interest rates

Asian shares fall as Fed rate hike bets and Iran uncertainty weigh on markets

Asian stocks traded mostly lower on Tuesday as investors contended with rising expectations for Federal Reserve tightening and lingering uncertainty over the conflict in Iran, even as initial peace talks yielded what mediators called "encouraging progress."

Japan’s bond yields hit multidecade highs on fiscal fears

Japan's benchmark 10-year government bond yield climbed to around 2.675% on Monday, rising for a third consecutive session as investors grappled with mounting fiscal spending plans and the fallout from the Bank of Japan's recent rate hike to a 31-year…

Lagarde says ECB inflation shock warrants measured response

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs on Monday that the euro area's inflation overshoot calls for a careful policy adjustment rather than an aggressive tightening cycle, arguing that longer-term price…

BOJ April minutes reveal push for rate hikes ‘every few months’

Minutes from the Bank of Japan's April monetary policy meeting, released Friday, revealed that three of the nine board members had proposed raising the policy rate to 1% at that gathering — a move that was voted down at the…

Russia’s central bank cuts rate by just 25 bps, defying larger expectations

Russia's central bank lowered its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 14.25% on Friday, delivering a smaller reduction than the 50 basis point cut most analysts had anticipated. The decision marks the ninth consecutive rate cut since the…

ECB’s Wunsch says July rate hike possible if inflation persists

European Central Bank policymaker Pierre Wunsch said the ECB could raise interest rates again as early as July if inflation in the euro zone continues to spread beyond energy prices, even as the recent U.S.-Iran peace deal has eased some…

BOJ Gov. Ueda discharged after missing historic rate hike

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda was discharged from the hospital on Friday, the central bank announced, ending a hospitalization that forced the 74-year-old to miss a historic rate decision earlier in the week.

ECB’s Lane calls rate hike a ‘delta response’ to inflation

European Central Bank Chief Economist Philip Lane defended the institution's recent interest rate increase on Friday at the Natixis International SSA Conference in Paris, characterizing the energy-driven inflation episode as a "mid-sized shock" that warranted tightening monetary policy.

Yen slides to brink of 40-year low despite BOJ rate hike

The Japanese yen traded near its weakest level in nearly four decades on Friday, June 19, putting markets on heightened intervention watch as the Bank of Japan's rate hike earlier in the week proved insufficient to arrest the currency's slide.

BOJ deputy governor vows more rate hikes as inflation risks mount

Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino told parliament on Friday that the central bank will continue raising interest rates, warning that underlying inflation risks overshooting its 2% target. The remarks came days after the BOJ raised its benchmark rate…

Bessent pressed Japan to raise rates to 31-year high, Nikkei reports

The Bank of Japan's decision to raise interest rates to their highest level since 1995 was driven in part by pressure from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who urged Japanese officials to tighten policy sooner rather than later to avoid…

Gold pulls back after Iran deal rally as Fed holds firm

Gold prices surged above $4,300 per ounce earlier this week as the US-Iran peace agreement reduced the dollar's safe-haven appeal, making the precious metal more attractive to foreign buyers. Spot gold climbed as high as $4,365 on Monday, its highest…

Nikkei hits record above 71,000 after BOJ rate hike

The Bank of Japan on Tuesday raised its benchmark overnight call rate by 25 basis points to 1.0%, marking the highest borrowing costs in the country since 1995 and joining a global wave of monetary tightening driven by persistent inflation…

Central banks raise rates as war-driven inflation persists

Central banks across the world delivered a flurry of monetary policy decisions on Thursday, with several raising interest rates to combat inflation fueled by elevated energy prices stemming from the conflict involving Iran, while others held firm and signaled vigilance.

BoE and SNB hold rates as US-Iran deal leaves inflation outlook uncertain

The Bank of England London Stock Exchange and the Swiss National Bank both held interest rates unchanged on Thursday, as policymakers weighed whether a fragile US-Iran ceasefire agreement would ease or prolong the inflationary pressures triggered by months of conflict…

European stocks slide as hawkish Fed fuels rate-hike bets

European equities slid on Thursday as investors digested the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance from the prior day, with concerns about potential U.S. rate hikes outweighing optimism from the emerging U.S.-Iran peace deal. The pan-European STOXX 600 edged lower, while Britain's…

LatAm currencies, stocks fall after Fed’s hawkish hold

Most Latin American currencies and stocks declined on Wednesday as investors digested hawkish policy cues from the U.S. Federal Reserve, which held interest rates steady but signaled the possibility of hikes ahead under new Chair Kevin Warsh.

ECB says inflation will stay elevated despite U.S.-Iran deal

The European Central Bank expects consumer prices in the euro area to remain well above target for the next two years even as a freshly signed U.S.-Iran peace deal brings hope of lower energy costs, ECB Governing Council member Martin…

Fed signals rate hike as central banks globally pivot to tightening

Even as the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday aimed at ending months of conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, central banks across developed economies are moving in the opposite direction from what peace…

ECB hikes rates for first time in 3 years as Iran war fuels inflation

The European Central Bank raised interest rates on Thursday, lifting its deposit facility rate by 25 basis points to 2.25% in what marks the institution's first hike in nearly three years as the war in Iran drives energy prices and…