Analysis: Currencies

Russia turns to UAE and Turkey for butter to contain soaring prices

MOSCOW - Russia is importing butter from the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, in a move aimed at containing soaring prices that have alarmed consumers. Agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said on...

Czech central bank likely to continue rate cuts, analysts say

PRAGUE - The Czech National Bank is likely to deliver an eighth straight interest rate cut next week as economic growth is expected to stay weak and inflation holds near target, a Reuters poll showed...

BOJ should wait at least six months for rate hike, says key opposition leader

TOKYO - The Bank of Japan should wait for at least six months before hiking interest rates, until there are signs of sustainable wage gains above inflation, the head of the opposition party that the...

EU Council chief warns of 'consequences' of Israel's UNRWA ban for key trade deal

GENEVA - The European Council President warned on Thursday that Israel's decision to ban the key U.N. aid agency for Gaza could result in the annulment of a deal establishing Israeli trade relations...

Sterling spirals as investors fret over UK budget, gilts sell off

The pound fell on Thursday, set for its worst two-day loss against the euro in two years, a day after new British finance minister Rachel Reeves announced a tax-and-spend budget that investors worried...

Ukraine holds key rate at 13% as inflationary pressure grows

KYIV - Ukraine's central bank kept its main interest rate unchanged at 13% on Thursday, in line with market expectations, and said it would remain cautious in the coming months amid growing...

Kazakhstan hopes to resolve agricultural trade tension with Russia within a week

ASTANA - Kazakh agriculture minister Aidarbek Saparov said on Thursday he hoped that issues with Russian curbs on the import of grain and other agricultural products from Kazakhstan would be resolved...

BOJ keeps interest rates steady, roughly maintains price forecasts

TOKYO - The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady on Thursday and roughly maintained its forecast that inflation will hover near its 2% inflation target in coming years, signalling its readiness to...

BOJ to keep rates steady as politics muddles outlook

TOKYO - The Bank of Japan is expected to maintain ultra-low interest rates on Thursday and signal a cautious approach to rolling back its massive monetary stimulus, as political uncertainty and...

US issues hundreds of Russia-related sanctions, Treasury Dept website shows

WASHINGTON - The United States on Wednesday targeted Russia with fresh sanctions, issuing curbs on hundreds of targets including dozens of Chinese, Indian and Turkish entities and individuals,...

Sterling traders race to hedge risk ahead of UK budget, US election

LONDON - Sterling traders rushed to hedge against big price moves on Wednesday, with just hours to go before Labour finance minister Rachel Reeves' first budget, while the pound held steady against...

Swedish economy in recession, preliminary data shows

STOCKHOLM - Sweden's economy entered a technical recession in the third quarter as gross domestic product fell 0.1% compared with the previous quarter, preliminary figures from the statistics office...

More companies planning price hikes in Germany, survey finds

BERLIN - Companies in Germany's industrial, retail and corporate services sectors are planning more price increases, bringing inflation on track to rise to the European Central Bank's 2% target,...

Yen mired in political uncertainty; dollar looks to key data releases

SINGAPORE - The yen languished near a three-month trough on Tuesday as the loss of a parliamentary majority for Japan's ruling coalition in weekend elections raised uncertainty about the nation's...

Currency Crossroads: EUR/USD tests support amid market tensions

I can read here and there that the markets are at their wits' end in the face of so much uncertainty: this week's quarterly results from US heavyweights will be marked by Friday's employment report,...

Bank of England to cut Bank Rate to 4.75% on Nov. 7, say all 72 economists polled

BENGALURU - The Bank of England will cut its Bank Rate by a quarter-point on Nov. 7 to 4.75%, according to all 72 economists polled by Reuters, but a near-two-thirds majority expect no move in...

Event risks galore this week

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Vidya Ranganathan A weekend election in Japan that has knocked the yen down to three-month lows, a heavy U.S. corporate earnings calendar,...

Markets gear up for two wild weeks of elections and rate moves

LONDON - Investors globally are piling into the U.S. dollar and betting on rising volatility ahead of a crucial two weeks in which the United States and Japan elect leaders, three major central banks...

Markets enter the eye of risk-event storm

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Kevin Buckland Yields are mercifully lower as the week draws to a close, removing some of the angst that has weighed on equities and...