INTEREST RATES

World economy 28th December 2015

A Free Market in Interest Rates

Keith Weiner via TrumanFactor | Unless you’re living under a rock, you know that we have an administered interest rate. This means that the bureaucrats at the Federal Reserve decide what’s good for the little people. Then they impose it on us. In trying to return to freedom, many people wonder why couldn’t we let the market set the interest rate. After all, we don’t have a Corn Control Agency or a Lumber Board (pun intended). So why do we have a Federal Open Market Committee? It’s a very good question.

Markets 9th September 2015

It’s Not Draghi’s Fault If Spanish Banks’ Profitability Is Low

Confusing costs with revenues, or assets with liabilities, is lethal if you are analysing the situation of the banks. It now appears that, according to some so-called experts, the ECB and its low interest rate policy is to blame for the weakness and lack of profitability amongst Spanish banks.

Markets 15th June 2015

What will the impact of raising rates on global growth be?

CAMBRIDGE | June 15, 2015 | By Prof. Jagjit S. Chadha via Deutsche AWS | Could rising rates choke off the recovery or have post-crisis wounds healed sufficiently for the global system to take tightening policy in its stride?

In Europe 27th March 2015

Morning briefing: Markets await Yellen’s appraisal

The Corner | March 27, 2015 | Data from Europe has shown that the cost of imports have risen for the eurozone’s largest economy, Germany, spelling good news for the country’s partners within the currency union. In the US, data released today will be poured over by Fed chairwoman, Janet Yellen, at a press briefing scheduled for later this evening.

Markets 18th March 2015

Markets wait to hear Yellen

The Corner | March 18, 2015 | Attention will focus on Janet Yellen’s remarks later today, as markets await indication about the Fed’s plans on the issue of a rise in interest rates. Yellen will be speaking after the FOMC meeting, with speculation mounting that US economic projections may be strong enough to warrant a change in monetary policy. Analysts are speculating that a rates hike could happen as early as June, although the current strength of the dollar may delay any rise.

World economy 2nd March 2015

Morning briefing: China cuts rates

The Corner | March 2, 2015 | The weekend decision of the Chinese Central Bank to cut benchmark lending and deposit rates by 0.25% is geared towards staving off deflation in the country´s slowing economy.

World economy 28th February 2015

Central bankers waiting to see who will jump first

The Corner | February 28, 2015 | The fall in oil prices may yet push the Bank of England to raise rates, which it has been keeping at 0.5% since March 2009. It currently owns the equivalent of 25% of UK’s nominal GDP (see graph above).

Markets 27th February 2015

ECB action beginning to pay off

MADRID | February 27, 2015 | J.J Fernandez-Figares| Link Securities | Efforts by the ECB to inject money into the euro zone are already showing signs of impact as positive M3 figures offer encouragement ahead of March purchases of sovereign bonds.

Companies, Markets 25th February 2015

EU markets opening

MADRID | The Corner | February 25, 2015 | Spanish telecom giant Telefonica reported a drop of 34.7% in net profit, although investors celebrated revenue picture brightening up. Elsewhere, the Spanish Producer Price Index falls again, registering a drop of 2.8% for January.

World economy 21st January 2015

Deflation: Economists sink into dementia

Guest post by Benjamin Cole via Historinhas | What to make of the recent dust-up around Rogoff World, in which the U.S. would pursue a cashless, deflationary federal police state characterized by negative interest rates? Harvard don Ken Rogoff has suggested this is the best macroeconomic option going forward. My take-away? The economics profession is deep into dementia.

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