Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen holds a news conference following day two of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in Washington, U.S., December 14, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen goes to Congress on Tuesday for the... More »
FILE PHOTO – A woman pauses as she shops at a wholesale market in Yiwu, Zhejiang province January 11, 2011. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo China’s producer price inflation picked up more than expected in January to near six-year highs as prices of steel and ... More »
Pound coins are seen in front of a displayed EU flag in this picture illustration taken January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration The European Commission said on Monday that uncertainty about U.S. policies, Brexit and elections in Germany and France wo... More »
The political party of Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte has backed Antonio Moncupa, the president of mid-sized lender East West Bank and head of the party’s policy think tank, to become the next governor of the country’s central bank More »
People walk on a street at Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district, Japan, February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai Japan’s economy grew for a fourth straight quarter in the final three months of last year as a weaker yen supported exports, but tepid private consumption ... More »
A commuter passes by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in the financial district in New York City, U.S., February 7, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Global investors poured money into stocks, emerging markets and corporate debt in the week to Wednesday, as the... More »
Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Hiroshi Nakaso speaks during an interview with Reuters at the BOJ headquarters in Tokyo April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Yuya Shino Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Hiroshi Nakaso said Japan’s economy still needs massive monetary support given... More »
Workers walk to work during the morning rush hour in the financial district of Canary Wharf in London, Britain, January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh British employers expect to offer less generous pay deals this year compared with 2016 despite rising inflatio... More »
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel attends a seminar during the Vibrant Gujarat investor summit in Gandhinagar, India, January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Amit Dave India’s central bank kept its policy rate on hold for a second meeting in a row, opting... More »
REFILE – CLARIFYING CAPTION A man rides his tricycle with placards as he takes part in a rally to show support for Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, Nigeria Febuary 6, 2017. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde Hundreds of Nigerians called for a change of gove... More »
Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker said on Friday he expects three interest rate increases in 2017 if the labor market improves further and inflation moves to the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent goal. More »
European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi addresses a news conference at the ECB headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, January 19, 2017. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Rising inflation in the euro zone is primarily being driven by fluctuating energy prices and... More »
A vendor waits for customers at his shop in a market in Beijing, February 18, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee China vowed on Tuesday to contain high company debt levels and further cut excess coal and steel capacity, as Beijing attempts to maintain solid and more bala... More »
Mexico vowed to keep a lid on prices as part of an economic plan set out on Monday to dampen widespread outrage over a major fuel price hike, though it failed to win universal backing among business groups. More »
Workers leave a construction site at the end of their shift in Beijing, China December 6, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Peter China’s economy will grow around 6.5 percent in 2017, while the yuan CNY=CFXS will continue to fall, government researchers said in Beijing on ... More »
Thailand’s central bank logo is seen at the Bank of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand April 26, 2016. REUTERS/JorgeSilva/File Photo Thailand’s central bank is expected to leave benchmark interest rate steady for a 13th straight meeting at its policy review this we... More »
Principal Global Investors CEO Jim McCaughan poses during an interview with Reuters at his office in Tokyo, Japan, December 9, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Principal Global Investors has upgraded its view on the U.S. economy and equities as it sees higher grow... More »
A police officer keeps watch in front of the U.S. Federal Reserve in Washington October 12, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo The Federal Reserve inaugurates the Trump era this week with a near-certain interest rate increase and new economic forecasts pr... More »
A discarded carrier bag is seen in a shopping trolley outside a Tesco supermarket in London, Britain, January 5, 2015. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor/File Photo Two years after an accounting scandal plunged Tesco into the worst crisis in its 97-year history, the Briti... More »
