Forbes Quantitative easing (QE) was a response to the financial crisis. Under this policy the central bank buys government assets, and increasingly any assets, to support the economy. Previously in order to source funding, a government could sell bonds to foreign buyers, who may not have sufficient demand, or sell bonds to local institutions. Both approaches pull money out of
From Bloomberg St. Louis Fed chief says trade war poses risk to U.S. economy, Bullard says yield curve may signal Fed policy is too tight The Federal Reserve may need to cut interest rates soon to prop up inflation and counter downside economic risks from an escalating trade war, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said. “A downward policy rate
USPS Testing Series of 1,000-Mile Mail Hauling Trips From CCJ The United States Postal Service (USPS) has contracted with autonomous truck startup TuSimple on a series of 1,000-plus mile trips, hauling mail between the Postal Service’s Phoenix, Ariz. and Dallas, Texas distribution centers. Equipped with a network of lidar, radar and cameras that enable SAE Level 4 autonomous driving, each truck will
Higher gasoline costs sent consumer price index soaring in April
From Bloomberg Median could shift to two increases from three in 2019 Fed chief says rates ‘just below’ range of neutral estimates Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell opened the door for a potential pullback in projected interest-rate hikes for 2019 following a widely expected increase in December. In what was seen as a shift in tone from remarks
From Reuters LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell’s profits soared to a four-year high in the third quarter, boosted by rising oil and gas prices as the company accelerated its giant $25 billion share buyback program. Although the $5.6 billion quarterly profit slightly missed forecasts for a fourth quarter, investors took heart from a nearly 60 percent rise in
From Bloomberg Bank says central banks may ignore acceleration Economist says markets underestimating size of surprise The recent surge in the price of oil is set to propel global inflation faster than historically and by more than investors are anticipating, in part because key central banks are unlikely to respond by tightening monetary policy, according to Citigroup Inc. In a
Venezuela’s citizens are left holding a bag, one that is saddled with $60 billion dollars worth of debt. Citizens of Venezuela have been buying into bonds due to government policies of subsidizing the purchase of foreign debt by individual investors, Reuters reported in December 2017. Big businesses in the country have also poured money into the bonds, hoping to capitalize
Fed is likely to raise its key rate two more times – Dallas Federal Reserve The last time the world’s central banks diverged on policy came as the Fed increased its key rate in December 2015. It’s happening again. The U.S. Federal Reserve continued its policy of quantitative tightening last week by raising the key rate 25 basis points, and
Congress expected to vote to lift crude oil export ban; economists worry about low inflation An end to the more than 40-year old crude oil export ban could soon be approaching. Members of Senate this week are expected to include a provision that will lift the export ban as part of the fiscal 2016 spending bill, aides from both parties
