<p>Canada retail sales rose 0.4% to CAD 5.2B in January, slightly above expectation of 0.3% mom. Ex-auto sales, however, dropped -0.1% mom, versus expectation of 0.2% mom. Sales were up in only 4 of 11 subsectors, representing 48% of retail trade. Statistics Canada also noted: “While the impacts of the coronavirus on the retail trade [&
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ECB policymakers push common fiscal responses from governments
<p>ECB Governing Council Member Olli Rehn said that Eurozone is now at a “critical juncture” with the coronavirus pandemic. It is “essential for Eurozone governments to “get their acts together and agree to a coordinated European fiscal response.” “There’s a saying: never waste a crisis. Therefore it&
Italy pushes new EU bonds to fight against coronavirus economic impacts
<p>Italian Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri urges EU to issue new bonds to help the member states fighting impact of the coronavirus. He told newspaper Il Corriere della Sera, “we should foresee the issue of European securities that can be used by each country under the same conditions and must be related to the fight against [&hellip
RBNZ announces measures for to support financial system functioning
<p>RBNZ announces a package of measures to support financial system functioning during the coronavirus pandemic. A Term Auction Facility is set up to give banks access to term funding, with collateralized loans available out to a term of 12 months. That should alleviate pressures in the funding markets. Other measures include funding in the f
Fed Daly: Our tools are starting to work in the market
<p>San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said in an interview that it’s “absolutely appropriate” to have Fed working with fiscal agents to help small businesses and households to “weather this near term shutdown” due to coronavirus. The fiscal stimulus from Congress and the response moves by Fed this week are
BoE cut rate to 0.10%, expand asset purchase by GBP 200B
<p>After a special meeting, BoE announces to cut Bank rate by -15bps to 0.10%. Also, Asset purchase target is raised by GBP 200B to GBP 645B. BoE will also enlarge the TFSME schedule financed by the issuance of central bank reserves. BoE said in the statement: “Over recent days, and in common with a number […]
US initial jobless claims jumped 70k to 281k, clearly attributable to coronavirus impacts
<p>US initial jobless claims rose 70k to 281k in the week ending March 14, well above expectation of 220k. It was also the highest reading since September 2017. Four-week moving average of initial claims rose 16.5k to 232.25. Continuing claims rose 2k to 1.701m in the week ending March 7. Four-week moving average of continuing […]
Ifo: German economy could shrank -1.5% this year in better case scenario
<p>Ifo institute said in its spring forecast that the global economy is “collapsing” as a result of coronavirus pandemic. Global GDP would grow only 0.1% this year, comparing with 2.6% last year. World trade would see a decline of -1.7%. There are also “considerable” downside risks in the forecast. Germ
SNB Jordan: Key coronavirus measures are medical and fiscal, not monetary policy
<p>SNB Chairman Thomas Jordan emphasized today key coronavirus measures “do not come from central banks”. Instead, they come from “medical measures and also from the fiscal side”. For the central bank, “we have to provide the financial system with enough liquidity to ensure the credit flow to the economy does not
SNB stands pat at -0.75%, expects negative inflation and growth this year
<p>SNB kept sign deposit rate unchanged at -0.75% today. It noted that coronavirus is posing “exceptionally large challengers” for Switzerland, and the expansionary monetary policy is “more necessary than ever” for ensuring appropriate monetary conditions. The central bank is “intervening more