The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has raised interest rates by just a quarter point, to 1.25 per cent. This was the fifth increase in as many meetings, but still leaves rates near historic lows. In my view, this was a mistake. This decision is hard to square with April’s consumer price inflation … Continue reading Bank of England falls further behind in race to tame inflation
Category: financial markets
No, sterling is still in no danger of becoming an ‘emerging market currency’
Every now and again someone – often Kamal Sharma from Bank of America (BofA) – warns that sterling is at risk of being downgraded to ‘emerging market’ status. This is lapped up and gleefully retweeted by anyone with an axe to grind against Brexit, or Boris Johnson.,, However, as Sharma himself rightly said in his … Continue reading No, sterling is still in no danger of becoming an ‘emerging market currency’
Are sanctions on Russia failing?
Sanctions are the West's key weapon in the fight against Putin, but there are signs that Russia’s economy and financial system is weathering the storm better than expected. The rouble has already bounced back and Russia has been able to continue to service its debts, with only minor hiccups. A closer look however reveals that … Continue reading Are sanctions on Russia failing?
Could Russian sanctions undermine the US dollar?
So, it’s official. The global rating agency S&P has determined that the Russian government has defaulted on part of its international debt. In itself, this is not as big a deal as it may sound. Nonetheless, the unusual circumstances have revived concerns about the future of the US dollar as the reserve currency of choice … Continue reading Could Russian sanctions undermine the US dollar?
Plain-speaking Economics 