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Showing 551 - 560 of 2991 results for Benjamin Ong

Chief economist update: Is the US about to join the global slowdown club?

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 15 FEB 2019
US consumers aren't shopping till they drop. They dropped spending. The US Census Bureau's latest update on retail spending - which constitutes the bulk of household spending that, in turn, accounts for about 70% of the US economy - showed that ...

Chief economist update: Unchanged RBNZ stance would force it to change stance

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 14 FEB 2019
"Despite the weaker global impetus, we expect low interest rates and government spending to support a pick-up in New Zealand's GDP growth over 2019. Low interest rates, and continued employment growth, should support household spending and business ...

Chief economist update: UK economy slows on Brexit woes

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 12 FEB 2019
When the Bank of England (BOE) decided to keep monetary policy settings unchanged following its February 7 monetary policy committee meeting, it acknowledged in its statement that: "UK economic growth slowed in late 2018 and appears to have weakened ...

Chief economist update: A pretty portrait of an emerging market

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 11 FEB 2019
Citing Sean Taylor - DWS chief investment officer for Asia Pacific and head of emerging market equities - Financial Standard editor, Darren Snyder, penned a report titled, "Asia, emerging markets to lead in 2019" last week. "Speaking at the Financial ...

Chief economist update: Euro contagion redux?

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 8 FEB 2019
"Growth rates for many of the euro area economies have been marked up, especially for Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, reflecting the stronger momentum in domestic demand and higher external demand. Growth in Spain, which has been well above potential ...

Chief economist update: The RBA capitulates

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 7 FEB 2019
N-E-U-T-R-A-L! It was a hard slog swimming against the tide, but this space has finally been vindicated by RBA Governor Philip Lowe's change of heart with regards to guidance on Australian monetary policy. The next move in "interest rates is likely ...

Chief economist update: RBA still in denial

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 6 FEB 2019
Say what? "The low level of interest rates is continuing to support the Australian economy. Further progress in reducing unemployment and having inflation return to target is expected, although this progress is likely to be gradual. Taking account of ...

Chief economist update: Time for an RBA shift to neutral

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 4 FEB 2019
"Our tightenings or loosenings of monetary policy are determined by the inflation outlook. If the economy wants to grow faster than it currently is, and inflation is not showing any tendency to rise to the point where it could threaten our medium-term ...

Chief economist update: La vita is no longer e bella

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 1 FEB 2019
"When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's amore..." But Italians may not be in the mood for "amore", not when their economy - the third biggest in the Eurozone - is officially in a technical recession. La vita is no longer e bella! ...

Chief economist update: The Fed pause that refreshes

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 31 JAN 2019
Three became two, two became one (maybe) or none (more likely). That's the genealogy of the number of interest rate hikes expected of the US Federal Reserve this year - a quick downshift from two 25 basis point increases in the fed funds rate the ...