A truck transports containers at Hanjin Shipping’s container terminal at the Busan New Port in Busan, about 420 km (261 miles) southeast of Seoul August 8, 2013. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won South Korea’s exports are expected to rise in November for the first time sinc... More »
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble takes questions from reporters during a press conference with Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei (not pictured) at the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group in Washington October 7, 2016. REUTERS/James Lawle... More »
The Federal Reserve Building stands in Washington April 3, 2012. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Clues on future U.S. policy under Donald Trump rather than economic data are likely to dominate minds and markets in the week ahead, given a U.S. interest rate h... More »
Investors who are uneasy about inflation from possible tax cuts and federal spending under a Trump administration on Thursday scooped up a hefty chunk of the $11 billion of 10-year Treasury Inflation Protected Securities the government offered. More »
European Central Bank Vice President Vitor Constancio speaks during a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York February 19, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid The European Central Bank does not need to react to recent sharp increase in sovereign bond yields as post-ele... More »
Morning commuters pass by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., November 10, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Donald Trump’s stunning victory for the White House may mark the long-awaited end to the more than 30-year-old bull run in bonds, a... More »
U.S. President elect Donald Trump speaks at election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo After Donald Trump’s unexpected victory in the U.S. presidential election, investors may refocus in the coming week o... More »
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump arrives for his election night rally at the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the U.S. presidential race is pu... More »
Tensions between Ultratech, Inc (UTEK.O) and one of its largest shareholders got so high that by the spring, the chief executive was calling the investor a “cockroach” and refusing to meet with him. More »
U.S. worker productivity increased at its fastest pace in two years in the third quarter, More »
A Chinook helicopter flies over the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, November 3, 2016. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls The Bank of England scrapped plans to cut interest rates and said they could move in either direction as it ramped up its forecasts for... More »
An assembly line to produce hybrid engine’s motor is pictured at Honda’s transmission factory in Hamamatsu, Japan, August 23, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Japanese manufacturing activity expanded in October at the fastest pace in nine months as new orders rose... More »
A worker stands on a floor of a building under construction as he waits for a crane to deliver materials in central Sydney, Australia, June 1, 2016. REUTERS/David Gray Australia is forecast to enjoy at least another two years of solid economic growth, extendin... More »
China’s national flag is seen in front of cranes on a construction site at a commercial district in Beijing, China, January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon China’s economic growth is expected to cool to 6.6 percent this year and slow further to 6.5 percent in... More »
A pile of one pound coins is seen in a photo illustration shot June 17, 2008. REUTERS/Toby Melville/Illustration/File Photo Bank of England Deputy Governor Ben Broadbent said the pound’s fall after Britain voted to leave the European Union has acted as an impo... More »
Jeffrey Gundlach, Chief Executive Officer, DoubleLine Capital LP., speaks at the Sohn Investment Conference in New York City, U.S. May 4, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s speech on Friday on running a “high pressure” economy ... More »
Record global debt levels pose a clear risk to oil demand, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday, citing figures from the International Monetary Fund last week that showed the world is awash with a record $152 trillion in debt. More »
The logo of the Bank of Korea is seen on the top of its building in Seoul, South Korea, July 14, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji South Korea’s central bank is forecast to keep interest rate policy on hold on Thursday as board members weigh the risks from household d... More »
European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi leaves an elevator after a meeting with German lawmakers in Berlin, Germany, September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt Euro zone inflation could approach the ECB’s target by late 2018 or early 2019 and so far t... More »
A vegetable vendor (R) takes money from customer at a morning market in Jakarta, Indonesia, October 3, 2016. REUTERS/Beawiharta Indonesia’s annual inflation rate in September rose slightly from the pace in August, but remained close to near seven-year lows, da... More »
Benoit Coeure, member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB), attends a Lamfalussy Lectures Conference in Budapest, Hungary, February 1, 2016. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh The euro zone risks falling into a trap of low growth and low interest rates... More »
