Economics

The US dollar is enjoying broad gains today.  It is extending its recent gains after a consolidative session yesterday as investors tried digesting the weekend developments.  The yen is the sole exception among the majors.  It is managing to hold...

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is the oldest global financial organization still in existence. Made up of 60 central banks from all over the world, it monitors national bank regulation trends and their impacts on the global economy. The...

At the invitation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar’s opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), made her first historic visit to China on 10–14 June 2015. Her visit enhanced understanding between the...

The global capital markets responded in a typical risk-off fashion to the sharp victory in Greece for the rejection of the creditors' demands.  However, by the time European markets opened, some semblance of stability emerged and European equities gapped lower,...

Polls indicate that the outcome of the Greek referendum is too close to call.  However, the results of the Scottish Referendum and the British national election are fresh our memories, and the polls there provided little guidance.  While there is...

1.  FX Price Action:  The US dollar is little changed against most of the major currencies.  The notable exception is the Australian dollar.  It has been sold to new six-year lows to near $0.7500.  Recall that is the level that...

The China–Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed and made public on 17 June 2015, included investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions, which allow foreign investors to claim against host states that violate substantive commitments if the treaty’s inter-state arbitration mechanism is...

With legislator and Deputy Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu confirmed by the Standing Committee of the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT), the presidential candidates for the two main parties contending for Taiwan’s 2016 election are both women, leading to the foregone conclusion...

House prices continue to rise in the United States, but at a slower pace than before. A new study by S&P Dow Jones shows that home prices rose 4.9% year-over-year in the 20 largest cities in the country, while prices...

China has an emigration problem. Corrupt officials have decamped to all corners of the world and the Chinese Communist Party wants to haul them home. Australia should help China investigate these officials, but should try suspects in Australia rather than...

Japan has received some sharp criticism following the G7 meeting in June 2015 for its stance on climate change. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions of 26 percent below 2013 emission levels by...

The BRICS Development Bank launched. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is taking off. Where is Nigeria? As a slate of long-term projections suggest, Nigeria’s huge economic potential requires huge determination. When Muhammadu Buhari took over from Goodluck Jonathan, he ran...

The launch of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank heralds a new era in which international multilateral institutions are no longer owned, controlled and operated by advanced economies alone. The launch of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank heralds a new era...

Two major trends are boosting economic expectations in the United States, as the mortgage market continues to strengthen and consumers get more confident across the country. The total amount of seriously delinquent mortgages on single-family homes for Freddie Mac loans...

Australia and Indonesia both have a keen interest in the law of the sea, as both possess large maritime areas of jurisdiction. However, this commonality does not mean their interests necessarily coincide. Australia has a keen interest in freedoms of...