German regulator urges banks to set aside bumper profits for bad news

The headquarters of German banks Deutsche Bank (L) and Commerzbank in Frankfurt, Germany. FRANK RUMPENHORST | DPA | Getty Images Banks should be setting aside recent bumper profits to provision for clients defaulting on loans as the impact of higher interest rates feeds into the economy, according to the president of the country’s regulator. The … Read more

China’s PBOC announces RRR cut as it seeks to boost growth

Pan Gongsheng was named party secretary of the People’s Bank of China on July 1, 2023. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China pledged to reduce the amount of liquidity that its banks are required to hold as reserves early next month in its bid to boost its struggling economy. Reserve … Read more

European Central Bank staff slam Lagarde’s leadership in union survey

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB). Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde received a harsh assessment in a union-run employee survey, with some staff accusing her of fostering a negative atmosphere and focusing on her own career. Many respondents said Lagarde spends “too much time on … Read more

Treasury yields fractionally higher ahead of key data releases

U.S. Treasury yields nudged slightly higher on Tuesday morning, as market participants await the release of key economic data points later in the week. Near 2:25 a.m. ET, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was around 1.7 basis points higher at 4.1109% while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up just … Read more

Bank of Japan expectedly retains its ultra-loose policy

Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda gestures as he speaks during a press conference following a monetary policy meeting at the Bank of Japan’s headquarters in Tokyo on July 28, 2023. The Bank of Japan on July 28 eased its grip on its ultra-loose monetary policy in a small step towards normalisation as inflation accelerates … Read more

Top Citi strategist says healthier economic growth is coming

Jim Dyson | Getty Images News | Getty Images The global economy does not need a “collapse” in order to bring inflation back to target and return to sustainable growth, according to Steven Wieting, chief investment strategist and chief economist at Citi Global Wealth. Major economies have proven surprisingly resilient to sharp interest rate increases … Read more

Moody’s is negative on Asia’s sovereign creditworthiness

Moody’s Investors Service has a negative outlook for sovereign creditworthiness in Asia-Pacific this year, due to China’s slower economic growth as well as tight funding and geopolitical risks. China’s rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t as fast as several economists had expected at the start of 2023. The country’s GDP for the last three months … Read more

Israel’s ban on Palestinian workers is hurting its economy: central bank

Amir Yaron, governor of the Bank of Israel, speaks during an interest rates news conference in Jerusalem, Israel, on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Kobi Wolf | Bloomberg | Getty Images The immediate ban on nearly all Palestinian workers to enter Israel following the Hamas-led terror attack of Oct. 7 has dealt a shock to the … Read more

Markets risk being ‘self-defeating’ with rate cut bets: ECB member

Markets are “getting ahead of themselves” with rate cut expectations, the president of the Dutch central bank, Klaas Knot, told CNBC Wednesday. “The problem for us is that in the end that might become self-defeating. We are optimistic that we have a credible prospect of a return of inflation to 2% in 2025. But a … Read more

UK inflation rate surprises with rise to 4%, led by alcohol and tobacco

Andresr | E+ | Getty Images LONDON — U.K. inflation unexpectedly nudged upwards to 4% year-on-year in December, fueled by a rise in alcohol and tobacco prices. This was the first month in which the annual consumer price index has risen since February 2023. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a modest decline in the … Read more