Economy

China’s central will guide interest rates lower to aid virus-hit economy

Published

5 years ago

February 21, 2020

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s central bank will take further steps to support the virus-hit economy, including releasing more liquidity and lowering funding costs for firms, a vice governor of the bank told state media.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) will guide market interest rates lower and keep liquidity appropriately ample to help companies affected by the coronavirus epidemic, Liu Guoqiang, the bank official, told the Financial News in an interview.

The PBOC will release more liquidity to banks by adjusting the criteria for targeted reserve requirement ratios (RRR) cuts, Liu said.

“China’s monetary policy space is still very sufficient, and the toolbox is also sufficient. We are confident and able to offset the impact of the epidemic,” Liu told the newspaper.

The central bank will push down real lending rates, especially for small firms, by further improving the transmission mechanism of the loan prime rate (LPR) – its new benchmark lending rate, Liu said.

Liu reiterated that the central bank will not resort to “flood-like” stimulus.

China has cut several of its key rates in recent weeks, including the benchmark lending rate on Thursday, in a bid to reduce financial strains on companies facing severe business disruptions due to the outbreak. Investors widely expect further monetary and fiscal support measures in coming weeks.

Benchmark deposit rates will also be adjusted at an appropriate time, Liu said.

Liu said that the epidemic’s impact on China’s economy would be limited, and that Beijing would strive to meet economic and social development targets this year.

Chen Yulu, another vice central bank governor, said that the coronavirus’ impact on China’s economy will be short-term and limited, and that the country is fully confident it beat the epidemic, state media reported on Saturday.

“We believe that after this epidemic is over, pent-up demand for consumption and investment will be fully released, and China’s economy will rebound swiftly,” Chen said.

China’s economic growth may show a sharp slowdown in the first quarter, probably dipping to 3% or even lower from 6% in the previous quarter – which was the weakest pace in nearly 30 years, economists estimated.

The central bank also is closely monitoring consumer prices, which could be disturbed by the virus epidemic, Liu said.

Seasonal factors and the virus’ impact were behind the flat M1 money supply, or cash in circulation plus corporate demand deposits, in January from a year earlier, Liu said.

Liu also said China’s economic fundamentals were sound, adding it had ample foreign currency reserves to support its yuan currency.

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Economy

Energy stocks help lift S&P/TSX composite, U.S. stock markets also up

Published

1 day ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was higher in late-morning trading, helped by strength in energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also moved up.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 34.91 points at 23,736.98.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 178.05 points at 41,800.13. The S&P 500 index was up 28.38 points at 5,661.47, while the Nasdaq composite was up 133.17 points at 17,725.30.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.56 cents US compared with 73.57 cents US on Monday.

The November crude oil contract was up 68 cents at US$69.70 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up three cents at US$2.40 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$7.80 at US$2,601.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.28 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

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Economy

Canada’s inflation rate hits 2% target, reaches lowest level in more than three years

Published

1 day ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – Canada’s inflation rate fell to two per cent last month, finally hitting the Bank of Canada’s target after a tumultuous battle with skyrocketing price growth.

The annual inflation rate fell from 2.5 per cent in July to reach the lowest level since February 2021.

Statistics Canada’s consumer price index report on Tuesday attributed the slowdown in part to lower gasoline prices.

Clothing and footwear prices also decreased on a month-over-month basis, marking the first decline in the month of August since 1971 as retailers offered larger discounts to entice shoppers amid slowing demand.

The Bank of Canada’s preferred core measures of inflation, which strip out volatility in prices, also edged down in August.

The marked slowdown in price growth last month was steeper than the 2.1 per cent annual increase forecasters were expecting ahead of Tuesday’s release and will likely spark speculation of a larger interest rate cut next month from the Bank of Canada.

“Inflation remains unthreatening and the Bank of Canada should now focus on trying to stimulate the economy and halting the upward climb in the unemployment rate,” wrote CIBC senior economist Andrew Grantham.

Benjamin Reitzes, managing director of Canadian rates and macro strategist at BMO, said Tuesday’s figures “tilt the scales” slightly in favour of more aggressive cuts, though he noted the Bank of Canada will have one more inflation reading before its October rate announcement.

“If we get another big downside surprise, calls for a 50 basis-point cut will only grow louder,” wrote Reitzes in a client note.

The central bank began rapidly hiking interest rates in March 2022 in response to runaway inflation, which peaked at a whopping 8.1 per cent that summer.

The central bank increased its key lending rate to five per cent and held it at that level until June 2024, when it delivered its first rate cut in four years.

A combination of recovered global supply chains and high interest rates have helped cool price growth in Canada and around the world.

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem recently signalled that the central bank is ready to increase the size of its interest rate cuts, if inflation or the economy slow by more than expected.

Its key lending rate currently stands at 4.25 per cent.

CIBC is forecasting the central bank will cut its key rate by two percentage points between now and the middle of next year.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is also expected on Wednesday to deliver its first interest rate cut in four years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

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Economy

Federal money and sales taxes help pump up New Brunswick budget surplus

Published

2 days ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

FREDERICTON – New Brunswick‘s finance minister says the province recorded a surplus of $500.8 million for the fiscal year that ended in March.

Ernie Steeves says the amount — more than 10 times higher than the province’s original $40.3-million budget projection for the 2023-24 fiscal year — was largely the result of a strong economy and population growth.

The report of a big surplus comes as the province prepares for an election campaign, which will officially start on Thursday and end with a vote on Oct. 21.

Steeves says growth of the surplus was fed by revenue from the Harmonized Sales Tax and federal money, especially for health-care funding.

Progressive Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs has promised to reduce the HST by two percentage points to 13 per cent if the party is elected to govern next month.

Meanwhile, the province’s net debt, according to the audited consolidated financial statements, has dropped from $12.3 billion in 2022-23 to $11.8 billion in the most recent fiscal year.

Liberal critic René Legacy says having a stronger balance sheet does not eliminate issues in health care, housing and education.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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