Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday he continues to believe the U.S. central bank should cut interest rates at the end of this month amid mounting risks to the economy and the strong likelihood that tariff-induced inflation will not drive a persistent rise in price pressures. "It makes sense to cut the FOMC's policy rate by 25 basis points two weeks from now," Waller told a gathering of the Money Marketeers of New York University. "I see the hard and soft data on economic activity and the labor market as consistent: The economy is still growing, but its momentum...
European markets opened in negative territory on Tuesday as central banks took center stage this week. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index opened 0.4% lower with all sectors in negative territory, as did all major European bourses. The focus of global markets this week is the U.S. Federal Reserve's final two-day policy meeting of the year. The meeting begins on Tuesday, with the central bank's monetary policy decision due on Dec. 18. Traders are pricing in a 95% chance of a quarter-point rate cut on Wednesday, according to CME Group's Fed Watch tool. Investors will also be looking for...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.23% to close at 39,365, while the broader Topix index fell 0.37% to 2,728 on Tuesday, reversing earlier gains on caution ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy decision later this week. The Fed is widely expected to cut interest rates by 25 basis points, but could signal fewer cuts next year amid concerns over a resurgence in inflation. At home, speculation is growing that the Bank of Japan may delay a rate hike this week as BOJ officials wait for more time to assess the latest economic data. In corporate news, Advantest shares plunged 9.1% after it...
The Hang Seng Index opened down 117 points, or 0.59%, at 19,678 points this morning, reflecting a cautious market sentiment. The China Enterprises Index fell by 37 points, or 0.52%, to 7,095 points, while the Tech Index declined by 27 points, or 0.61%, settling at 4,387 points. By 10.04am, the Hang Seng Index was trading at 19,735.99, down 59.50 points, or 0.30%. Technology stocks displayed a generally weak performance, with Tencent decreasing by 0.8% and Alibaba falling by 0.5%. Meituan saw a more pronounced drop of 1.6%, while Xiaomi managed a slight gain of 0.6%. JD.com and Kuaishou...
The Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.6% to around 39,680, while the broader Topix Index rose 0.5% to 2,750 on Tuesday (17/12), recovering losses from the previous session. The rally was largely fueled by a strong performance on Wall Street, where technology stocks outperformed. Investors are also bracing for an expected interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve this week, with much attention on the Fed's projections for 2025. Domestically, markets are speculating that the Bank of Japan may hold off on raising rates this month. BOJ officials suggested last week that more time is needed to assess...
The Nasdaq hit a record high Monday, led by Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) as investors look ahead to the last Federal Reserve policy meeting of the year.the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 38 points lower, or 0.1%, the S&P 500 index gained 1%, and the NASDAQ Composite climbed 1.1%, and earlier hit an record intraday high of 20,145.48.The Fed is widely expected to cut interest rates by 25 basis points at the conclusion of a two-day meeting on Wednesday, after the central bank kicked off an easing cycle earlier in the year. The move will bring rates down by a total of 100 bps in 2024. But focus...
According to a statement by the Federal Reserve (Fed), Fed Chair Jerome Powell met with United States (US) President Donald Trump on Thursday, where the head of the Fed reiterated that the Fed's...
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained its cash rate at 4.1% during its April meeting, holding borrowing costs unchanged after slashing 25 bps in the February meeting, aligning with market...