The year-ago consumer price index rose to 3.5% from 3.2% for overall inflation and stalled at 3.8% for the core inflation reading. … READ MORE >
monetary policy
Bank of Canada preview: A dovish tone with rate cuts on horizon
The Bank of Canada will almost certainly leave its policy rate unchanged when it meets this week, but the tone of its statement will shift to dovish. … READ MORE >
Fed holds rates steady as it implies three rate cuts in 2024
The primary takeaway from the Federal Open Market Committee’s policy statement and forecast is that the Fed, along with other major central banks, are likely to provide a near-synchronized set of rate cuts this year and next. … READ MORE >
Bank of Canada holds rates steady at 5% amid weak growth
the Bank of Canada on Wednesday maintained its policy rate at 5 per cent and continued its restrictive monetary policies. At the same time, though, its public statements signed a more dovish tone. … READ MORE >
Fed signals end of rate hikes and projects cuts in 2024
The Federal Reserve signaled at its meeting on Wednesday that it is done raising its policy rate and is poised to reduce it by 75 basis points next year, with more cuts after that. … READ MORE >
R-star: The role of the natural rate of interest in monetary policy and economic growth
Known by economists as r-star, it has risen to a range between 1.75% and 2% in our estimation, a marked increase from the 0.5% that had prevailed over the previous 15 years. … READ MORE >
RSM revises its Fed call as inflation proves sticky
We now expect at least three 25 basis-point hikes at the Fed’s March, May and June policy meetings with the risk of a 50 basis-point hike in March. … READ MORE >
Blowout January jobs report likely exaggerates hiring
Seasonal noise always presents problems when estimating the January jobs picture at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the first employment estimate of the year serves as a useful reminder not to overinterpret one report. The blowout 517,000-job increase in total employment for January, reported by the Labor Department … … READ MORE >
American consumers grow more cautious as spending falls
Personal spending fell by 0.2% in dollar terms in December and by 0.3% after adjusting for inflation, which rose by 0.1% on the month. … READ MORE >
The pandemic response: Improving policies in future crises
Nearly three years into the pandemic, we can use the experience of these programs to understand what worked and be better prepared for the next health or financial crisis. … READ MORE >