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Showing 1221 - 1230 of 2991 results for Benjamin Ong

No tears for China's disappointing data

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 15 MAR 2016
There was very little financial market reaction to China's latest data dump. This could be because the stats only confirmed what markets already know - i.e., China's economy is slowing - or they've discounted the disappointing numbers as due to seasonal ...

We've got the power and firepower (still)

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 14 MAR 2016
Despite deteriorating market confidence and doubts over central banks' firepower and ability to influence market moods and outcomes, the events of the past week showed that CBs are anything but powerless. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's (RNBZ) unexpected ...

Four bazookas and a phrase

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 11 MAR 2016
Well he tried, and he tried, and he tried but he can't get no satisfaction, oh no, no. no. For all intents and purposes, ECB President Mario Draghi over-delivered on the eagerly-awaited stimulus promised two months ago. He came in firing not with one... ...

RBNZ cuts rates, biased towards further easing

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 10 MAR 2016
It was unexpected but not a total surprise. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) cut the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.25% contrary to consensus expectations that the New Zealand central bank will keep interest rates unchanged after this ...

China crashlands back to GFC days

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 9 MAR 2016
The recent upswing in equity and commodity markets hit the China wall, stalling or reversing following reports of worse-than-expected Chinese trade figures. This is because they reinforce the markets' current trepidation over slowing global growth. ...

Market confidence marches in March

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 7 MAR 2016
"Do you know where you're going to... Where are you going to Do you know?" - Diana Ross, 'Theme from Mahogany" Last week was another good week for equity markets with most major benchmark indices finishing with green lights blinking brightly. Has the ...

With pretty numbers like these, who needs a rate cut?

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 4 MAR 2016
At the time of this writing, the A$ is fetching around US$0.7350 - after appreciating from US$0.7175 to US$0.7295 after the National Statistician released the Australian economy's scorecard that showed much higher growth than expected in the last quarter ...

Another standout economic performance

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 3 MAR 2016
This was totally uncalled for particularly for those "experts" still calling for the Australian Reserve Bank (RBA) to cut interest rates again - with some expecting another 25bps shaved off the official cash rate (currently at 2.0%) as early as May. ...

Crouching services, contracting manufacturing

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 2 MAR 2016
Economic slowdown on a roll. This is the message from the latest disappointing readings from China's official manufacturing and non-manufacturing purchasing managers' indices (PMIs). The manufacturing PMI fell deeper into contraction (below 50) from ...

A "must do" for the ECB

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 1 MAR 2016
Latest euro area inflation data released by Eurostat has all but ensured that ECB President Mario Draghi will make good on his 21 January promise to "...reconsider our monetary policy stance at our next meeting in early March" aka increase policy stimulus. ...