Labour shortages are forcing firms to automate, giving Japan a significant and important edge in robotics. Production of industrial robots has surged: ‘intelligent’ robots have seen a particularly marked increase…
The PBoC’s policy tightening appears to be aimed at stabilising the renminbi. However, a small number of rate hikes now can also accelerate the shakeout in ‘zombie’ companies and ensure…
Reflation of the US economy was, not for the first time, called into question last week. The sharp uptick in sentiment indicators has seemingly failed to spur ‘animal spirits’ in…
Kristin Forbes will feel vindicated after today’s CPI report. The outgoing MPC member’s dissent at last week’s BoE meeting, in favour of a rate hike, appears prescient after core CPI…
The FOMC is sitting on the fence. The Trump administration may struggle to deliver on some campaign promises. However, the key to higher equity valuations lies in the ability of…
It may be too early to expect any change to yield curve control at this week’s BoJ meeting. The slow grind higher in US Treasury yields has helped push the…
The payroll data were strong enough to suggest that the Fed could hike four times this year. In truth, there were a number of caveats that show the pick-up in…
