When the world’s biggest health crisis in a century struck in February, central bankers and politicians rushed to protect their economies. The devastation of lockdown threatened even the soundest financial firms, whose collapse would have worsened the crisis. But the trillions of dollars plowed into companies and households, accompanied by the easing of regulatory demands on lenders, d... read more

England’s top medical officer on Saturday announced that the U.K. has identified a new variant of the coronavirus that “can spread more quickly” than prior strains of the virus, leading Prime Minister Boris Johnson to impose fresh restrictions on parts of the nation to control its spread. “We’re learning about it as we go, but we already know enough, more than enough, to be sure th... read more

The United States confirmed on Friday it will add dozens of Chinese companies, including the country’s top chipmaker, SMIC, to a trade blacklist. The move, which was first reported by Reuters, is seen as the latest in President Donald Trump’s efforts to cement his tough-on-China legacy. It comes just weeks before Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is set to take office on Jan. 20.... read more

Morgan Stanley analysts foresee 2021 as another big year for liquidity injection and asset price inflation. "On our projections, G10 central banks will inject another US$2.8 trillion of liquidity next year – just in their government bond purchases. That's more than twice the amount of liquidity central banks injected in any year prior to the one drawing to a close," Morgan Stanley analyst... read more

Stock futures were lower early Friday as the outlook for additional fiscal stimulus remained uncertain. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average indicated an opening loss of more than 200 points. S&P 500 futures fell 0.9%. Nasdaq 100 futures slid 0.9%. The S&P 500 was set to fall for a third day on Friday as negotiations over a coronavirus relief deal dragged on. Lawmakers seek to pass... read more

The award-winning luxury-apartment property NEMA San Francisco, with 754 units in four linked towers completed in 2013, on the corner of 10th Street and Market Street (NEw MArket, get it?), has become part of the story of suddenly and deeply plunging occupancy rates as a large number of tenants have packed up and left during the Pandemic. For the three largest towers, the occupancy rate ha... read more

LONDON (Reuters) - A stronger U.S. dollar will increasingly weigh on emerging- market economic prospects, since developing countries have taken on so much dollar-denominated debt in the past decade, the Bank of International Settlements said on Monday. FILE PHOTO: U.S. one hundred dollar notes are seen in this picture illustration taken in Seoul February 7, 2011. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won/File P... read more

Within the UK, the Financial institution may have a steadiness sheet amounting to almost 50pc of each GDP and the excellent debt inventory, as soon as its present programme is full – materially increased than at any time in current or distant historical past. I’ve lengthy harboured doubts in regards to the pivotal function central banks declare in delivering the value stability of curren... read more

Safety nets are likely to be yanked from underneath millions of vulnerable Americans in December, as the coronavirus surges. Why it matters: Those most at risk are depending on one or more relief programs that are set to expire, right as the economic recovery becomes more fragile than it's been in months. Those relief programs include special unemployment benefits and penalty-free pauses... read more

Congress comes back to Washington this week with two thorny issues to resolve before the end of the year. Lawmakers need to pass a spending bill by Dec. 11 to prevent a government shutdown. Meanwhile, they will have to decide whether to approve another coronavirus relief bill as rampant infections stress hospitals and trip up the U.S. economic recovery. The challenges will test a divided... read more