bank, Sterling, Financial Times, ECB, New Zealand Locations: Japan, United States

And perhaps best of all, money — from selling the electricity generated by the wind turbines studding the flat green fields stretching out to the North Sea. A slice of the cash goes to the villagers themselves, with the local buy-in making this windy farming enclave near the border with Denmark a showcase for ways to push ahead with renewable energy projects. The S&P Global Clean Energy Index of shares in companies with clean energy-related businesses has fallen 26% over the past year, even as broader market indexes have surged to records. In sub-Saharan Africa, where half the population lacks access to electricity, renewable projects face even steeper challenges with financing. In Nigeria, where blackouts are an everyday event for about half of the country’s 213 million people, some 14 solar projects have stalled because the finances don’t add up.

Persons: ”, Astrid Nissen, moos, “, Mackenzie, it's, Nissen, Christian Andresen, Andresen, Orsted, Vattenfall, David Shepheard, Edu Okeke, Taiwo Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, University College London, Solar, Energie Andresen GmbH, Energy, logjams, World Bank Locations: SPRAKEBUELL, Germany, Denmark, village's, Spain, Italy, Africa, Flensburg, Sprakebuell's, German, Danish, New Jersey, Swedish, North American, Saharan Africa, Nigeria, Katsina, Abuja

☆ Climate change and extreme heat will drive inflation higher, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Aruni Soni | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Global warming and extreme heat will drive inflation higher, a new study says. In the next decade, climate change could bump up food inflation by as much as 3.23% per year and headline inflation by as much as 1.18%. "A worst-case emission scenario would cause pressures on food inflation exceeding 4% [per year] across large parts of the world." According to a new study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, the effects of global warming and extreme heat are expected to create persistent increases in headline and food inflation. Related storiesThat could bump up food inflation by as much as 3.23% a year on average globally, and push headline inflation up by as much as 1.18% in the coming decade.

Organizations: Service, Environment, Potsdam Institute, Climate Impact Research, European Central Bank Locations: Africa, South America

☆ European Central Bank’s Lagarde signals June cut but says future rate path uncertain
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, at the ECB And Its Watchers conference in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 20, 2024. European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde on Wednesday reiterated that policymakers will consider bringing interest rates down in June, but sketched an uncertain path beyond that. "By June we will have a new set of projections that will confirm whether the inflation path we foresaw in our March forecast remains valid," Lagarde said in a speech in Frankfurt. Data available by June will also provide more insight into the path of underlying inflation and the direction of the labor market, according to Lagarde. So, there will be a period ahead where we need to confirm on an ongoing basis that the incoming data supports our inflation outlook."

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Lagarde Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, ECB's

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