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Interest rates rose sharply this week in the United States, Britain, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway - among other places.

Stocks slump to 2-year low as rates reality bites

Stocks hit a two-year low today and bonds eyed big weekly losses as the prospect of US interest rates rising further and faster than expected rattled investors, while a rising dollar had currency markets skittish following Japan's intervention.

Business • 23 Sep 22

Fed raises rates by 0.75% and signals more to come

The Federal Reserve has raised its target interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point to a range of 3.00%-3.25% and signaled more large increases to come.

Business • 21 Sep 22

The US unemployment rate was at 3.6% in June

US job growth beats expectations

US employers hired far more workers than expected in July, with the unemployment rate falling to a pre-pandemic low of 3.5%, providing the strongest evidence yet that the economy was not in recession.

Business • 05 Aug 22

Federal Reserve delivers second super-sized rate hike

Investors are gauging whether the US Federal Reserve has reached the peak of its aggressiveness in hiking rates, with some saying they're ready to up risky positions again.

Business • 28 Jul 22

As the Fed's impact on the economy becomes more apparent, the issue now is whether it is at risk of overdoing it

Fed expected to unveil another big rate hike

With the Federal Reserve expected to hike its key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point today to battle high inflation, focus will shift to how deeply signs of an economic slowdown have registered with its policymakers.

Business • 27 Jul 22

This morning the euro slumped 0.9% to $1.0072, a fresh 20-year low.

Euro closes in on dollar parity

The euro neared parity with the dollar today, as traders bet on the prospect of a eurozone recession caused by soaring inflation.

Business • 08 Jul 22

US employers added 372,000 net new jobs last month, nearly 100,000 more than economists forecast

US sees big job gains in June, fueling inflation fears

The US economy added far more jobs than expected in June and wages rose, adding fuel to worries about accelerating inflation, but giving President Joe Biden a reason to cheer.

Business • 08 Jul 22

Powell also repeated that the Fed's reductions to its massive balance sheet could start by May

Fed will raise rates more aggressively if needed

The US Federal Reserve must move "expeditiously" to bring too-high inflation to heel, Chairman Jerome Powell said today, adding that it could use bigger-than-usual interest rate hikes if needed to do so.

Business • 22 Mar 22

Powell is due to begin a news conference half an hour after the release of the statement

Fed likely to flag March interest rate hike

The Federal Reserve is today expected to signal plans to raise interest rates in March as it focuses on fighting inflation and sets aside, at least for now, economic risks posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a bout of market volatility, and Western fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Business • 26 Jan 22

The Nasdaq turned positive after being down as much as 4.9% earlier in the session

European shares stage comeback on earnings cheer

European shares recovered some lost ground today, following their worst sell-off since June 2020, after upbeat earnings reports from Ericsson and Logitech provided support.

Business • 25 Jan 22

The Fed held its current target interest rate steady in a range of 0% to 0.25%

Fed signals bond-buying taper coming 'soon'

The US Federal Reserve has cleared the way to reduce its monthly bond purchases "soon" and signaled interest rate increases may follow more quickly than expected, with nine of 18 central bank policymakers projecting borrowing costs will need to rise in 2022.

Business • 22 Sep 21

Sterling also edged up 0.1% against the euro this afternoon

Sterling inches up against dollar as US jobs disappoint

Sterling rose to a three-week high on Friday after data showed the US economy created the fewest jobs in seven months in August, casting doubt over the timing of the Federal Reserve's plan to scale back its bond buying scheme.

Business • 03 Sep 21

The report came ahead of the annual Jackson Hole conference

Fed chief Powell's record 'mixed', think tank says

A think tank highly critical of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's record on banking regulation released an assessment of his four-year tenure that is by turns scathing and complementary, highlighting the competing considerations as U.S. President Joe Biden weighs whether to reappoint him.

Business • 23 Aug 21

No money was stolen from any reserve account, according to Ajmal Ahmaty

Afghanistan central bank reserves 'not compromised'

Despite the swift takeover of the government in Afghanistan, the Taliban will not have access to most of the nation's cash and gold stocks, the central bank chief has said.

Business • 18 Aug 21

Concerns about overheating have risen sharply inside the Fed's policy-setting committee

Fed holds rates but signals two increases by end 2023

The US Federal Reserve brought forward its projections for the first post-pandemic interest rate hikes into 2023, citing an improved health situation and dropping a longstanding reference that the crisis was weighing on the economy.

Business • 16 Jun 21

US Federal Reserve officials said there would be no 'imminent' move to tighten monetary policy in the world's biggest economy

US Fed seeks to calm inflation fears, world stocks up

Stock markets across the world have been taking a bit of a hammering this week, amid worries that US inflation is set to rise.

Business • 14 May 21

In the 12 months through January the CPI rose 1.4%

US consumer prices rise modestly

US consumer prices rose moderately in January as an increase in the cost of gasoline was blunted by a slump in airline fares, suggesting inflation could remain benign for a while amid a pandemic that has fractured the labor market and services industry.

Business • 10 Feb 21

Donald Trump's tweet repeated a central claim made last week by New York Federal Reserve President John Williams

Trump echoes Fed official's comments in demand for cut

US President Donald Trump has used a Federal Reserve official's own words to amplify his continual demands for lower interest rates.

Business • 22 Jul 19

Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, surged by 0.9% in March

US consumer spending posts biggest increase since 2009

US consumer spending increased by the biggest gain in more than nine and a half years in March, but price pressures remained muted, with a key inflation measure posting its smallest annual gain in 14 months.

Business • 29 Apr 19

The Fed no longer anticipates the need to guard against inflation with restrictive monetary policy

US Fed holds interest rates steady

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady and its policymakers abandoned projections for further rate hikes this year as the US central bank flagged an expected slowdown in the economy.

Business • 20 Mar 19

US consumer inflation saw its slowest annual pace more than two years in February, new figures show

US consumer prices cool in February

The falling price of energy drove US consumer inflation in February to its slowest annual pace more than two years, according to government data released today.

Business • 12 Mar 19

The safe-haven yen extended its broad rally as the US dollar dropped to 109.37, its lowest since June last year

Stocks nurse New Year hangover as China data disappoint

Asian shares turned tail on the first trading day of the new year as more disappointing economic data from China darkened the mood and upended US stock futures.

Business • 02 Jan 19

Trump has repeatedly broken with the norm respected by US presidents in recent decades to refrain from criticising the Fed

Trump warns Federal Reserve against interest rate hike

President Donald Trump has urged the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, to not make "another mistake" by raising interest rates.

Business • 18 Dec 18

Donald Trump has called the Fed's interest rate increases a 'ridiculous' policy

Trump calls 'loco' Federal Reserve 'too aggressive'

US President Donald Trump said that last night's stock market sell-off was in fact a long-awaited "correction," and that the Federal Reserve, which has been raising US interest rates, had gone "crazy."

Business • 11 Oct 18

Jerome Powell was nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Federal Reserve

US President 'not thrilled' with Fed interest rate hike

US President Donald Trump once more broke with protocol as he criticised the US Federal Reserve for raising interest rates and accused it of failing to support his economic policies.

Business • 21 Aug 18