A Japanese flag flutters atop the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo, Japan, September 21, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai The International Monetary Fund said on Monday that a new monetary policy framework adopted by the Bank of Japan marked “progress”, but stuck to it... More »
Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda attends a news conference at the BOJ headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, September 21, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai The pace at which the Bank of Japan buys bonds will depend on what is needed to achieve its yield curve targe... More »
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro (C) attends the 17th Non-Aligned Summit in Porlamar, Venezuela September 18, 2016. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday that OPEC and non-OPEC countries were “close” to re... More »
A labourer selects wooden planks as he works at a residential construction site in Hefei, Anhui province, China February 18, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo China’s boomtown of Shenzhen unexpectedly lost its top-performer spot in August’s home price race, bu... More »
Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari speaks during an interview at Reuters in New York February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid With the Federal Reserve powerless to do much more than it already is, the best route to faster U.S. economic growth is throug... More »
Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda attends a news conference at the BOJ headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, July 29, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda signaled his readiness to ease monetary policy further using existing o... More »
A picture illustration of crumpled kuna, Dollar and euro banknotes, taken in Zagreb January 18, 2011. REUTERS/Nikola Solic Central bankers in charge of the vast bulk of the world’s economy delved deep into the weeds of money markets and interest rates over a t... More »
By Douglas Busvine and Nidhi Verma | NEW DELHI NEW DELHI Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took aim at supporters of “terrorism” in his Independence Day speech on Monday, ratcheting up criticism of Pakistan while avoiding direct mention of month-long protest... More »
By Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto | TOKYO TOKYO Japan’s economic growth ground to a halt in April-June as weak exports and shaky domestic demand prompted companies to cut spending, putting fresh pressure on premier Shinzo Abe to come up with policies that ... More »
By Leika Kihara | TOKYO TOKYO The Bank of Japan’s policy review could put up for debate its target for expanding base money through massive asset purchases, sources say, but the challenge would be to avoid spooking bond markets used to years of unprecedented b... More »
NUSA DUA, Indonesia The Federal Reserve should be cautious on interest rate increases due to lingering risks to the U.S. economy, one of its most influential policymakers said on Monday, appearing to signal the chance of a hike by the end of the year was fadin... More »
BRUSSELS Economic growth in the euro zone slowed in the second quarter as uncertainty before the British vote to leave the European Union swirled, data showed on Friday, and economists said it could be a sign of future weaker growth. Gross domestic product (GD... More »
BRUSSELS Inflation rose more than expected in the euro zone in July, driven mostly by higher prices of food, alcohol and tobacco products, according to a first estimate from the EU’s statistics agency released on Friday. Eurostat said that inflation in the 19 ... More »
FRANKFURT Central banks from Washington to Tokyo take center stage next week, although policymakers are likely to remain cautious as they wait for the dust to settle from Britain’s shock vote to leave the EU. As they wait for political reassurances and greater... More »
SINGAPORE The Singapore central bank’s current monetary policy stance remains appropriate and only a marked worsening in the global economy or significant shift to the inflation outlook would prompt a change, its managing director said on Monday. The Monetary ... More »
SYDNEY Australian inflation likely braked to all-time lows in the second quarter, if analyst forecasts prove right, cementing the case for another cut in interest rates as early as next month. When underlying inflation slowed surprisingly sharply to a record l... More »
FRANKFURT The European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday but left the door open to more policy stimulus, highlighting “great” uncertainty and abundant risks to the economic outlook. Signalling a readiness to act, ECB President Mario Draghi... More »
FRANKFURT European Central Bank President Mario Draghi is likely to plead for governments to do more to boost the euro zone’s economy in the coming week as the fallout of Britain’s vote to leave the EU and weaker global growth threaten the bloc’s fragile recov... More »
TOKYO The Bank of Japan will factor in the government’s planned fiscal stimulus package in producing new quarterly projections this month, which will help moderate any cuts to its inflation forecasts, sources familiar with its thinking said. The boost to growt... More »
KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia’s central bank surprised markets on Wednesday by cutting its key interest rate for the first time in seven years, saying the move would help the country remain on a “steady growth path”. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) cut the overnight policy... More »
