Category: economy

Dollar Drops as Traders Gear Up for Weak US Inflation

LONDON—The dollar sank to a two-month low on Wednesday ahead of a key read of U.S. inflation, while sterling hit 15-month highs after wage growth data fed expectations that the Bank of England (BoE) has further to go in raising rates. The yen strengthened past 140 to the dollar for the first time in a…


Oil Stuck Between Supply Strains and Economic Doubt

LONDON—Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday in a market caught between expectations supply cuts by the world’s biggest fuel exporters will drive prices higher and concerns global economic weakness will sap demand. Brent futures dipped 1 cent to $79.39 a barrel by 1039 GMT, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude edged 8 cents…


UK Banks Can Withstand Deep Recession Says Bank of England

The UK banking system would be able to withstand a severe economic turbulence, deeper than the 2008 financial crisis, a report by the Bank of England (BoE) has showed. The stress test performed by the BoE would likely appease British businesses and households who are concerned with the rising interest rates and high inflation. The…


UK Banks Can Withstand Deep Recession: Bank of England

The UK banking system would be able to withstand a severe economic turbulence, deeper than the 2008 financial crisis, a report by the Bank of England (BoE) has claimed. The stress test performed by the BoE will likely appease British businesses and households who are concerned with the rising interest rates and high inflation. The…


Dollar Hits 2-month Low Before US Inflation Data

LONDON—Bets on a screeching slowdown in U.S. inflation data later saw traders shove the dollar to a 2-month low on Wednesday and push stocks up and bond market borrowing costs down for a third day running. Economists polled by Reuters expect to see June U.S. consumer price inflation slow to 3.1 percent from 4 percent…


Businesses at Risk as Record High Default Rates Raise Alarm Bells

More and more Australian businesses are facing insolvency risk as trade payment defaults reached a record high in June due to the impacts of inflation and interest rate hikes. According to a new report by CreditorWatch, a credit reporting agency, business-to-business trade payment defaults rose to 1,586 cases in June, up 52 percent from a…


Used-Car Prices Tumble in Largest Drop Since the Pandemic

Wholesale used-car prices tumbled for a third straight month in June, in the largest drop since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Prices in that sector, dropped by 4.2 percent from May to June, according to a  Cox Automotive’s Mannheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI), a measurement of wholesale prices of used vehicles, fell 10.3…


US Stocks Open Higher Ahead of Inflation Numbers

Wall Street’s main indexes opened higher on Tuesday ahead of key inflation data this week, with investors hopeful that a slowdown in price increases could support a sooner-than-expected end to the Federal Reserve’s policy of rapid monetary tightening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 112.54 points, or 0.33 percent, at the open to 34,056.94. The…


Beijing Counters Washington

Beijing and Washington seem to have entered a tit-for-tat competition on trade. Late last year, the Biden administration placed restrictions on the export to China of equipment for the manufacture of advanced semiconductors and at the same time announced subsidies for the domestic manufacture of semiconductors. Washington even got Japan and the Netherlands to join…


Major US Banks to Report Biggest Jump in Loan Losses Since COVID Pandemic

The major U.S. banks are set to report the biggest jump in loan losses since the COVID-19 pandemic, as rising interest rates put mounting pressure on borrowers across the country. America’s top lenders are expected to release their second quarterly earnings reports this week, with JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and BlackRock releasing theirs on July…