MACRO ECONOMIC NEWS

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Macro Economic News 19 Feb 2019

 

As trade negotiations with China resume this week, the Trump administration is racing to strike a deal that will result in long-term reforms—and prove that tariffs are an effective battering ram to open markets around the world. Sixteen states on Monday filed a federal lawsuit challenging President Trump’s national-emergency declaration to pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Alarmed by the erosion of the post-Cold War order, Europeans are grasping at ways to influence a world in which Russia, China and the U.S. under President Trump are all fighting for predominance. Brexit Rifts Deepen, U.K. Labour Lawmakers Quit Party. Investors around the globe are effectively paying governments to hold more than $11 trillion of their bonds, a fresh sign of ebbing economic confidence in Europe and Japan.

 

FINANCIAL TIMES

[I]  Calm currency markets at odds with conventional wisdom

[I]  Saudi crown prince pledges $20bn to Pakistan

[I]  Renamed Balkan nation seeks closer ties with Nato and EU

[I]  EU threatens retaliation if US imposes punitive car tariffs

[I]  Germany and France strive for compromise over arms exports

[I]  Nigeria’s election delay forces digital reboot

[I]  Fed nears decisions on its asset portfolio

[I]  RBI to pay bumper $3.9bn dividend to Indian government

[I]  EU says UK will struggle to match its free trade deals

 

REUTERS

[I]  Brent oil eases from 2019 highs as markets await trade talks outcome

[I]  New round of U.S.-China trade talks begins Tuesday

[I]  China needs tax cuts to relieve pressure on economy: vice premier

[I]  Euro's bounce slows as focus shifts back to economy, ECB policy

[I]  UK manufacturers warn of 'catastrophic' no-deal Brexit

[I]  UK's Gove: Govt will use tariffs, quotas to protect farmers after Brexit

[I]  Brazil wants compensation, may retaliate against EU steel duties

[I]  Italy starts talks with EU over bank bad loan scheme renewal: source

[I]  Auto industry lines up against possible U.S. tariffs

[I]  RBI to transfer 280 billion rupee interim surplus to government

[I]  India's January trade deficit widens, slow exports growth a concern

 

BLOOMBERG 

[I]  These Are the Countries Where Office Staff Work Most Extra Hours

[I]  Brexit Hands Ireland's Varadkar Test of Lifetime. Will He Blink?

[I]  China Rate Debate, Bundesbank Soothes, Singapore Splash: Eco Day

[I]  A China Interest-Rate Cut May Be on its Way. But Which Rate?

[I]  Global Car Markets Are in Reverse. Trump Is Making It Worse

[I]  The Risk of Fallen Angels in Asia’s Bond Market Is Rising

[I]  Winners and Losers From Singapore's Budget as Election Looms

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL

[I]  As China Talks Resume, Trump Seeks a Win on Trade

[I]  States File Suit Against Trump Administration Over Wall Emergency

[I]  U.S. Weighs Opening Liaison Office in North Korea

[I]  In a Volatile World, Europe Struggles to Find Its Voice

[I]  Brexit Rifts Deepen, U.K. Labour Lawmakers Quit Party

[I]  Bank for Japanese Farmers That Fuels the Global Lending Market

[I]  Worrying About Deficits Falls Out of Style

[I]  Global Stocks Edge Higher as U.S.-China Trade Talks Progress

[I]  Negative Yields Mount Along With Europe’s Problems

 

BUSINESS LINE

[I]  Mutual fund houses push sell button on auto and construction sectors

[I]  Centre to get Rs. 28,000-crore as interim dividend from RBI

[I]  India-built ships to get priority moving impex cargo for PSUs

[I]  Saudi Arabia, India to ink five MoUs to boost ties

[I]  India capable of meeting Argentina’s need for affordable, high-quality generic drugs: Prabhu

[I]  Bumpy road ahead for truck industry as sales likely to slow

[I]  Rate-cut transmission: RBI chief to meet bank CEOs on Thursday

[I]  External benchmarking of loan rates may result in volatility, warn bankers

 

ECONOMIC TIMES

[I]  Home buyers seek participation in builder's bankruptcy

[I]  Rupee goes from Asia's best to worst as oil, Pulwama puncture mood

[I]  RBI to inject Rs 12,500 crore liquidity via OMO on Thursday

[I]  Sovereign gold bond yields better than spot metal investments

[I]  Merger of three general insurers likely in FY20

[I]  Provident Fund rate may be retained at 8.55%

 

BUSINESS STANDARD

[I]  Rise in pledged shares by promoters puts Dalal Street on the edge

[I]  Expensive lithium-ion batteries put the brakes on India's EV plans

[I]  DoT may not extend 90-day period for telecom firms to test 5G spectrum

[I]  From soaps to ACs, brands promise assurance, safety in age of anxiety

[I]  GST meet to fix real estate rates on Wednesday; lottery off the table

[I]  Domestic aluminium firms differ on protective steps to curb rising imports

[I]  Gold trades near all-time high on escalating cross-border tension

 

MARKETS (08:00 am)

[I]  SGX NIFTY Fut: 10672;  USDINR DGCX: 71.4800;  DJIA Mini: 25892;  FTSE 100 Fut: 7184;  NIKKEI 225 Fut: 21298;  EUR-USD: 1.1299; Crude Oil (WTI): 55.72;  Gold (Spot): 1325

 

Best Regards, ARBIND
19 Feb 2019