Growth
Growth fears push Norway to cut interest rates
Norway's central bank surprised economists and cut interest rates on Wednesday as growth concerns outweighed stubborn wage inflation. Business leaders had called for a cut to kickstart the economy. The Bank's accompanying press release appeared to…
Snow nominated as new US Treasury secretary
Following Paul O'Neill's forced resignation on Friday the Bush administration signalled that boosting US jobs growth with tax cuts was at the top of its agenda for next year as it nominated John Snow as O'Neill's replacement as Treasury secretary.
Euro rates slashed to boost growth
Mounting fears over the sluggish eurozone economy have prompted the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut its key interest rate by a half-point, to 2.75%. There have been strong hints in the weeks since the last meeting from governing council members that…
Bank of Canada leaves interest rates steady
Canada has bucked the global trend recently with interest rate hikes. The decision on Tuesday that the Bank will leave rates at the current 2.75 per cent comes after recent comments by David Dodge that an ease in economic growth over the next three…
Eichel insists Germany will lower deficit
The EU's Stability and Growth Pact received some much needed support with Germany's Finance Minister Hans Eichel on Tuesday insisting that Germany would ensure its budget deficit next year came in below 3pc of GDP.
Federal Reserve Board - Beige Book, November 2002
REPORT - The Federal Reserve Beige Book released 27 November said that the US economy's growth in late October and November, was slow, with business conditions across all districts soft and sluggish excluding housing. Capital spending was limited,…
ECB worried inflation hasn't slowed with economy
The European Central Bank is concerned that inflation in the euro zone hasn't slowed as much as growth has this year, Chief Economist and Executive Board member Otmar Issing said in a newspaper interview.
Moskow expects US to hit growth potential in 2003
Michael Moskow has followed up Robert McTeer's comments we reported yesterday, saying the central bank's accommodative monetary policy will help US economic growth recover to full speed by next year. He is just the latest in a line of Federal Reserve…
George says public spending will prop up growth
Speaking on Tuesday the Bank of England's governor, Sir Edward George said public spending will underpin UK economic growth once consumer demand starts to wane, but any "substantial and generalised" public sector pay rises will push up inflation. He gave…
Bergo on monetary policy and economic cycles
SPEECH - In the speech 'Oil revenues, monetary policy and economic cycles' Jarle Bergo of Norges Bank said GDP growth is likely to pick up but will remain below the growth potential next year and that the interest rate increase in July has resulted in…
Bimal Jalan downplays fears of financial crisis
Saturday saw the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Dr Bimal Jalan play down any threat of a domestic financial crisis. He reassured people that macro-economic indicators of the Indian economy were strong with low inflation, reasonably good growth…
Chicago Fed National Activity Index October 2002
REPORT - CFNAI Shows Economic Growth Slowed Further in October - In October, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) remained below zero for a third month, coming in at -0.81 The three-month moving average index, CFNAI-MA3, moved down to -0.55.
Italy poised to put strict curb on public spending
After much recent talk on the stability and growth pact Italy looks set to restrict spending in an effort to avoid sanctions which other euro zone countries have recently incurred for not restricting their budget deficits to within 3 percent of GDP. The…
George moves to allay fears on public finances
Edward George agrees with Mervyn King that the UK housing market is set for a dramatic slowdown in price rises. He joins the stability and growth pact debate effectively criticising it by raising concerns about spending cuts and tax increases when the…
Welteke says risks to economic growth are high
Bundesbank chief Ernst Welteke implied the ECB may be close to easing interest rates. Speaking in Stockholm he said that the euro zone economy had risks on the downside and that low growth posed more of a threat than inflation.
Bundesbank chief gives backing to EU growth pact
GERMANY - Bundesbank president Ernst Welteke, who sits on the ECB's interest rate setting council, throws his support behind the stability and growth pact which was labelled "stupid" by Romano Prodi recently. "The increasingly open attacks on the pact…
Edward George on price/earnings ratios
SPEECH - Sir Edward George of the Bank of England told the Association of Corporate Treasurers last week that on some measures price/earnings ratos were back to the long-term averages. Is he saying the equity bubble is over, at least in the UK?
RBA Statement on Monetary Policy, November 2002
REPORT - The Reserve Bank of Australia released its November 2002 Statement on Monetary Policy on 11 November. In the statement the RBA divide the year into two distinct phases with emerging optimism characterising the first half. However the second…
Economy coming out of recession - Barbados c bank
BARBADOS - A flicker of growth in the economy during the third quarter of this year has signalled that Barbados is coming out of recession.
Mexico holds firm on inflation targets
MEXICO - Mexico's Central Bank president held firm on the country's inflation targets for this year and next, even as expectations of higher inflation and diminished growth mount.
Bank of Greece set to improve transparency
GREECE - The Bank of Greece on Friday indicated that restrictions on consumer and personal loans could be lifted next year on condition that the current slowdown in credit growth continues at the same pace and a forthcoming study can prove that Greek…
How to get growth in Japan
What Japan needs is a massive boost, not to the monetary base, but to domestic credit creation. Richard Werner outlines how this could be brought about.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index September 2002
REPORT - CFNAI Indicates Economic Growth Remained Slow in September - The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) remained below zero for a second month in September, coming in at -0.35 in September, up from -0.45 in August.
Czechs cut interest rates for fifth time this year
CZECH REPUBLIC - The Czech central bank yesterday cut interest rates for the fifth time this year in a new attempt to stimulate faltering domestic economic growth and slow the rapid appreciation of the Czech koruna.