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Economics

Confused and confounded

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 28 SEP 2015
This week brings us data that directly answers the Fed's success or otherwise to its dual mandate - full employment and stable prices.

Fed will lift later this year if...

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 25 SEP 2015
"Most FOMC participants, including myself, currently anticipate that achieving these conditions will likely entail an initial increase in the federal funds rate later this year, followed by a gradual pace of tightening thereafter. But if the economy ...

China syndrome

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 24 SEP 2015
The prevailing market psychology is that either the Politburo is willing no more to underwrite the economy to ensure that its 7.0% growth target is achieved; or that, it's willing but failing to underwrite the economy to ensure that its 7.0% growth target ...

Bad news day

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 23 SEP 2015
Risks are again off the table as the bad news flow keeps on flowing.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Noi, noi, noi!

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 22 SEP 2015
"There is still a pretty good chance that we will come out of this episode fairly well, and much better than we came out of previous episodes of this type."

Not happy Jan

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 21 SEP 2015
The problem with this is that it creates a problem for other central bankers such as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) but more pointedly for the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and the European Central Bank (ECB).

Expect slow "boil" Fed hikes: Hamish Douglass

MARK SMITH  |  FRIDAY, 18 SEP 2015
Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen has delayed the interest rate lift off; supporting Magellan chief investment officer Hamish Douglass' view that tightening will be drawn out over many years.

Speculation springs eternal

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 18 SEP 2015
So here we go again. Watch the financial markets bounce around as these odds bounce around as the data and financial markets bounce around as...

The moment of truth cometh

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 14 SEP 2015
Would it be all over this September? The days of 0-0.25% fed funds rate, that is. It's been stuck in this range since 16 December 2008 - almost seven years - and more than nine years since the Fed last raised interest rates (from 5.0% to 5.25% in June ...

Lift Janet lift

BENJAMIN ONG  |  FRIDAY, 11 SEP 2015
A September lift could convey to the planet that the US is onto a sustainable recovery and is ready to become the engine of world growth once more.