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Showing 911 - 920 of 3072 results for "Benjamin"

Euro strength is a source of weakness

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 8 SEP 2017
It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen. European Central Bank president Mario Draghi's concern over the impact of the euro currency's appreciation, that is. Recall that the ECB had been conspicuous in its silence about the euro since its 20 July ...

Canada economic growth changes gears

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 7 SEP 2017
The financial headlines talked about the Bank of Canada's (BOC) decision last night to raise its benchmark overnight rate by 25 basis points to 1% - and the Bank Rate and the deposit rate by the same to 1.25% and 0.75% - as having taken the markets ...

Boring is good

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 6 SEP 2017
Less than a fortnight from now, Philip Lowe celebrates his first anniversary as Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) - succeeding Glenn Stevens on 18 September 2016. One thing that could be said about his first year stint as head honcho of ...

Who's afraid of North Korea? Not the South Koreans

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 5 SEP 2017
Scary headlines over the prospect of an all-out war between North Korea and the United States (and its allies) continue to flood cyberspace. The latest of which is America's ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley's remark that Kim Jong-un is "begging ...

Higher and higher

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 4 SEP 2017
Expensive valuations, concerns that the war of words between Washington and Pyongyang could escalate into a real nuclear one, the possible breach of the US debt ceiling and, lately, Hurricane Harvey - singly or combined - couldn't dent positive sentiment ...

The negatives in the positive jobs report

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 18 AUG 2017
If you've been hopin' and wishin' and prayin' that someday soon you'll be getting a fat pay rise, hope and wish and pray some more. While the headline seasonally adjusted numbers of the Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) Labour Force report were ...

Wage freeze

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 17 AUG 2017
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) 'Wage Price Index' report for the June quarter confirmed what we, Australians all, already know...wages growth remains sluggish. Even market consensus got it on point. Growth in total wages stood still at a ...

Fed gets green light

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 16 AUG 2017
US data releases dumped on our screens overnight, combined with easing US/North Korean tensions, provide another green light for the Fed to proceed with policy normalisation. Balance sheet unwinding and another rate hike before 2017 turns into 2018 ...

ECB disengages from currency war

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 15 AUG 2017
One thing stood out when the Reserve Banks of India (RBI), Australia (RBA) and New Zealand (RBNZ) conducted their monetary policy meetings in August, and that is... they all want a lower exchange rate (please sir). Both the RBA and the RBNZ kept interest ...

Low-flation becoming less transitory?

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 14 AUG 2017
In its 26 July FOMC statement, the Fed noted: "Inflation on a 12-month basis is expected to remain somewhat below 2% in the near term but to stabilise around the Committee's 2% objective over the medium term. Near-term risks to the economic outlook ...