WASHINGTON U.S. retail sales rose strongly in May as Americans bought automobiles and a range of other goods, even as they paid more for gasoline, suggesting that economic growth was gaining steam despite a sharp slowdown in job creation. Other data on Tuesday... More »
OTTAWA Governments and central banks need a certain amount of coordination so they can discuss policies and consider the implications on debt levels and financial stability over the medium-term, Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz said on Saturday. One good ... More »
STOCKHOLM The latest disappointing U.S. jobs number has not changed the overall economic picture and gradual rate hikes remain appropriate, Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester said on Saturday. The Fed raised rates in December for the first time... More »
WASHINGTON The U.S. economy created the fewest number of jobs in more than 5-1/2-years in May as manufacturing and construction employment fell sharply, which could make it harder for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. Nonfarm payrolls increased by o... More »
TOKYO Japan would intervene in foreign exchange markets if the yen firmed to between 90-95 per dollar, even if it upset the United States, a key economic adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday, asserting the right to curb currency volatility. Koi... More »
BEIJING China’s consumer inflation remained modest in April, while producer prices’ four-year slump moderated as commodity prices rebounded, easing concerns about deflationary risks to the world’s second-largest economy. But analysts disagreed on whether the p... More »
BENGALURU/SYDNEY Asian factories barely grew in April and those in the euro zone did little better despite heavy discounting, setting a sluggish tone on Monday for the global economy in the second quarter. Japanese manufacturing activity shrank last month at t... More »
BRUSSELS/BERLIN Overcoming years of poor health and crisis, the euro zone economy grew at its fastest pace in five years in the first quarter, driven by unlikely stars such as France and Spain. It now stands larger that in did at its peak before the financial ... More »
TOKYO Japan’s central bank is likely to cut its price forecasts on Thursday and debate whether a strong yen, weak global demand and soft consumption have hurt inflation expectations enough to warrant another blow of stimulus. The policy decision will be a clos... More »
NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers are expected to hold interest rates steady when they meet this week, but may tweak their description of the economic outlook to reflect more benign conditions, leaving the path open for future rate rises... More »
BERLIN The next president of the European Central Bank should come from Germany, members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Bavarian allies said on Monday. German conservative politicians have complained loudly in recent weeks that the ECB’s ultra-low rates are cre... More »
FRANKFURT Almost a month after stoking a divisive debate about how far it should go in pumping money into the flagging euro zone economy, the European Central Bank is trying to soothe relations with Germany after unusually strong criticism from Berlin. Late la... More »
LIMA Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of a jailed former president, led Peru’s election on Sunday but she likely faces a tight run-off against centrist economist Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in a vote that would protect the country’s free-market economic model. Fujimori,... More »
SHANGHAI China’s consumer price inflation rose less than expected in March, flattening out after a four-month strengthening trend, but wholesale prices remained stubbornly in deflation. Consumer prices in March rose 2.3 percent, below a median forecast of 2.5 ... More »
SYDNEY Australian retail sales were surprisingly muted in February, a red flag for hopes that consumer spending could offset global headwinds and keep the economy accelerating through the first half. Combined with a very subdued private-sector reading on infla... More »
TOKYO Japanese companies’ long-term inflation expectations weakened in March from three months ago, a central bank survey showed, a sign January’s decision to adopt negative interest rates has failed to convince firms that price rises will accelerate over time... More »
NEW YORK With U.S. gasoline selling under $2 a gallon, food prices relatively flat and Wall Street bond traders betting on 1.5 percent annual inflation as far the eye can see, it may seem like the wrong time to worry about rising consumer prices. But some voic... More »
TOKYO Bank of Japan policymakers engaged in heated debate during their policy review in March on the pros and cons of their decision in January to adopt negative interest rates, with one even saying it was preferable to roll it back. A summary of the March 14-... More »
SÃO PAULO If any symbol captures the anger of rich and upper-middle class Brazilians who have taken to the streets to protest against President Dilma Rousseff, it might be a giant, inflatable yellow duck. The 40-foot (12-meter) high duck presides over Sao Paul... More »
SAN FRANCISCO The Federal Reserve won’t raise interest rates this week, but will likely make clear that as long as U.S. inflation and jobs continue to strengthen, economic weakness overseas won’t stop rates from rising fairly soon. That will be a big change fr... More »
