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Economics

Chief economist update: New Fed chief, same policy direction (but more transparent)

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 28 FEB 2018
New US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has committed to being more transparent as it's "the foundation for our accountability." He clearly wants to explain what the Fed is doing and why they're doing it.

Chief economist update: The key to ECB taper

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 27 FEB 2018
The statistics are there for all to see. The euro area economy expanded by 2.5% for the full-year 2017 - the fastest growth rate in 10 years. The unemployment rate is its lowest level since January 2009.

Chief economist update: Three minutes

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 26 FEB 2018
Three out of three central banks kept monetary settings unchanged at their most recent meetings - what's more important is where the central banks think we are and where they plan to take us.

Chief economist update: As luck would have it

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 23 FEB 2018
True to its tag of the lucky country, something positive Australia's way comes. The price of iron ore - its biggest export - is on the rise.

Chief economist update: The real growth in wages

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 22 FEB 2018
Weak growth in wages will keep inflation low, providing the Reserve Bank of Australia neither rhyme nor reason to raise interest rates anytime soon.

Chief economist update: Wagering on wages

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 21 FEB 2018
The RBA is caught in a Catch-22 on wages and inflation.

Chief economist update: The dog ate my growth target

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 20 FEB 2018
Is China letting liquidity loose again for fear of growing below its 6.5% targeted growth for this year?

Chief economist update: Inflation isn't such a lonely word

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 19 FEB 2018
As feared, data and forward indications confirm that US inflation is on its way higher - so why has Wall Street recovered?

Chief economist update: The yen's on the up and up

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 16 FEB 2018
Instead of reversing, the yen continued to climb after Japan's Cabinet Office released the country's National Accounts showing that economic growth slowed to an annualised rate of 0.5% in the December quarter from 2.2% in the previous three-month period.

Chief economist update: Bad news is good news returns?

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 15 FEB 2018
Wall Street should have done a triple somersault dive especially given the US inflation result was worse than the top-end of market expectations.