Analysis: Interest Rates

Ready to do everything it takes, ECB steps up Italian bond buys

The European Central Bank is ready to do everything in its power to ease market turmoil, a top executive said on Wednesday, as the bank stepped up purchases of Italian bonds to stem the biggest...

Canadian dollar tumbles to four-year low as pressure rises on BoC to cut rates further

The Canadian dollar weakened to a four-year low against its U.S. counterpart on Tuesday as growing panic about a coronavirus-induced economic slump boosted the greenback and weak factory data added to...

Surging borrowing costs, vanishing buyers: more pain ahead for European junk bonds

Borrowing costs for junk-rated European companies have nearly tripled in less than a month, and with the market for new debt issuance shuttered, there could be a lot more pain in store for firms...

Philippines central bank to join drive to cut rates - Reuters poll

The Philippine central bank looks certain to slash interest rates at its meeting on Thursday to counter the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, and the only remaining question is how deep the...

South African cenbank: rates decision announcement scheduled for Thursday

The South African Reserve Bank said on Monday that it would announce its latest interest rate decision as scheduled at 15:00 local time on Thursday, but that reporters would dial into the news...

Near-zero U.S. rates may not sink the dollar

When the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near zero on Sunday, the dollar fell, since the move blew away the yield on owning dollars and with it much of their attraction.

Coronavirus combined with zero interest rates 'really worries me,' Bridgewater's Dalio says

Billionaire investor Ray Dalio, whose main Bridgewater Associates LP hedge fund fell sharply amid the coronavirus-led market rout, is concerned about the combination of zero interest rate policy and...

Vietnamese central bank to cut rates Tuesday to help virus-hit economy

The State Bank of Vietnam will cut its policy rates from Tuesday to prop up the economy, which has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

South Korea central bank takes policy rate below 1% for first time with 50 basis point cut

The Bank of Korea slashed interest rates by 50 basis points on Monday in its largest policy easing since the global financial crisis, joining central banks from the United States to Japan in trying to...

Dollar weakens after another surprise Fed rate cut

The dollar fell against a broad range of currencies on Monday after the U.S. Federal Reserve made another surprise interest rate cut and major central banks took steps to relieve a shortage of dollars...

ECB ready to rein in bond spreads, beef up purchases: Panetta

The European Central Bank is ready to rein in unjustified spreads between euro zone bond yields and even to beef up purchases to combat the fallout from the coronavirus, board member Fabio Panetta...

Bank of Canada slashes rates again to provide 'bridge across the trouble'

The Bank of Canada slashed its key interest rate for the second time in nine days on Friday to provide a bridge across the trouble as authorities seek to stave off a potential recession amid the...

Dash for cash: investors dump shares, bonds in wild week for markets

Investors stormed out of bonds, equities and every other major asset class this week and piled a record $136.9 billion into cash, according to BofA's weekly flow data, as panic about the spreading...

China's port jam eases, but refrigerated container rates soar

Severe congestion at Chinese ports is easing, say officials and industry participants, although a logjam of refrigerated containers has disrupted supplies of fresh and frozen food and pushed up...

ECB approves fresh stimulus for reeling economy but keeps rates steady

The European Central Bank approved fresh stimulus measures on Thursday to help the euro zone economy cope with the growing cost of the coronavirus epidemic, but kept interest rates unchanged in a move...

Nigeria stocks fall, bond spreads widen as investors fret over naira, oil price

Nigerian stocks sank to a more than four-year low on Wednesday, while bond yield spreads widened as jittery investors fret over a possible naira devaluation after oil prices plunged.

South Africa rates to fall a modest 25 bps on March 19

South Africa's central bank will cut rates by 25 basis points next week to lift the economy out of recession, easing less aggressively than other global central banks trying to mitigate damage from...

Britain scraps business rates for small firms

British finance minister Rishi Sunak scrapped business rates for small firms in an exceptional step to help them get through disruption caused by the outbreak of coronavirus....

Britain fires with both barrels - emergency rate cut and budget boost

The Bank of England slashed interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday and announced support for bank lending just hours before the unveiling of a budget splurge designed to stave off a...