The US Federal Reserve or Fed, and the UK Central Bank or the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC,) both made the decision on whether to cut interest rates on the same day, although, given the time difference, it happened at different points. The US Fed cut interest rates by ½% to a range of 4.75% to …
Another turbulent year looms – but so do opportunities
Last year was turbulent for the world economy, and this one may be no different. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 had its full effect in 2023, reducing real incomes by pushing inflation up, particularly for food and energy. In addition, interest rate increases, put in place to fight the sharp rise in inflation, …
Continue reading “Another turbulent year looms – but so do opportunities”
Bank rate overkill? Could a 5% rise trigger recession?
As expected by current financial markets pricing, the Bank of England (BOE) raised interest rates to 5% in June, half a per cent up from the May level of 4.5%. The increase was not unanimous, just as the previous one was not, with two members voting to leave rates at 4.5%. Interestingly, the two members …
Continue reading “Bank rate overkill? Could a 5% rise trigger recession?”