Market Pulse - Currencies
BoJ policymakers determined to bring CPI back to target
Rate-setters at the Bank of Japan continue to be clearly-focused on bringing inflation back to their 2% target on a sustainable basis, details of their last policy meeting revealed.
Japanese industrial production jumps in November
Japanese industrial production shot ahead last month buoyed by output of semiconductor equipment and electronic parts, but companies were projecting relatively flat levels of output over coming months.
Bitcoin drops 17% as Seoul closes in on cryptocurrency crackdown
A warning from Seoul that it was studying potential measures, including shutting down some cryptocurrency exchanges, to stamp out excessive and potentially costly speculation, put paid to a four-day rebound in Bitcoin from its worst week since 2013.
Citi projects modest weakness in the US dollar in 2018
Foreign exchange strategists at Citi retained a 'bearish' view on the Greenback in 2018, predicting it would weaken by roughly 5% against other G10 currencies over the next six to 12 months and on average by between 1% and 2% against those from Emerging Markets.
Bitcoin plunges close to $12000 but analysts predict bounce back
Bitcoin crashed below $13,000 and was closing in on $12,000 on Friday to record a plunge of 66% this week as the total cryptocurrency market lost close to $150bn from its total market value on Friday alone - though with analysts saying rebounds are likely.
Trading of Bitcoin Cash temporarily suspended pending an investigation
On Tuesday, Coinbase allowed its users to buy, sell, send and receive Bitcoin Cash but suspended trades following allegations on social media that illegal transactions were being conducted.
Litecoin founder sells all his holdings
Charlie Lee the software engineer, founder of Litecoin has said in a reddit post that he has sold and donated all of his coins during following a 75-fold rally this year.
World Bank nudges China 2017 GDP growth forecast a tad higher
The World Bank expects the Chinese economy to cool further over the short-term but said the Asian giant was making progress on re-balancing.
South Korean cryptocurrency exchange files for bankruptcy after second hack.
The South Korean exchange Youbit has been hacked for a second time this year, resulting in the loss of 17% of its total assets, leading to the announcement of a halt in trading in order to staunch losses.
Boeing and Bombardier trade dispute intensifies
Aeronautical giants Bombardier and Boeing went to toe-to-toe on Monday as the two traded blows in front of the US International Trade Commission (ITC) in the most recent round of their feud amid claims by both that the other has benefited from massive subsidies.
CME launches Bitcoin futures amid calls for tighter regulation
CME, the largest exchange provider in the world, launched its Bitcoin futures market on Sunday evening to compete with rival Cboe which did so a week earlier, with initial predictions from investors signalling the cryptocurrency could hit a high of $20,865 by January.
Week ahead: US data, Catalan elections in focus
The focus in the coming week will continue to be on the ebb and flow of data out of the US, including Republicans' progress on securing passage of their tax cuts.
Luxembourg appeals EU ruling for Amazon to collect €250m in unpaid taxes
Luxembourg is mounting a challenge to an EU ruling which ordered it to collect €250m in unpaid taxes from US tech giant Amazon.
ECB keeps all rates unchanged, confirms guidance on asset purchases
The European Central Bank has opted to keep all its main policy rates unchanged, with policy-makers reiterating that they expect to keep all their key rates as they are until well past the end of the ECB's net asset purchase programme.
China tweaks lending rates after Fed decision
China's central bank tweaked two of its policy rates in what some analysts said was a bid to relieve pressure on the country's currency.
Macron promises at Paris summit to "Make Our Planet Great Again"
French president Emmanuel Macron has called on world governments to stay the course on fighting climate change despite America's decision to retreat from the Paris accords.
China November credit growth belies slowdown, economists say
Credit conditions in China continued to tighten last month, leading economists to anticipate cuts to the central bank's reserve requirement ratio for lenders in the short-run in order to provide liquidity and - eventually - allow a weaker currency as well.
Brexit: Ireland will hold the UK to border agreement
Ireland has lashed out at the British government after Brexit secretary David Davis said the divorce agreement was a "statement of intent".
China CPI slows more than expected in November, re-acceleration seen
Consumer price inflation in Asia's largest economy slowed more than expected last month, weighed down by falls in food prices, but economists expected it would recover in 2018.
Bitcoin makes futures trading debut as digital currency aims for $17k
The remarkable trajectory of bitcoin continued on Monday as the digital currency gained another 25% and trading was halted twice after making its futures trading debut on the Chicago Board Options Exchange at the weekend.