Philip Chua Business Blog

Posts Tagged ‘interest’

GREECE’S debt crisis rattled investors again yesterday and sent markets south despite overnight gains on Wall Street.
Reassurance from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke that interest rates would stay low for some time pleased investors, who sent the Dow Jones up 91.75 points, or 0.89 per cent.
But concerns over the weak United States job market and poor housing sales data outweighed the promis… more

The dollar remains on a firm footing. In spite of attempts by US central bank chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues to dampen rate hike expectations triggered by last week’s increase in the discount rate by repeatedly stating that interest rates would remain “at exceptionally low levels for an extended…

The build-up in dollar shorts mainly reflects an unwinding of short GBP positions, which were reduced to 24% of open interest, from 40%, amid general strong sterling performance. Following the collection of IMM data, sterling has lost its positive momentum, however, suggesting that also the momentum at which GBP shorts…

The ifo business climate for Germany will probably have remained unchanged in January. The US ISM manufacturing index has risen, but the German ZEW economic sentiment has deteriorated. German yield spreads widened until early January, only to narrow slightly again thereafter, just like long-term interest rates, whereas short-term rates have…

The German ZEW economic sentiment is likely to have improved in January, just like the ifo business expectations and the US ISM manufacturing index. German yield spreads widened initially, but have now narrowed again slightly, just like long-term interest rates, whereas short-term rates have decreased. After having depreciated initially, the…

(SINGAPORE) The stock market in 2009 may have regained much of the ground lost during the US sub-prime bear market of 2008, but the same cannot be said of the structured warrants market.

There, turnover last year sank to $10.9 billion, down by half from 2008 and by 61 per cent from 2007’s all-time high of $28 billion.

Such has been the drop in interest that the once-promising segment’s 2009 tu… more

There is a modest recovery underway in the American economy. The Federal Reserve can no longer avoid the looming choice on interest rates and the money supply. Since the sub-prime crisis began Chairman Bernanke has been the consistent champion of monetary easing. Under his leadership, the Federal Open Market Committee…

EQUITY weightings of private clients’ portfolios are expected to remain elevated relative to bonds going into 2010, in a sign of continuing optimism over global growth and, in particular, growth in Asia and the emerging markets.
Strategists are less upbeat on fixed income assets, citing a backdrop of possible interest rate rises as part of central banks’ exit strategies.
So far, there are a number… more

(SINGAPORE) The number of new private homes sold in November fell 26 per cent month-on-month to 600 – the fourth straight monthly fall since July’s peak.
November sales were also the lowest since January, when just 108 units were sold.
Analysts say the month by month decline is due to cooling interest among mass-market buyers – typically HDB upgraders – as prices in this segment have climbed since… more

The Federal Reserve’s open market committee (FOMC) is expected to follow the recent decisions by the ECB, BoJ and BoE and keep interest rates pegged at a record low of 0-0.25% on Wednesday. However, in the accompanying press statement, financial markets will also be looking for confirmation that the FOMC…