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Showing 341 - 350 of 2991 results for Benjamin Ong

Chief economist update: Lowe puts Australia on high

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 10 FEB 2020
Drought, bushfires, coronavirus are among the risks Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe nominated when he testified before the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics on the February 7. One day later, and Lowe would have ...

Chief economist update: Coronavirus threatens Tokyo Olympics

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 7 FEB 2020
The sooner the coronavirus is licked, the better for everybody - more so for Japan. The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship underscores the positive impact of tourism on Japan's economy. The nearly 4000 tourists quarantined aboard the ship due to the coronavirus ...

Chief economist update: Coronavirus infects oil market

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 4 FEB 2020
It appears that no one and nothing is immune from the spread of the coronavirus. It's now turned the bull market in crude oil into a bear. Crude oil prices sank by more than 10% (the technical definition of a bear market) - WTI oil down 15.6%; Brent ...

Chief economist update:China prepares anti-viral injection

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 3 FEB 2020
"Fear of death is worse than death itself..." - Gosho Aoyama The rate of infection from the coronavirus continues to multiply and, along with it, the sense of panic that has resulted in an almost worldwide ban on travel to and from China, complete lockdown ...

Chief economist update: It's a holiday for the Fed

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 31 JAN 2020
"Gone Fishing!" Given "current" market expectations, this would be an appropriate sign on the Fed's door. As expected, the US central bank kept monetary policy settings unchanged at the conclusion of its January FOMC meeting. "The Committee decided ...

Chief economist update: Turn the beat around

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 30 JAN 2020
The stats are out and they reveal that Australia's inflation genie is still inside Aladdin's lamp. The Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) consumer price index report showed headline inflation inched to 1.8% in the year to the December ...

Chief economist update: Steady as it was, steady it will be

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 29 JAN 2020
It could have been because it happened at the same time that the coronavirus was making the headlines, or because financial markets widely expected it, or a bit of both, but the European Central Bank's (ECB) first Governing Council meeting for 2020 ...

Chief economist update: Coronavirus has gone viral

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 28 JAN 2020
It's gone viral! The coronavirus that is, and it is sending shivers in equity markets around the world, from New York to Rio and ol' London town. The financial markets' fear is palpable. The VIX index - the "fear gauge" - jumped to reading ...

Chief economist update: Strength in jobs downs RBA rate cut expectations

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 24 JAN 2020
There's more bad news for us, Australians all. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will no longer cut the official cash rate by 25 basis points - to 0.5% - when it holds its first board meeting for 2020 on February 4. No Virginia, I didn't say ...

Chief economist update: Australians all let's not rejoice

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 23 JAN 2020
"I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!) I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!) I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!) And don't it feel good." Sadly, Australians are not singing and dancing to this upbeat classic by Katrina and the Waves. The Westpac/Melbourne ...