# monetary policy
Latest news and articles about monetary policy
Total: 9 articles found
Gold and Silver Plunge Sparks Market-Wide Shock as Exchanges Tighten Controls
A dramatic sell-off on February 2 sent gold and silver tumbling and forced exchanges in China and abroad to raise margins and restrict trading. Regulators cited abusive trading and liquidity risks, while analysts warn the move reflects sentiment-driven flows and policy-related uncertainty rather than purely fundamentals.
Trump Picks Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair — a Hawkish Choice That Stokes Market Jitters
President Trump has nominated Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and Wall Street banker, to be Federal Reserve chair. Markets moved sharply on the news as investors priced in a more hawkish US monetary stance, while the nomination raises questions about Fed independence and global spillovers from tighter US policy.
Fed Holds Rates Steady after Prior Easing, Spotlighting Policy Uncertainty
The Federal Reserve kept its policy rate at 3.50%–3.75% and signaled a cautious, data‑dependent approach after three rate cuts in late 2025. A 10–2 vote to hold, with two officials favoring an immediate 25‑basis‑point cut, exposed internal disagreement over how quickly to ease further amid still‑elevated inflation.
Powell Urges Next Fed Chair to Steer Clear of Politics as White House Pressure and DOJ Inquiry Intensify
At a Jan. 28 press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell urged his successor to distance the Federal Reserve from partisan politics as the bank held rates steady. Powell defended the Fed’s independence amid public hostility from President Trump and a Justice Department probe into a Fed headquarters renovation that has added legal uncertainty to the leadership transition.
Markets Back BlackRock’s Rick Rieder as Surprise Front‑Runner for Fed Chair
Prediction markets now favor BlackRock’s Rick Rieder as the leading candidate to replace Jerome Powell, with traders pricing his probability around 60 percent. His Wall Street standing, openness to Fed reform and positive feedback from investors have put him ahead of other contenders, even as questions about central‑bank independence and policy direction persist.
China's 2026 Growth Playbook: Policy Push, Consumption Pivot and a Tech-Led Transition
China ended 2025 with 5% GDP growth and its economy topping RMB 140 trillion. For 2026 economists expect coordinated fiscal and targeted monetary easing to prioritise domestic demand, with consumption and services leading a structural shift toward technology-driven growth.
PBoC Signals More Easing but with Targeted Tools as Beijing Recasts Monetary Framework
PBoC governor Pan Gongsheng said Beijing will pursue a ‘moderately loose’ monetary policy in 2026 with room for further reserve‑requirement and interest‑rate cuts, while accelerating a shift toward targeted structural tools and a market‑oriented monetary framework. The bank plans to expand re‑lending and risk‑sharing facilities for private firms, tech and small businesses, strengthen macroprudential oversight, and deepen international financial integration.
China’s Households Save More, Borrow Less: Big Provincial Deposits Rise Masks Weak Consumption
Provincial 2025 banking data show household deposits climbing rapidly across several provinces while household short-term loans shrink, signalling greater risk aversion and subdued consumption. Corporate lending, by contrast, expanded robustly, driven by policy support and firms’ financing needs, leaving regulators with the task of converting high savings into stronger domestic demand.
China Holds Fire on LPR for Eighth Month as Markets Brace for Possible Q2 Rate Cut
China left its LPR unchanged for an eighth straight month on January 20, with the one‑year rate at 3.00% and the five‑year+ at 3.50%. Forecasters warn that worsening export pressures from higher U.S. tariffs could prompt Beijing to follow early targeted easing with a broader policy rate cut in Q2, which would likely push mortgage and corporate lending rates lower.