ASIA:   China left its benchmark interest rates unchanged at a one-month peg on Tuesday, as expected, as authorities appeared to delay immediate monetary easing after the local currency fell sharply and central banks tightened policy elsewhere. The one-year prime rate (LPR) was left at 3.65%, while the five-year LPR remained unchanged at 4.30%. The […]

ASIA:   The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today: NIKKEI 225 closed Shanghai decreased 10.80 points or -0.35% to 3,115.60 Hang Seng decreased 195.72 points or -1.04% to 18.565.97 Kospi decreased 27.12 points or -1.14% to 2,355.66 ASX 200 decreased 19.20 points or -0.28% to 6,719.90 SENSEX increased 300.44 points or 0.51% […]

ASIA: China’s biggest banks cut their key deposit rates across the board for the first time since 2015, a move to help boost lending to support growth in the world’s second-largest economy. Seven major banks, including Bank of China Ltd., Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Bank of Communications Co. and Agricultural Bank of […]

ASIA: India’s merchandise trade deficit in August widened to $27.98 billion from $11.71 billion a year earlier, revised data released by the government showed on Wednesday. India’s merchandise exports rose to $33.92 billion from $33.38 billion Japan ran its largest trade deficit in a month on record in August as imports surged amid high energy […]

ASIA: China’s central bank carried out 2-billion-yuan (about $289 million) worth of reverse repos on Wednesday to maintain liquidity in the banking system. The interest rate for the seven-day reverse repo was set at 2 percent, according to the People’s Bank of China. The aim of this step is to maintain stable liquidity in the […]

ASIA: India’s restrictions on rice exports have crippled trading in Asia, with buyers seeking alternative supplies from Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, where sellers are delaying deals as prices rise, industry officials said. India, the world’s top grain exporter, on Thursday banned shipments of broken rice and imposed a 20% tariff on exports of various other […]

The WEC this year may be back to normal. People are flying in from Europe and Asia and this will probably be a great reunion as many had been attending virtually. It will be good to see many old friends for there is nothing like face-to-face communication. The spirit of the old trading rooms was […]

ASIA: The Biden administration plans to expand restrictions on US shipments to China of semiconductors used in artificial intelligence and chip-making tools next month, Reuters reported. The Commerce Department intends to publish new regulations based on restrictions announced earlier this year in letters to three US companies – KLA Corp, Lam Research Corp and Applied […]

As the European Central Bank (ECB) finally begins to raise rates, Greece is rushing to repay its outstanding debt. The failure to consolidate eurozone debt hurt the southern nation, whose debt spiked due to simple currency conversion. Greece remains the most indebted country in the EU. The country received its third bailout in 2018 and […]

Well, the Goldbugs are out in force claiming that Putin is creating a Moscow World Standard for gold. These people will never learn that their dream of some fixed gold standard has always collapsed throughout history. They have never played in the big leagues and consequently, they do not even understand the rules of the […]