Markets & Industries
World Central Banks bought the largest amount of gold in the last 50 years - 02/01/2019
Volume of net purchases of gold from the central banks of various countries of the world, according to the World Gold Council, in 2018 amounted to 651.5 tons, which was the maximum value since 1967. This is stated in a report for the IV quarter and 2018 as a whole, published on Thursday, January 31, on the website of the World Gold Council. According to the WGC (industry organization created by...
US Fed shows patience with new rate hikes - 02/01/2019
According to results of the latest January meeting, the US Fed expectedly kept the key rate at the level of 2.25–2.5% per annum. Once again, the regulator is optimistic about state of the American economy, noting that members of the open market committee consider business expansion as the main scenario. At the same time, the Fed pointed out the need to "show patience" in further tightening...
US tax reform is losing momentum - 01/30/2019
A year after the launch of a large-scale tax reform in the United States, its impact on companies' expectations regarding the amount of capital investment has declined dramatically. According to the US National Business Association, 84% of US companies now believe that tax cuts do not lead to increased employment and investment. At the same time, most businessmen are still optimistic about...
How will Venezuela's situation affect oil prices? - 01/28/2019
The attempted coup in Venezuela could have unexpected consequences for the oil market. On the one hand, a part of the Venezuelan oil may leave the market in the event of new sanctions from the United States. On the other, in the event of a regime change, the Bolivarian Republic may significantly increase production, which will lead to an excess of supply. The political crisis in Venezuela made...
European economy is losing optimism - 01/28/2019
Estimates of the future growth of the euro area countries continue to decline. As follows from a survey of the European Central Bank (ECB), now experts on average predict EU GDP growth by 1.5% in 2019 and 2020, which is 0.3 and 0.1 percentage points (pp) lower than in the fourth quarter of last year. The first forecast for 2021 (1.4%) also implies a further decrease in the dynamics. The estimate...
Chinese consumers are refusing American brands - 01/25/2019
China with its billions in population has been attracting the largest American brands for more than a decade. The double-digit growth rates of the Chinese economy are a thing of the past, but the 400 million middle class created during the boom years still drinks expensive coffee, watches American films and uses smartphones. However, now they are becoming more stingy, and these changes in the...
EU promises US counter-fees in case duties on cars are introduced - 01/24/2019
The European Union is ready to impose import duties on American goods totaling 20 billion euros if US President Donald Trump fulfills his threats and imposes additional duties on European cars, said Jean-Luc Demarty, director general of the European Commission for Trade. "We must be prepared to respond symmetrically and effectively to any new trade restrictions that the US may impose on us,"...
USA to ban e-cigarettes - 01/21/2019
The US authorities do not rule out a ban on e-cigarettes and vape pens due to their growing popularity among young people, said Head of the Office for the Control of the Quality of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States Scott Gottlieb. “I am very concerned that we are at this crossroads today. In recent years, as it seemed, we managed to defeat one of the most harmful threats to...
IMF proposes implementing US tax reform in the entire world - 01/18/2019
With all controversies, IMF experts believe that full implementation of principles of the 2017 US tax reform allows the country that implements it to significantly outperform its competitors. Economists of the fund are very cautious but still certain that such a reform, exempt profits abroad from taxes, is most effective for the global economy in all major countries at the same time. The IMF...
Can private investors make money on Industry 4.0? - 01/16/2019
Industry 4.0, or, in other words, the fourth industrial revolution, implies not only the further development of technology, but also the digitalization of all spheres of life. This is a fundamentally new approach to production and consumption, a new ecosystem in which physical processes are integrated into a single information space. As for specific areas, Industry 4.0 includes automation of...
