Global Markets

Central Banks Introduce Hawkishness On 21 April, the Bank of Canada was the first industrial country's central bank to signal a reduction in stimulus and a normalisation of monetary policy. Since then, there has been a hint of hawkish sentiment from the Bank of England by chief economist Andy Haldane who views inflation as an increasing threat. We have also seen a positive statement from the Reserve Bank of New…

The BoC left interest rates unchanged at 0.25% and QE at C$3 billion/week, with more action potentially expected at the next meeting

It has been a few months since we saw the first reports of economic recovery in China. If we look at the GDP stats, China's significant down fall was first quarter of 2020, at the outbreak of Covid, which was compensated in the next two quarters. Another indicator of recovery has been the decline in the jobless rate. During the worst of covid lockdown in the spring of 2020, between…

The world returns to normalcy after the pandemic that broke out last year and we will explore whether it was an unpredictable event, a Black Swan for markets.

Australian Unemployment and the RBA's Response During the Covid Pandemic The Reserve Bank of Australia or RBA is Australia's central bank. It is the custodian of the country's monetary policy and aims to contribute to: The stability of the currency of Australia; The maintenance of full employment in Australia; and The economic prosperity and welfare of the people of Australia. As the central bank decides on and institutes its various…

Chip Shortage is becoming an issue for various industries worldwide - it has major real-world consequences and is expected to last for at least two more years. What are Semiconductors? Semiconductors, at their core are simply silicone with transistors build into it them, are advanced microchips that power almost every electronic devices being made today. It is not an overstatement to say semiconductors, or computer chips, power the modern world.…

Yes, they are! And they are not alone. It's not a secret that China is quickly becoming the biggest and most competitive market for Electric Vehicle ("EV"). Other brands like [Nio, Xpeng, BYD] are also in fierce competition with the American giant. Although primarily targeting the Chinese market, these companies have also managed to spark worldwide attention. In fact, the legendary investor Warren Buffet, claims his most profitable investment in…

The U.S. presidential election of 2020 was a hotly-contested battle between two candidates with very different ideologies. Among the key areas of contrast were views toward climate change and energy production. Accordingly, the electoral cycle was defined by conflicting policies from pro-energy incumbent President of the United States (POTUS) Donald Trump and environment-friendly challenger Joe Biden. Upon Biden securing a 306 to 232 victory in the Electoral College, U.S policies…

As an exotic currency, the South African rand (ZAR) has been historically sensitive to world events. One of the primary reasons behind the rand's responsiveness is the lack of consistent market depth. When compared to the global majors and minors, the ZAR typically exhibits a much smaller daily traded volume. According to the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) Triennial Survey 2019, the South African rand accounts for 1% of total…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brought the world a collection of unprecedented humanitarian and economic challenges. From the virus's initial onslaught in late-February to a November surge in infection rates, COVID-19 was a primary underpinning of 2020's global capital markets. Since the onset of the novel coronavirus, infectious disease experts have warned of a potentially devastating "second wave" of the virus sweeping the globe. As the fourth quarter of 2020 commenced,…

United Kingdom Government Since March 2020, the government of the United Kingdom and the country's central bank, the Bank of England, have announced several major economic stimulus programs and policy measures to protect British businesses, consumers and institutions from the effects of the coronavirus. The government's support is mainly focused on supporting businesses and individuals through subsidized and government-guaranteed loan programs, outright grants, and tax and payment holidays. Coronavirus Business…