America’s long-term borrowing costs hit a 19-year high last week as Middle East oil shocks, persistent inflation above 3 percent, and a widening federal deficit pushed bond investors to demand greater compensation.
Tag: inflation
Posted inEconomy
Three Fed Dissenters Pushed for Rate Hike as July Minutes Reveal Hawkish Split
Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s July 28–29 meeting show three regional presidents voted to raise rates immediately, the largest dissenting bloc of the year, with many participants warning further hikes may be necessary.
Posted inEconomy
Australia Holds Rates at 4.35% as Bullock Warns Middle East Risk Could Force Further Hikes
The Reserve Bank of Australia kept its cash rate unchanged at 4.35% in a unanimous August 11 decision, but governor Michele Bullock explicitly left the door open to further increases.
Posted inMarkets
S&P 500 Closes at Record 7,799 as Soft PPI Eases Rate-Hike Fears
Weaker-than-expected producer price data on Thursday pushed the S&P 500 to a new closing record of 7,798.99, trimming the probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike in September.
Posted inEconomy
US Retail Sales Fell 0.6% in July, First Drop in Nine Months
American consumers pulled back sharply in July, with retail sales posting their largest monthly decline in nine months at –0.6%, raising fresh questions about household resilience.
Posted inMarkets
Gold Holds Above $4,400 as Cooling CPI Dims September Rate-Hike Bets
Gold futures held near $4,408 per ounce on August 13 after two consecutive months of cooling US inflation reduced the probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike in September to around 34%.
Posted inEconomy
US Inflation Holds at 3.4% in July as Energy Costs Drive Real Wages Negative
The July CPI rose 0.1% monthly and 3.4% annually, keeping inflation above the Fed’s 2% target and eroding real wages for a fourth consecutive month.
Posted inEconomy
US Inflation Falls Below 3% for First Time Since 2021
July 2026 US CPI came in at 2.9% year-over-year — the first sub-3% reading since 2021 — strengthening the case for a Federal Reserve rate cut at the September meeting.
Posted inEconomy
BOJ Board Splits on Rate Pace as One Member Calls for Faster Hikes Than Markets Expect
The Bank of Japan’s July meeting summary, released August 10, shows one board member arguing the pace of rate hikes could exceed market expectations as core inflation nears 2%.
Posted inEconomy
Brazil Cuts Selic to 14% for Fourth Consecutive Meeting
Brazil’s Copom cut the Selic to 14% on 5 August, a fourth straight quarter-point reduction completing 100 basis points of easing since March 2026.