Analysis: Currencies

Japan November machinery orders beat forecast on strong factory investment

Japan's core machinery orders rose 3.4% in November from the previous month to beat analysts' forecast, government data showed on Monday, signalling a recovery in capital expenditure ahead of a...

Exclusive-Bolivia in talks with Argentina to restart gas supply amid demand spike, executive says

Bolivia's state-run energy firm YPFB is in talks to restart gas exports to Argentina amid a surge in demand spurred by a summer heat wave, underscoring the challenge for the government in Buenos Aires...

Federal Reserve announces exit from regulatory climate change group

The Federal Reserve announced on Friday it had withdrawn from a global body of central banks and regulators devoted to exploring ways to police climate risk in the financial system. In a...

US mid-sized banks ride industry upswing on robust fee income

A raft of U.S. banks reported higher fourth-quarter profits on Friday, extending a winning streak for the industry as an upswing in capital markets alleviated a hit from weaker loan demand. ...

US single-family housing starts increase in December

U.S. single-family homebuilding increased solidly in December, but further gains were seen limited by rising mortgage rates and a glut of new homes on the market. Single-family housing...

Foreigners pull out of Asian bonds for a second month in December

Asian debt markets saw foreign outflows in December, for the second month in a row, reversing strong demand from earlier in 2024 on anticipated higher U.S. tariffs under President-elect Donald Trump,...

BOJ likely to keep hawkish policy pledge, raise rates next week, sources say

The Bank of Japan is likely to raise interest rates next week barring any market shocks when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office, and maintain a pledge to keep pushing up borrowing costs if...

China's economic growth surpasses forecasts on stimulus push

China's economy ended 2024 on better footing than expected helped by a flurry of stimulus measures, although the threat of a new trade war with the United States and weak domestic demand could hurt...

Tariff-fuelled dollar gains pose global stagflation risks, BIS warns

Staff at central bank umbrella group, the Bank for International Settlements, have warned of a global bout of stagflation if trade tariffs promised by soon-to-be-U.S. President Donald Trump continue...

Bank of Canada to cut rates on Jan. 29, cautious over potential US tariff impact

The Bank of Canada will cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.00% on Jan. 29, according to a Reuters poll of economists, but many were not confident about the outlook beyond that given...

US weekly jobless claims increase; labor market conditions still healthy

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week, but remained at levels consistent with a healthy labor market. Initial...

Dollar rules as investors eye Trump's economic policies

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House and fading hopes for aggressive interest rate cuts have driven the dollar to multi-year highs, and investors see this strength...

US inflation relief dents dollar, yen gains ahead of BOJ

The dollar slipped on Thursday to stand just off recent peaks as cooling U.S. inflation data knocked down bond yields, while the yen hit a one-month high on rising bets on a rate hike in Japan. ...

US consumer prices rise slightly above expectations in December

U.S. consumer prices increased slightly more than expected in December amid higher costs for energy goods, pointing to still elevated inflation that aligns with the Federal Reserve's projections for...

US 30-year mortgage rate tops 7%, highest since May 2024

The interest rate for the most popular U.S. home loan rose last week to an eight-month high of 7.09%, extending an upward trend that's squeezing would-be homebuyers already facing rising house prices...

Japan likely to miss primary budget surplus target for FY2025, sources say

Japan is likely to miss achieving its goal of running a primary budget surplus by the next fiscal year, according to three sources with knowledge of fresh fiscal estimates, as the minority government...

Japan manufacturers' mood rebounds in Jan, outlook stays flat - Reuters Poll

Japanese manufacturers' sentiment recovered in January after a dip last month thanks to better conditions for materials industries, but their outlook remains flat due to uncertainty over proposed...

Japanese investors exit foreign assets for third straight month in Dec

Japanese investors net sold foreign stocks and bonds for a third straight month in December, wary of rising U.S. bond yields, while some also booked profits amid sharp fluctuations in the yen. ...

BOJ will debate whether to hike rates next week, deputy gov Himino says

The Bank of Japan will debate whether to raise interest rates at next week's policy meeting based on its new quarterly growth and inflation forecasts, Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino said on Tuesday. ...