Specialized search for economics

34+ min ago (482+ words) Former Wall Street money manager and financial analyst Ed Dowd of PhinanceTechnologies.com warned in September we were at the "Beginning of Panic Rate Cut Cycle.Since that prediction, the Fed has cut interest rates three times. Looks like Dowd called it correctly. So, this is where we are, at the beginning of the credit destruction cycle. We are seeing consumer credit card delinquencies nearing all-time highs, auto loan delinquencies and, next up, we will be seeing mortgage delinquencies. People stop paying their credit cards first, then their auto loans and stop paying on their homes last. As the layoffs accelerate, and we are already seeing more high-profile layoffs at Amazon, UPS and you name it, once those begin, we will be seeing higher delinquency rates. Dowd sees much lower prices for homes. Dowd says, "There is a distinct problem…...

59+ min ago (722+ words) Federal Reserve chairman contender Kevin Hassett has once again repeated that the central bank will stay independent even if he ends up as chair. He said he would hear President Trump out because the president has "very strong and well-founded views," but the rate path would still come from the Federal Open Market Committee. He also said Trump's opinions would not override the votes of the policymakers who set the federal funds rate. He made that point after Trump said he "should have a role" in speaking to whoever is running the central bank. Hassett explained that he already talks to Trump every day as the head of the National Economic Council and said he discusses monetary policy with him now. He said that would not change if he became Fed chair, though the conversations would not carry any formal…...

1+ hour, 11+ min ago (203+ words) One of President Trump's top contenders to be the next Fed chair said the president's voice would have "no weight" when it comes time for the central bank to decide on interest rates. National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett made the comment in an interview on CBS' Face the Nation. "I thi One of President Trump's top contenders to be the next Fed chair said the president's voice would have "no weight" when it comes time for the central bank to decide on interest rates. National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett made the comment in an interview on CBS' Face the Nation. "I think he has very strong and well founded views about what we ought to do, but in the end, the job of the Fed is to be independent and to work with the group of people that…...

1+ hour, 33+ min ago (709+ words) Experts are increasingly signaling a potential crypto bull run in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, driven by a convergence of macroeconomic factors. Analysts suggest Bitcoin could surge between $300,000 and $600,000 if these catalysts materialize. A combination of five key trends is creating what analysts describe as a "perfect storm" for digital assets. Simply halting the liquidity drain is historically bullish for risk assets. Data from previous cycles suggest Bitcoin can rally up to 40% when central banks stop contracting their balance sheets. Analyst Benjamin Cowen indicated that early 2026 could be the time when markets begin to feel the impact of the Fed ending its QT. In 2019, the Fed announced QT would end on August 1st.The balance sheet of the Fed continued dropping in August despite QT having officially ended because the last round of treasury maturities did not settle until mid August.Just…...

1+ hour, 36+ min ago (262+ words) Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama on Saturday effectively signaled acceptance of an anticipated interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan. "There is no major disagreement between us and the BOJ," Katayama said in a speech in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. "I thought I should say this since reports have been circulating." The Japanese central bank is reportedly likely to raise its policy interest rate to around 0.75% from around 0.5% at present at its two-day monetary policy meeting through Friday this week. According to a recent Bloomberg survey of 50 analysts, all forecast that the central bank will raise its policy rate at the meeting. The stance of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet on monetary policy is seen as a key factor for the BOJ to hike rates. Takaichi is known for her pro-monetary stimulus stance, but she has toned down her rhetoric and…...

1+ hour, 36+ min ago (331+ words) National Economic Council head Kevin Hassett said he'd consider President Donald Trump's policy opinions if picked to lead the Federal Reserve, but that the central bank's interest rate decisions would remain independent. The president "has very strong and well-founded views about what we ought to do," Hassett, Trump's top economic adviser at the'White House, said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "But in the end, the job of the Fed is to be independent and to work with the group of people that are on the'Board of Governors, the'FOMC, to drive a group consensus on where interest rates should be," he said. Hassett was responding to questions about Trump's comment Friday that he should be able to make recommendations on rates set by the Fed. Trump and senior advisers have pressed Fed Chair'Jay Powell'to lower rates for months " while also…...

1+ hour, 48+ min ago (881+ words) A VILLAGE has lost its last remaining pub just before Christmas " with the landlady blasting Labour's Budget as the "final nail in the coffin. Carol Kenny, 64, will pull her final pint at the Swan Inn in Mattishall, Norfolk, today " less than 12 months after she first took over the bar. Carol says she is being forced to close up shop because of rising rent, bills and business rates " costing her thousands more in the new year. It leaves the village, one of the largest in the county with a population of 2,500, without a pub. In a heartbreaking admission, Carol, who lives above the bar, said: "I just can't afford to keep this place on. "I know a lot of other landlords will find themselves in the same situation after the budget. Pub owner Jeremy Clarkson declares 'all Labour MPs are banned…...

1+ hour, 54+ min ago (514+ words) London markets reopen on Monday, 15 December 2025 with three forces likely to dominate the early tone: a risk-off aftertaste from Wall Street's late-week tech-led pullback, accelerating expectations of a Bank of England rate cut later this week, and a data-heavy global calendar that could reshape rate and FX pricing before Christmas. Below is what to watch into the London Stock Exchange open (08:00 GMT), the themes that matter most for the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250, and the UK shares likely to be in focus. Where London left off on Friday The immediate question for Monday is whether the FTSE's commodity-heavy composition (energy/miners) can stabilise the index if global risk sentiment stays fragile. US equities ended the week lower For UK investors, this matters because higher global yields tend to pressure "long-duration" growth equities and can tighten financial conditions'while also feeding through to…...

2+ hour, 20+ min ago (506+ words) KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is widely expected to maintain its key policy rate at 11% in its upcoming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting scheduled for Monday, as inflation risks linked to food prices and external pressures continue to weigh on the outlook. A majority of analysts and surveys conducted by leading brokerage houses anticipate no change in the policy rate. Headline inflation has shown an upward trend in recent months, increasing from 4.1% in July to 6.1% in November, largely driven by disruptions in food supply following recent floods. After cutting interest rates by a cumulative 1,100 basis points since June 2024, the central bank has kept the policy rate unchanged at 11% for the last four consecutive meetings. The most recent rate cut was announced in May this year. According to a recent research note by Arif Habib Limited (AHL), the SBP…...

2+ hour, 25+ min ago (355+ words) India is entering a decisive phase of economic expansion that could redefine wealth creation over the next two decades, according to the 30th Wealth Creation Study by Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Drawing inspiration from the past 17 years, during which India's economy expanded fourfold from $1 trillion in 2008 to $4 trillion in 2025, the study envisions a similar quadrupling of GDP to $16 trillion over the next 17 years, from 2025 to 2042. Rising income levels are another major structural driver. India's per capita GDP is projected to quadruple from around $2,600 at present to approximately $10,400 by 2042. This income transition is expected to push large segments of the population into higher consumption brackets, providing a sustained boost to consumer discretionary sectors. The study notes that categories such as white goods, quick commerce, food technology platforms, travel and tourism, telecom services, healthcare, and allied services are likely to see strong demand…...