Analysis: Currencies

Fed's Collins cautions against aggressive rate cuts given inflation issues

NEW YORK -Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins said on Tuesday that her outlook for monetary policy is consistent with the gradual path of easing shown in the latest central bank...

Putin entrusts military-linked bank with accelerated state property sales

MOSCOW -Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed PSB, a bank which serves the military-industrial complex and is under Western sanctions, as the government's agent in state property sales,...

Russia declares partial diesel export ban until year-end, extends gasoline ban

MOSCOW -Russia has imposed a partial ban on diesel exports and extended an existing gasoline export ban until the end of the year, the government said on Tuesday. Russia is facing fuel...

Fed's Collins notes openness to cutting rates again,  depending on data

NEW YORK -Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins said on Tuesday that she's open to more interest rate cuts amid expectations price pressures will start to wane sometime next year. ...

UK watchdog recommends new post-Brexit framework for tech licensing rules

LONDON -Britain's competition regulator has recommended replacing a legacy EU-era exemption for technology licensing agreements with a UK-specific framework, in a move aimed at modernising...

Foreign bank cash decline lifts fed funds rate ahead of quarter-end

NEW YORK -The effective federal funds rate - the interest banks charge each other for overnight loans to meet reserve requirements - rose unexpectedly last week ahead of quarter end, mainly on the...

Sterling rises against shutdown-focussed dollar; set for fourth monthly loss on euro

LONDON -The pound edged up on Tuesday, but still headed for its fourth monthly loss against the euro and its first loss since July against the dollar, where short-term action has been dominated by...

Indian rupee hits all-time low on US-India policy friction; RBI continues support

MUMBAI -The Indian rupee dropped to a record low on Tuesday, with unresolved trade strains with the United States fuelling heavy dollar demand and prompting central bank intervention to support the...

Rise in key German states' inflation points to national uptick

BERLIN -Inflation rose in four key German states in September, preliminary data showed on Tuesday, pointing to an increase in national inflation and in line with analysts' forecasts. ...

Bank of Korea sold net $800 million for FX intervention in Q2

SEOUL -South Korea's foreign exchange authorities sold a net $800 million in currency market intervention transactions in the second quarter, after selling $2.96 billion in the first quarter, central...

South African rand softer after back-to-back domestic data

JOHANNESBURG -The South African rand softened on Tuesday after a flurry of mixed economic data from the central bank, revenue service agency, National Treasury and statistics agency. At...

Dollar/rupee one-day swap rate surges on quarter-end flows; spot flat

MUMBAI -The one-day dollar/rupee swap rate climbed on Tuesday on the back of flows related to the quarter-end, while the spot rate was little changed amid weak Asian cues. The one-day ...

Japan's economy shows strain as factory output and retail sales drop

TOKYO -Japan's factory output fell more than expected while retail sales declined for the first time in over three years in August, government data showed, heightening uncertainties about the...

South Korea national security adviser: tough to strike FX swap deal with US, Newsis reports

SEOUL -South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said it is difficult to be optimistic about striking a deal on a bilateral currency swap with the U.S., local news outlet Newsis reported. ...

Fed's Musalem: Open to further cuts but must be cautious

WASHINGTON -St. Louis Federal Reserve President Alberto Musalem said he was open to further interest rate cuts but the Fed must be cautious and keep rates high enough to continue to lean against...

Fed's Williams: Recent rate cut aimed at bolstering job market

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said on Monday that emerging signs of weakness in the labor market drove his support for cutting interest rates at the most recent central...

Italy and Bahrain sign memorandum worth over 1 billion euros

ROME -Italy and Bahrain said on Monday they had signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at enhancing investments and trade worth over one billion euros , according to a joint statement between the...

US pending home sales rebound in August amid low mortgage rates

WASHINGTON -Sales of previously owned U.S. homes increased solidly in August as lower mortgage rates pulled buyers back into the market, though a softening labor market could curb further gains. ...

Brazil bank lending slows further in August as tight monetary policy bites

BRASILIA -Outstanding bank lending in Brazil continued to lose momentum in August, central bank data showed on Monday, as high interest rates helped cool activity in Latin America's largest economy. ...