TOKYO Bank of Japan (BOJ) officials have been scurrying to commercial banks to explain and apologize for its surprise adoption of negative interest rates in January, while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has distanced himself from a decision that is proving unpopula... More »
NOTTINGHAM, England The Bank of England (BoE) is still more likely to raise interest rates than to cut them over the next two years, but it has plenty of scope to stimulate the economy if needed, one of the bank’s policymakers said on Tuesday. Martin Weale, in... More »
The 2016 U.S. presidential election may succeed where the world’s central banks have failed, but not as they would wish: in bringing back inflation through protectionism. One of the most striking aspects of the election campaign is the way in which Donald Trum... More »
NEW DELHI The government unveiled a budget for the poor on Monday, announcing new rural aid schemes and skimping on a bank bailout, in a strategy shift that seeks to boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party in coming state elections. Finance Minister ... More »
BUENOS AIRES In power just two months, Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri is already facing labor unrest, with a national public sector strike planned for Wednesday as workers protest rocketing inflation and job cuts. Unions representing hospital staffers an... More »
HOUSTON It is still unclear whether the recent downturn in global financial markets will have any substantial impact on the U.S. economy, Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said on Tuesday, suggesting the episode may still pass without much effect o... More »
FRANKFURT It doesn’t look like much, but a boxy wooden vintage Swedish footstool isn’t just a place to rest your weary feet after cross-country skiing. It is the latest competition to hedge funds or high end real estate. And that means it will cost you $17,000... More »
TORONTO Prem Watsa, the head of Fairfax Financial Holdings (FFH.TO) and a well known contrarian investor, said on Friday he is concerned about the global economy, pointing to record low bond yields and limited policy levers left in the hands of central bankers... More »
TOKYO The Bank of Japan could confuse markets and trigger a global competition to push interest rates deeper into negative territory by cutting its rates below zero, dissenters to the move told a rate review last month, underscoring Governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s ... More »
LONDON Global markets have been in turmoil since the start of the year, with stocks and commodities prices reeling, eroding inflation and making central banks increasingly dovish – a trend that could continue with more weak economic data. China, a focus of muc... More »
SYDNEY January updates on Asia’s mammoth factory sector released on Monday showed the new year began much as the old one ended – with too much capacity chasing too little demand. China was again the epicentre of disappointment as its official measure of manufa... More »
SHANGHAI China’s manufacturing activity contracted at its fastest pace in almost three-and-a-half years in January, an official survey showed, suggesting the world’s second largest economy is off to a weak start in 2016 and adding to the case for near-term sti... More »
NEW YORK Mohamed El-Erian, the chief economic advisor at Allianz, said on Friday the Bank of Japan’s shocking move to take one of its main interest rates into negative territory underscored the country’s hope to weaken the yen to re-inflate its economy. “Count... More »
SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON In the U.S. Federal Reserve’s arsenal of tools the characterization of economic risks is heavy artillery, used to flag the moments when major events like the 2003 Iraq war or the near crack-up of the euro zone in 2011 make forecasting ... More »
TOKYO Bank of Japan policymakers would prefer to hold back additional monetary easing at their meeting on Friday, people familiar with the central bank’s thinking say, though global market volatility could yet force their hand. Even as slumping oil prices and ... More »
SYDNEY Australian price pressures remained restrained last quarter as underlying inflation slowed to the very bottom of policy makers’ target range, offering the scope but not necessarily the trigger for a cut in interest rates. Key measures of underlying infl... More »
WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged on Wednesday and acknowledge that turmoil in financial markets threatens its upbeat view of the U.S. economy, leaving the chances of a March hike diminished but alive. All 69 analysts... More »
BENGALURU/NEW YORK The global economy finished last year on a fragile footing, with factory activity in China shrinking for the 10th month running in December, while euro zone manufacturing picked up but U.S. activity slowed. Coming on a day of volatility in A... More »
FRANKFURT The European Central Bank will keep monetary policy easy for as long as necessary in light of risks such as slower growth in emerging economies, its chief economist said in an interview with a Belgian newspaper. The ECB cut its deposit rate earlier t... More »
LONDON One of the Bank of England’s policymakers who is considered most likely to call for higher interest rates believes the need for tighter monetary policy is “slightly less immediate” because of slow pay growth and falling oil prices, a newspaper reported.... More »
