Kolkata: The heads of microfinance institutions (MFIs) on Friday said that it would be difficult for them to lower interest rates unless they have access to cheaper sources of funds which can be ensured by a dedicated credit guarantee scheme, refinance facility or interest subvention. The rates charged by microfinance lenders have always been a…
READ MOREWall Street’s main indexes all closed higher on Tuesday, with gains in megacap and growth stocks bolstering benchmarks in a truncated Christmas Eve session. Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite scored four straight sessions of gains, with the S&P 500 taking its winning streak to three sessions, marking the first day of…
READ MOREHong Kong: Asian investors struggled Wednesday to track a positive lead from Wall Street as they assess the prospect of an escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war, Donald Trump’s second presidency and the outlook for US interest rates. They were also keenly awaiting the release of earnings from chip behemoth Nvidia later in the day, which…
READ MOREIn its November 2024 policy meeting, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced a 25 basis point (bps) cut in the federal funds rate, lowering it to a target range of 4.50% to 4.75%. This move followed a larger-than-anticipated 50 bps cut in September, marking a gradual pivot by the Fed amid a cooling US labour…
READ MOREA sense of déjà vu overwhelmed Wall Street this week, as Donald Trump’s election win gave the stock market a jolt similar to what happened after his victory eight years ago. Small caps soared, banks leaped and the S&P 500 Index had its best Election Day in history and strongest week in 12 months. The…
READ MOREWall Street’s three major indexes closed down around 1% on Monday while Treasury yields rose, as traders tamped down bets for Federal Reserve interest-rate easing and worried about the Middle East conflict’s impact on oil prices. While waiting for quarterly earnings season and fresh economic data, investors also braced for another big hurricane, Milton, which…
READ MOREU.S. exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that invest in dividend-paying stocks have enjoyed a rush of inflows since the Federal Reserve kicked off its rate cutting cycle last month, though a jump in U.S. Treasury yields could slow the deluge of investor funds. The group of 135 U.S. dividend ETFs tracked by Morningstar pulled in $3.05 billion…
READ MOREThe Federal Reserve’s monetary-easing campaign for 2024 may already be over as the strong labor report Friday underscores the stubborn resilience of the world’s largest economy, according to Wall Street veteran Ed Yardeni.Further policy easing would risk sparking inflation just as oil prices rebound and China seeks to jump start its economy, according to the…
READ MOREOil rose as tensions in the Middle East unnerved investors ahead of US jobs data due later Friday that will help identify the path ahead for interest rates. West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude extended gains Friday after each rose more than 5% Thursday to a one-month high. The rise accelerated after puzzling comments from…
READ MOREThe U.S. central bank’s fight to return inflation to its 2% target may take longer than expected to complete and limit how far interest rates can be cut, Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin said on Wednesday. In an interview with Reuters, Barkin said he supported the half-percentage-point rate cut the Fed approved last month…
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