Economics

The US dollar firmed against nearly all the major currencies in the last week of 2015.  The exceptions were the Antipodean currencies and the Japanese yen. The relatively high short-term yields offered Australia, and New Zealand may have attracted some...

As 2015 winds to a close, economists examine the major trends in the American economy, noting a combination of deflationary effects that point to weak demand and possible volatility in the New Year. The biggest story of 2015 was a...

As most people look forward with hope to the potential of a new year, the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, warned of a disappointing global economic outlook.  As most people look forward with hope to the potential...

Many financial centers in Asia and Europe are on holiday today, and those that are open, are experiencing a minimum of activity.  Turnover may pick up briefly in the North American morning, but conditions will remain thin and only those...

The US Senate recently agreed to changes to the International Monetary Fund's voting rights. This ratification redistributed voting rights to give emerging economies a bigger role in the affairs and policy decisions of the international lender. Thanks to these reforms,...

The foreign exchange market is becalmed, leaving the US dollar narrowly mixed in uneventful and light turnover. The euro has been confined to less than a third of a cent range. Yesterday it briefly dipped below its 20-day moving average...

The trajectories of the monetary policy at the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are diverging.  It is the keystone of our anticipation of further euro weakness in the year ahead.  In addition to this monetary divergence, a geopolitical...

French politicians were taken aback when Corsican nationalists won December regional elections by a landslide, according to AFP. The Corsican public has long expressed frustration with such issues as a downtrodden economy, lack of autonomy, and North African immigration. Corsica's...

Australia, New Zealand, UK markets closed for Boxing Day.  After rallying last week, oil prices are off 2%, base and precious metals lower.  European core and peripheral bond markets are highs, with yields slipping mostly 2-3 bp.  There is no...

The US dollar traded heavily in the holiday-shortened week.  It slipped against all the major currencies.  The recovery in commodity prices, the new stimulus Chinese officials suggested, and the relatively high yields conspired to help lift the dollar-bloc currencies.  Them...

According to Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, if someone is buying you a Christmas gift then the “essence of the custom is that I now have to go out and purchase for you a gift of commensurate value and...

Our impact on the environment might not be at the forefront of our minds during the rush of the Christmas festive season. We might be far more worried about our light wallets from the expected pile of presents and massive...

The World Bank has come under fire recently for policies and practices that many consider shortsighted and insensitive to the less fortunate. A glaring example involves the World Bank's failure to provide oversight of development projects that force people from...

China's Central Economic Work Conference is responsible for setting the annual GDP target. Although it was not formally announced, President Xi previously indicated that the goal for the economy to expand by around 6.5% a year through 2020.  More telling...

A new treaty between the United States and Mexico promises to greatly expand air travel between the two neighbors. U.S. and Mexican authorities believe this will lead to a boost in travel, shipping, and economic exchange between the two nations....