You are here

Daily Dispatches

The Fed's interest rate strategy is getting tricky as plans to skip a hike emerge

Section: Daily Dispatches

By Craig Torres
Bloomberg News
Monday, June 5, 2023

The Federal Reserve’s June meeting is shaping up to be one of the trickiest in its 15-month campaign to tame inflation: Chair Jerome Powell seems intent on skipping an interest-rate increase, while explaining to the public that officials aren’t done yet.

The strategy is sensible, confusing, and risky all at once, Fed watchers say.

... Dispatch continues below ...


... ADVERTISEMENT ...

Robert Lambourne: BIS gold swaps held steady through April and are probably intervention by Fed

Section: Daily Dispatches

By Robert Lambourne
Sunday, June 4, 2023

From the information contained in the recently published March 31 and April 30 statements of account of the Bank for International Settlements --

https://www.bis.org/banking/balsheet/statofacc230331.pdf

https://www.bis.org/banking/balsheet/statofacc230430.pdf

Best currency in Argentina amid 100% inflation may be Taylor Swift tickets

Section: Daily Dispatches

No central bank price-suppression operation is underway in that respect.

* * *

Taylor Swift Argentina tickets are a bargain with inflation over 100%

By Patrick Gillespie and Augusta Saraiva
Bloomberg News
Friday, June 2, 2023

Taylor Swift tickets may cost a fortune in the United States, but 100% inflation in Argentina is about to make her highly coveted concert a world-class bargain.

China facilitates gold acquisition by its people to guard against U.S. sanctions, Maguire says

Section: Daily Dispatches

11:10p ET Friday, June 2, 2023

Dear Friend of GATA and Gold:

London metals trader Andrew Maguire tells Kinesis Money's "Live from the Vault" program this week that China has modified its domestic banking system to facilitate gold and silver purchases by the country's population so that people may protect themselves against the threat of U.S. economic sanctions.

Ronan Manly: Singapore's central bank is big -- and secretive -- gold buyer

Section: Daily Dispatches

By Ronan Manly
Bullion Star, Singapore
Friday, June 2, 2023

Last year a major theme in the global gold market was the record gold buying by central banks across the world, with the World Gold Council and its data gatherers (Metals Focus) calculating that central banks had cumulatively purchased a net 1,136 tonnes of monetary gold during 2022.

At the outset of 2023, this led the World Gold Council to predict that:

Backlash against weaponized dollar is growing across the world

Section: Daily Dispatches

Michelle Jamrisko and Ruth Carson
Bloomberg News
via Yahoo News, Sunnyvale, California
Friday, June 2, 2023

All around the world, a backlash is brewing against the hegemony of the US dollar.

Brazil and China recently struck a deal to settle trade in their local currencies, seeking to bypass the greenback in the process. India and Malaysia in April signed an accord to ramp up usage of the rupee in cross-border business. Even perennial US ally France is starting to complete transactions in yuan.

... Dispatch continues below ...

Alasdair Macleod: Sterling crisis ahead!

Section: Daily Dispatches

By Alasdair Macleod
GoldMoney, Toronto
Thursday, June 1, 2023

This article points to the factors driving sterling gilt yields higher. They are likely to lead to a sterling crisis as foreign selling gathers pace of gilts acquired since 2018. 

Before interest rates began to rise, foreign buyers had enjoyed higher gilt prices which more than offset losses on sterling. That is no longer the case.

... Dispatch continues below ...


... ADVERTISEMENT ...

Fed signal for pause in rate hikes takes pressure off hot jobs report

Section: Daily Dispatches

By Steve Matthews
Bloomberg News
Thursday, June 1, 2023

Federal Reserve officials are signaling that they plan to keep interest rates steady in June while retaining the option to hike further in coming months, steering market expectations ahead of a key employment report.

Governor Philip Jefferson, a centrist who is nominated to be vice chair and who often echoes Chair Jerome Powell's views, said Wednesday that skipping an increase would give policymakers time to assess data but not preclude future tightening.

... Dispatch continues below ...

Kenya's president revives push by African nations to ditch the dollar

Section: Daily Dispatches

By Constant Munda
Business Daily Africa, Nairobi
Tuesday, May 30, 2023

President William Ruto has asked African leaders to take first steps toward ditching the globally-bullish U.S. dollar by signing up to a pan-African payments system to facilitate trade within the continent.

Dr. Ruto has urged his peers in Africa to mobilise central and commercial banks to join the Pan-African Payments and Settlement System, (PAPSS) which was launched in January 2022.

... Dispatch continues below ...

Craig Hemke at Sprott Money: The debt schlemieling

Section: Daily Dispatches

By Craig Hemke
Sprott Money, Toronto
Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Another deal to extend the debt limit of the U.S. government appears to have been reached. If that's a surprise to you, then I guess you haven't been paying attention over the years.

The farce of the "debt ceiling" is simple political theater and nothing more. For decades cynical politicians have used the imagined "catastrophe of default" as a tool to stoke division and score political points, usually just before major elections. 

Pages