interest rates

ECB finds gas price surges now hit inflation faster

The European Central Bank said on Monday that wholesale natural gas price changes now pass through to consumer inflation within one to three months in more than half of euro area countries, a sharp acceleration from 2022 that complicates the…

IMF chief says global debt at record, urges urgent action

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva urged governments on Sunday to take immediate action to narrow budget deficits, warning that global public debt has reached a record high and is on track to surpass 100% of global GDP by…

China holds rates steady as Fed, BOJ, ECB tighten

In the span of ten days, the world's most influential central banks moved in close succession to raise interest rates, marking the clearest synchronized tightening effort since the post-pandemic inflation fight and underscoring the economic toll of the Iran war…

EM investors pile into local bonds as Fed hike dims dollar debt

Emerging-market investors are leaning into local-currency sovereign debt as a sharp rise in U.S. Treasury yields erodes the appeal of dollar-denominated bonds issued by developing nations, according to Bloomberg.

China holds lending rates steady for record 16th month

China kept its benchmark lending rates steady on Sunday, extending a record streak of unchanged rates to 16 consecutive months as policymakers balance domestic economic weakness against a widening interest rate gap with the United States.

Yen slides despite BOJ hiking rates to 31-year high

The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to 1.25% on Friday — the highest level since 1995 — yet the yen weakened sharply as two dissenting board members and cautious forward guidance from Governor Kazuo Ueda left traders…

European investors pull back from U.S. Treasuries as yields hit 5%

The U.S. national debt has crossed $40 trillion, a milestone that arrived as Treasury yields hover near their highest levels since 2007 and the Federal Reserve delivers its first interest rate hike in more than three years — reshaping the…

ECB’s Stournaras warns against rushing rate hike

European Central Bank policymakers are weighing whether to raise interest rates again next month, as war-fueled energy costs keep inflation above the 2% target, with views diverging on how aggressively to act.

BOJ hike caps week of global tightening as central banks battle Iran war inflation

A synchronized wave of monetary tightening swept across the world's largest economies this week as central banks moved in rapid succession to raise interest rates, responding to an energy shock fueled by the ongoing war with Iran that has kept…

Dollar posts best week in 3 months as BOJ dissent clouds yen outlook

The U.S. dollar jumped against the Japanese yen on Friday after two Bank of Japan policymakers dissented from the central bank's decision to raise interest rates, casting doubt over the pace of future tightening even as Governor Kazuo Ueda struck…

Rabobank sees eurozone inflation hitting 4.4% in early 2027

Rabobank has sharply raised its eurozone inflation forecasts, projecting headline inflation will peak at 4.4% year-on-year in January and February 2027 as surging oil and natural gas prices ripple through the bloc's economy, according to an analysis published this week…

Economists now expect ECB to skip October, hike in December

Economists now widely expect the European Central Bank to hold steady at its October meeting and deliver a final 25 basis point rate increase in December, pushing the deposit rate to 2.75%, as energy price pressures from the Middle East…

BOJ raises rates to 31-year high, lifting Asian stocks

The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate by 25 basis points to 1.25% on Friday, pushing borrowing costs to their highest level since 1995 and marking the fastest pace of rate increases since 1990. The widely expected decision, approved…

UBS recommends long EUR/USD trade after Fed rate hike

UBS is recommending investors go long on EUR/USD at current levels around 1.1475, setting a target of 1.17 with a stop-loss at 1.13, citing central bank dynamics as the primary rationale for the trade.

Bitcoin tops $77K as BOJ raises rates to 31-year high

Bitcoin held above $77,000 on Friday after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%, the highest level since 1995. Markets reacted calmly to the widely anticipated move, with the yen weakening rather…

Lagarde says eurozone growth ‘more promising than we thought’

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Friday that the eurozone's economic growth is "a bit more promising than we thought," adding that growth momentum should persist through the end of 2026, according to Newsquawk, which reported her remarks…

ECB signals another rate hike as inflation nears 4%

European Central Bank officials are laying the groundwork for another interest rate increase as soon as October, after a fresh consumer survey showed inflation expectations climbing and energy costs continue to surge due to the Iran conflict.

Yen jumps as Japan conducts rate check after BOJ hike disappoints traders

Japanese authorities conducted a "rate check" in the currency market on Friday, contacting banks for live foreign exchange quotes after the yen continued to weaken despite the Bank of Japan's decision to raise interest rates to their highest level in…

Gold hits one-week high as falling oil eases rate fears

Gold rose to a one-week high on Friday, September 18, posting its first weekly gain in four weeks, as a three-day slide in oil prices eased inflation concerns that had dogged the precious metal since the Federal Reserve raised interest…

Global stocks fall as BOJ caps week of central bank rate hikes

Global equities and bonds came under pressure on Friday as a week of coordinated central bank tightening drew to a close, with the Bank of Japan becoming the latest major institution to raise rates in the face of persistent inflation…

Global equity funds post largest outflows in nine months

Investors pulled $23.21 billion from global equity funds in the week through September 16, the largest weekly outflow since December 2025, as surging oil prices and the Federal Reserve's latest interest rate hike fueled a broad retreat from risk assets,…

Fed, BOJ hike rates while Bank of England holds amid oil-driven inflation

The world's major central banks charted starkly different courses this week in response to the inflationary fallout from the Middle East conflict, with the Bank of England holding firm while the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan, and the…

Fed rate hike and falling oil prices calm volatile week

A volatile week in global markets ended on a calmer note Friday as the Federal Reserve's first interest-rate increase since 2023 and a sharp retreat in oil prices combined to ease inflation concerns that had rattled investors just days earlier.

Lagarde pushes back on market bets for aggressive ECB rate hikes

The surge in energy prices and global borrowing costs triggered by the widening conflict in the Middle East is pushing economies closer to a potentially damaging period of persistent inflation and sluggish growth, even as central banks around the world…

Asian shares climb as oil retreat lifts tech stocks

Asian equity markets advanced broadly on Friday as investors rode momentum from Wall Street's strongest session in over a month, fueled by retreating oil prices and easing Treasury yields that lifted technology and semiconductor stocks across the region.

Bank of Japan raises rates to 31-year high as global tightening accelerates

A wave of interest rate increases from the world's largest central banks this month has marked a decisive return to monetary tightening, as surging oil prices driven by conflict in the Middle East reignite inflation fears and send investors fleeing…

ECB’s Kazaks calls for rates to move into restrictive territory

Several European Central Bank Governing Council members this week left the door open to another interest rate increase at the October 29 meeting, reinforcing a hawkish tone that has kept markets pricing further tightening even as officials insist they see…

Bank of Japan raises rates to 31-year high of 1.25%

The Bank of Japan on Friday raised its policy rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%, the highest level since 1995, as the central bank moves to contain inflation fueled by soaring energy costs and a persistently weak yen.

Asian markets split after Fed’s first rate hike in 3 years

Asian equity markets traded in divergent directions on Thursday as investors weighed the Federal Reserve's first interest rate increase in more than three years against retreating oil prices and unresolved Middle East supply risks. Japan and Australia advanced while Chinese…

Surging energy costs and rate hikes stoke stagflation fears across Europe

The specter of stagflation is tightening its grip on European economies as surging energy prices push inflation further above central bank targets and force policymakers into unwanted rate hikes, even as growth shows signs of faltering.