The Consumer Price Index for February, which measures changes in the cost of food, housing, gasoline, utilities and other goods, rose by 3.2% over the past 12 months. Markets and experts had expected the figure to be around 3.1%. So what does inflation have to do with mortgage rates? Historically speaking, when inflation rises and … Read more
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies during the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing titled “The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress,” in Dirksen Building on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday indicated that interest rate cuts may … Read more
European Central Bank policymakers on Thursday lowered their annual inflation and growth forecasts, as they confirmed a widely expected hold of interest rates. Staff projections now see economic growth of 0.6% in 2024, from a previous forecast of 0.8%. They presented a more positive picture on inflation, with the forecast for the year brought to … Read more
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday reiterated that he expects interest rates to start coming down this year, but is not ready yet to say when. In prepared remarks for congressionally mandated appearances on Capitol Hill Wednesday and Thursday, Powell said policymakers remain attentive to the risks that inflation poses and don’t want to … Read more
European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde speaks as she presents the bank’s 2022 Annual Report to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 26, 2024. Frederick Florin | AFP | Getty Images FRANKFURT — The European Central Bank will meet again this week amid falling inflation, a slight recovery in economic activity … Read more
CAIRO — The Egyptian pound slipped sharply against the dollar on Wednesday after the Central Bank of Egypt raised its main interest rate and said it would allow the currency’s exchange rate to be set by market forces. The measures were meant to combat inflationary waves and attract foreign investment as the country experiences a … Read more
U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the headquarters of the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 13, 2023. Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed … Read more
Until the 1970s, women in the most prosperous Asian economies like South Korea, Japan, and China were having more than five children on average. Today, that trend is starkly different. For the sixth consecutive year, South Korea has recorded the world’s lowest fertility rate. In the latest figures released by the government on Feb. 28, … Read more
A mortgage refinance is when you take out a home loan to replace your existing mortgage. You’ll also get a new loan term and interest rate with your new mortgage. For many people, the primary goal of refinancing is to save money by getting a lower mortgage rate. But with mortgage interest rates still high, … Read more
Christopher Waller, governor of the US Federal Reserve, during a Fed Listens event in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Thursday he will need to see more evidence that inflation is cooling before he is willing to support interest rate cuts. … Read more