Wall Street Journal (June 20)
“The world’s central banks underestimated inflation last year. They are trying not to make the same mistake twice.” But they are “in a tricky spot. They need to decide if inflation has stalled way above their 2% target, which could require much higher interest rates to fix, or if inflation’s decline is only delayed. Get the call wrong, and they could push the rich world into a deep recession or force it to endure years of high inflation.”
Tags: 2% target, Central banks, Deep recession, Delayed, Inflation, Interest rates, Mistake, Rich world, Stalled, Tricky spot, Underestimated
Wall Street Journal (June 16)
“In just 24 hours this past week the central banks of the world’s three biggest economic blocs came to starkly different conclusions, with the eurozone raising rates, the U.S. on hold and the Chinese cutting. It’s getting harder for investors to understand the global economy—and potentially getting harder for the Federal Reserve to put a lid on inflation.”
Tags: Biggest, Central banks, China, Conclusions, Cutting, Different, eurozone, Fed, Global economy, Hold, Inflation, Investors, Raising, Rates, U.S.
Institutional Investor (December 14)
“Investors are proceeding with caution as central banks move to rein in inflation. Expectations of more aggressive monetary policy have prompted investors to adopt more defensive asset allocation strategies…. In addition to piling into cash, investors have also adopted more defensive positioning by overweighting healthcare stocks and underweighting assets that are exposed to interest rate hikes.”
Tags: Aggressive, Asset allocation, Cash, Caution, Central banks, Defensive, Expectations, Healthcare stocks, Inflation, Interest rate hikes, Investors, Monetary policy, Overweighting
Wall Street Journal (December 3)
“Wages are going gangbusters in the U.S.—elsewhere, not so much.” In Australia and Japan, “pay growth remains anemic… despite labor shortages.” Nor do wages appear to be rapidly accelerating in Europe, all of which is “easing pressure on their central banks to raise interest rates.”
Tags: Anemic, Australia, Central banks, Europe, Gangbusters, Interest rates, Japan, Labor shortages, Pay growth, U.S., Wages
The Guardian (November 26)
“The world’s major central banks are scratching their heads over how to deal with the rising cost of living. Raising interest rates now could deal a blow to the post-pandemic recovery. Wait too long, and inflation may spiral out of control.”
Tags: Central banks, Cost of living, Inflation, Interest rates, Post-pandemic, Recovery, Rising, Spiral, Wait
Bloomberg (September 1)
“European equities advanced the most in a month on Wednesday as investors bet the global economic rebound would persist even as central banks prepare to scale back support.” August marked the seventh consecutive month of advances for the Stoxx Europe 600 Index, its “longest winning streak since 2013.”
Tags: Advanced, Central banks, Economic, Equities, Europe, Investors, Rebound, Stoxx 600, Winning streak
Investment Week (May 18)
“Credit fundamentals have worsened since the market sell-off began, although central banks could provide some companies with a soft landing and many firms have drawn on their credit lines in a bid to stay afloat.” Even though “the impact is highly correlated across geographies, industries and asset classes…the potential outcomes are too severe to only affect equities and credit-market fundamentals have undoubtedly been impacted.”
Tags: Asset classes, Central banks, Correlated, Credit, Equities, Fundamentals, Geographies, Industries, Market, Outcomes, Sell-off, Severe, Soft landing, Worsened
Forbes (October 28)
“Amid a global slowdown in economic growth that has seen central banks lower interest rates near zero or below in an effort to provide stimulus,” a number of “major economies are on high recession alert.” These include Hong Kong, the U.K., Germany, Italy and China. “Other highly stressed economies around the world include Turkey, Argentina, Iran, Mexico and Brazil.”
Tags: Argentina, Brazil, Central banks, China, Economic growth, Germany, Global slowdown, Hong Kong, Interest rates, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Recession, Stimulus, Stressed, Turkey, U.K.
Financial Times (September 20)
“Shock and confusion” resulted when overnight repo rates soared to 10%. The Fed was able to calm markets, but the situation is a reminder. “The more that QE (and its partial reversal) reshapes global finance, the greater the risk that the cogs in the machine unexpectedly misfire. That is no reason to panic. But central bank pilots—like investors—are learning on the job. Better hope they stay completely alert.
Tags: 10%, Central banks, Confusion, Fed, Global finance, Misfire, Panic, QE, Repo, Risk, Shock, Unexpected
The Economist (April 13)
Though relatively new, Central Bank independence has become sweeping. “In a single generation billions of people around the world have grown used to low and stable inflation and to the idea that the interest rates on their bank deposits and mortgages are under control.” Increasingly, it looks like that independence may be a short-lived. Today, the success of central banks “is threatened by a confluence of populism, nationalism and economic forces that are making monetary policy political again.”
Tags: Bank deposits, Central banks, Independence, Inflation, Interest rates, Mortgages, Nationalism, Populism
