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Showing 491 - 500 of 3072 results for "Benjamin"

Chief economist update: Global easing

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 13 AUG 2019
In his outing before the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics on August 9, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) governor Philip Lowe practically gave his nod of approval in Financial Standard 's clear as the crystal ball's ...

Chief economist update: The UK is not OK

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 12 AUG 2019
When it met on August 1, the Bank of England (BOE) rightly anticipated slower GDP growth in the second quarter, saying: "After growing by 0.5% in 2019 Q1, GDP is expected to have been flat in Q2... reflecting both the impact of intensifying Brexit-related ...

Chief economist update: Bonds do the limbo rock

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 9 AUG 2019
How low can they go? Be afraid, be very afraid. A great number of investors are buying into the relative safety of long-term government bonds despite their dwindling yields, and in the case of the Japanese and Eurozone 10-year government bonds, negative ...

Chief economist update: Race to the bottom redux

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 8 AUG 2019
It's a hat trick! Three central bank meetings, all three cut interest rates, all three policy decisions a surprise. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) cut the official cash rate by 50 bps to a new record low of 1% at its August meeting. This ...

Chief economist update: RBA heading to zero

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 7 AUG 2019
Trump's latest tat (branding Beijing a currency manipulator) for China's tit (allowing the yuan to fall below the psychological threshold of CNY7.0/US$1) highlights just how determined the US president is to win the trade war. Yes Virginia ...

Chief economist update: Look out below

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 6 AUG 2019
"If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War China's just implemented one of its greatest son's prescriptions and, for sure and for certain, it's gonna irritate Trump. Financial markets were shell-shocked ...

Chief economist update: Fed cut and Trump's war

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 5 AUG 2019
The US Federal Reserve gave markets exactly what they were expecting - a 25 basis point reduction in the Fed funds rate at the conclusion of its July FOMC meeting - but instead of revving up the risk on trade, it was risk off. Equity markets fell. The ...

Chief economist update: Don't buy a Big Mac in America

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 12 JUL 2019
The Bloomberg US Dollar Spot index was trading at 96.7680 on the day Trump tweeted the below: "China and Europe playing big currency manipulation game and pumping money into their system in order to compete with USA. We should MATCH, or continue being ...

Chief economist update: A case for optimism

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 11 JUL 2019
With a buoyant stock market, tax cuts, lower interest rates and a recovering housing market, one would think all Australians should have every reason to dance on the streets. Australians, all, should be dancing on the streets to Jimmy Cliff's classic ...

Chief economist update: Hard target

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 10 JUL 2019
With business conditions and confidence like it is, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)'s full employment target just got a little harder to meet. Recall that in his speech at the RBA board dinner with the business community on June 4 - the night ...