January export value slides by 8.9% — JANUARY’S export value continued contracting by 8.9 per cent to US$15.71 billion on the same global factors – slumping demand and rock-bottom crude-oil prices. (The Nation, 26/2/16)
Household debt expected to remain above 80% of GDP — THE LEVEL of household debt this year is expected to continue to exceed 80 per cent of gross domestic product even though some people who borrowed to take advantage of the previous elected government’s first-car scheme will pay off that debt in the fourth quarter. (The Nation, 22/2/16)
Trouble ahead? Euro zone business activity declines further — The euro zone composite PMI index, which measures activity in the manufacturing and services sector, fell to 52.7 in February from a revised figure of 53.5 in January. The index came in below expectations of 53.3 from analysts polled by Reuters. The 50-point mark separates expansion from contraction. (CNBC, 22/2/16)
G-20 Needs to Take Bold Action on Global Growth, IMF Report Says – Group of 20 policy makers “must act now to implement forcefully” existing growth strategies while also planning for unified support for demand through fiscal spending, IMF staff said in a report ahead of the Feb. 26-27 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers in Shanghai. The IMF is likely to further cut its global-expansion outlook in the next update in April, according to the report. (Bloomberg, 25/2/16)
Fed’s Lacker says there still a case for further rate hikes – Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker said on Wednesday there is still a case for raising interest rates further, a sign the central bank’s internal debate over rate hikes remains a live one. Lacker said estimates of the economy’s so-called natural real rate of interest, the rate when economists think there will be normal economic growth rates and stable inflation, is at or just above zero. (CNBC, 25/2/16)
U.S. crude stocks at record high, first gasoline draw since November – EIA – U.S. crude oil stocks rose to a second consecutive record high last week as refinery utilization fell, while gasoline inventories fell for the first time since November, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday. Crude inventories rose 3.5 million barrels in the week to Feb. 19, slightly more than forecasts for an increase of 3.4 million barrels. (Reuters, 25/2/16)
Japan’s CPI Doesn’t Budge in January With BOJ Far From 2% Price – The Bank of Japan’s key price gauge didn’t move in January as it continues to hover around zero percent, putting Governor Haruhiko Kuroda far from his 2 percent inflation goal even after adopting a negativerate policy. Japan’s consumer prices excluding fresh food marked no gain after rising 0.1 percent in the previous two months, according to a report Friday by the statistics bureau in Tokyo. Stripping out energy and food, the gauge rose 0.7 percent. (Bloomberg, 26/2/16)
China Urged to Stomach Much Higher Fiscal Deficit – Officials from China’s central bank are urging Beijing to tolerate a sharply higher fiscal deficit to help stabilize growth, in an acknowledgment that a reliance on cheap bank loans has run its course as a way to boost the economy. (The Wall Street Journal, 25/2/16)
Saudi oil minister Naimi: Oil production cuts won’t happen — Saudi oil minister Ali Ibrahim Naimi said Tuesday producers will hopefully meet in March to negotiate an output freeze, but production cuts will not happen. (CNBC, 24/2/16)
US existing home sales rise to six-month high — The National Association of Realtors said on Tuesday existing home sales increased 0.4 percent to an annual rate of 5.47 million units, the highest level since July. Last month’s sales pace was also the second highest since 2007. (CNBC, 24/2/16)
For household debt – I doubt whether the classification in each country would be the same. In Thai, it seems BoT means to all personal borrowings. So how about those who use it for personal business or SME that many are not registered as entity, just use personal account. That means when Thailand’s small business or SME grow up, you will see household debt grow up definitely. It doesn’t mean only to debt for personal consumption na?
You would not be incorrect to make such a statement. Government definitions of multiple items do differ slightly from country to country. We could spend a lifetime debating on what variables should be used for inflation, gdp, debt etc etc…
Pudis W
For household debt – I doubt whether the classification in each country would be the same. In Thai, it seems BoT means to all personal borrowings. So how about those who use it for personal business or SME that many are not registered as entity, just use personal account. That means when Thailand’s small business or SME grow up, you will see household debt grow up definitely. It doesn’t mean only to debt for personal consumption na?
Pon
You would not be incorrect to make such a statement. Government definitions of multiple items do differ slightly from country to country. We could spend a lifetime debating on what variables should be used for inflation, gdp, debt etc etc…