After 271,000 jobs were added last month, the US unemployment rate fell to 5 percent. Meanwhile, average annual hourly earnings climbed by the most since 2009. As a result, the US dollar strengthened ...More
EJ Insight2015-11-12
Nothing describes the US Federal Reserve’s current communication policy better than the old saying that a camel is a horse designed by committee. Various members of the Fed’s policy-setting Federal Op ...More
EJ Insight2015-11-05
US Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen hinted at an interest rate action next month, saying Wednesday that a December liftoff is "live possibility" if the economy remains on track. Appearing befor ...More
EJ Insight2015-11-05
US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has accused the Federal Reserve of keeping interest rates low at the behest of Barack Obama, the current occupant of the White House. Speaking at a ne ...More
EJ Insight2015-11-04
Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said the strength of the US dollar, which is likely to continue in the short run, will have an adverse impact on the competitiveness of the city's exports, the ...More
EJ Insight2015-10-19
When Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen said in May that the US economy was continuing to improve, she set off market forecasts for an autumn rate hike. “It will be appropriate at some point this year ...More
EJ Insight2015-10-17
Hong Kong's Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah has urged member states of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to ensure that the new platform does not turn into a trade protection mechanism. If t ...More
EJ Insight2015-10-12
The US Federal Reserve did not kick off a series of interest rate hikes at its September meeting as some expected. The decision has been criticized by Fed staff and market participants for sending a ...More
EJ Insight2015-10-10
Concern that inflation could remain stuck at exceptionally low levels was the reason why US Federal Reserve officials decided to hold off on a rate hike at their policy meeting last month, according t ...More
EJ Insight2015-10-09
I’ve noted earlier that the US Federal Reserve should have announced the liftoff in its meeting on Sept. 17. That should have removed the uncertainties relating to the rate hike and probably helped th ...More
EJ Insight2015-10-03
The Obama-Xi meeting has concluded neutrally for the market. The Hong Kong market still lacks a substantial catalyst given that the mainland market will take a one-week holiday and investors will win ...More
EJ Insight2015-09-29
The US Federal Reserve is on track to raise interest rates this year as long as inflation remains stable and the economy is strong enough to boost employment, its chairwoman Janet Yellen said on Thurs ...More
EJ Insight2015-09-25
The US Federal Reserve decided to delay the liftoff last week amid market turmoil in China and other emerging markets. It’s widely expected that the move will give some time for emerging markets to st ...More
EJ Insight2015-09-24
The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged Thursday but left open the possibility of a modest policy tightening later this year, Reuters reported. Fed chairwoman Janet Yellen said developmen ...More
EJ Insight2015-09-18
The US Federal Reserve is set to hike interest rates this year, remarks from Janet Yellen and other Fed officials suggest it’s getting closer to doing so. The Fed funds rate shows there is now an 80 ...More
EJ Insight2015-08-08
For six years, investors have been guessing how much gold China owns. On Friday, they found out, and the results were underwhelming, Bloomberg reported. China said it had boosted its bullion assets to ...More
EJ Insight2015-07-20
Over the past year, the global economic environment changed markedly and in unexpected ways. Energy and commodity prices plunged. Growth in China (which accounts for about 40 percent of global growth) ...More
EJ Insight2015-07-02
US interest rates will remain near zero for now but the Federal Reserve is leaning toward liftoff later this year amid signs economic activity is picking up. Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen is warn ...More
EJ Insight2015-06-18
The World Bank has joined the International Monetary Fund in urging the US Federal Reserve to hold off raising rates until next year, citing an uneven recovery in the United States and the risks to em ...More
EJ Insight2015-06-11
Economists are predicting a 40 percent chance that the Federal Reserve will postpone an interest rate increase beyond September. They said the delay will happen if the job market stumbles or inflation ...More
EJ Insight2015-06-10
