US labor market continues to remain strong

Feb 12, 2016 06:01 am UTC| Commentary Economy

US initial jobless claims dropped 16k to 269k in the week ending 6 February from the prior week, below consensus expectations of 280k and Barclays forecast of 290k. In particular, seasonally adjusted state level initial...

Vital Signs Series

Vital Signs: economy in a holding pattern

Feb 11, 2016 19:10 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Vital Signs is a weekly economic wrap from UNSW economics professor and Harvard PhD Richard Holden (@profholden). Vital Signs aims to contextualise weekly economic events and cut through the noise of the data impacting...

Lessons from the Great Depression

Feb 11, 2016 07:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

As the old joke has it, Ive predicted five of the last two financial crises. But this time Im not the only person getting alarmed about the current volatility in financial markets. Plenty of serious, congenitally bullish...

Emerging Market Crisis Series

Brazil’s inflation unlikely to reach central bank’s target range in 2017

Feb 10, 2016 09:13 am UTC| Commentary Economy

Brazils inflation data for January has created significant uncertainty regarding the medium-term inflation trajectory. Under several assumptions, using a structural inflation model, there is a possibility of grim inflation...

Data shows deflationary pressure still has upper hands in Japan

Feb 10, 2016 06:06 am UTC| Commentary Economy

Poor Mr. Kuroda. Japanese benchmark stock index Nikkei 225 is down more than 3% again today and that brings it down more than 18% for the year and more than 25% in last six months. Nikkei is currently trading at...

Oil in Global Economy Series

Lower oil prices likely to sustain Philippines’ current account surplus

Feb 10, 2016 04:54 am UTC| Commentary Economy

Philippines December exports contracted for the ninth consecutive time on year-on-year basis. Weakness in exports of textiles, food and furniture mainly led to the overall decline in exports. The countrys shipments to...

Exports likely to be a drag on Finland's Q4 GDP

Feb 09, 2016 17:29 pm UTC| Commentary Economy

Data released on Monday showed that the value of Finnish goods exports fell by 5.2% y/y in December, inline with expectations. It was the 5th consecutive month showing a fall from the previous year. Finnish exports...