US Banking Industry in Turmoil: A Comprehensive Look at the ‘Great Consolidation’ and Largest Bank Failures of 2023

2023 has been a rollercoaster ride for the U.S. banking industry. The collapse of three major banks has sent shockwaves through the financial world, with their combined assets surpassing the top 25 banks that crumbled in 2008. The following is a closer look at what has triggered a ‘great consolidation’ in the banking sector, a … Read more

Uncertainty Surrounds Federal Reserve’s Future Plans for Rate Hikes

The U.S. Federal Reserve has raised the benchmark bank rate seven times during the course of 2022, leading many to question when the central bank will cease or change course. The Fed has stated that it aims to bring inflation down to the 2% target, and the increases to the federal funds rate are intended … Read more

Federal Reserve Hikes Rate by 50bps, FOMC Signals Rate to Rise to 5.1% Next Year

The U.S. central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) convened on Wednesday and raised the federal funds rate by 50 basis points (bps). The 0.5 percentage point rise follows the four consecutive three-quarters of a point increases codified during the last few months. The FOMC’s rate hike follows the recent U.S. inflation report which indicated … Read more

Observers Suspect an Aggressive Fed Rate Hike Next Month, Analyst Predicts Fed Will Pivot in December

According to recent reports close to central bank officials, the U.S. Federal Reserve will likely deliver another interest rate hike by roughly 75 basis points (bps) next month. Moreover, markets are predicting another rise by three-quarters of a point, and CME’s Fedwatch Tool indicates there’s a near-certain (98%) chance the central bank will choose a … Read more

Hong Kong Protects Local Currency in Forex Market Amid Capital Flight to US Dollar

Following the Bank of England explaining that it would be meddling in U.K. bond markets and the Bank of Japan defending the yen in the foreign exchange market last week, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) revealed it intervened in forex markets on Wednesday. Hong Kong’s central bank detailed that it interfered in forex markets … Read more

Federal Reserve Hikes Benchmark Bank Rate by 75bps to Battle Elevated Inflation

The U.S. Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate on Wednesday afternoon by three-quarters of a percentage point. The central bank’s move follows the consumer price index (CPI) report last week that showed U.S. inflation jumped last month by 8.3% per annum. Fed Raises Federal Funds Rate by 75bps anticipates ‘Ongoing Increases’ On September 21, … Read more

Crypto, Stocks, PMs Sink Lower — All Eyes on the Fed’s Next Rate Hike as Ethereum’s Merge Hype Wavers

The crypto economy has slipped under the $1 trillion range once again after briefly rising to a high of $1.16 trillion on September 14. Signs show that Ethereum’s Merge hype has seemingly left the building and market participants are now waiting for the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting next week. Presently, the crypto economy is down … Read more

China’s Yuan Continues to Depreciate Against Greenback, Real Estate Crisis Exposed 2 Decades of Accumulated Risk

China’s sovereign currency, the yuan, has slid significantly in value during the last few months as it has shed 8% against the U.S. dollar during the first half of 2022. China’s fiat currency is currently the weakest it has been against the U.S. dollar in roughly two years. Amid the depreciating yuan, China is suffering … Read more

Fed’s Bostic Cautious About Rate Hikes as President Biden Blames Higher Prices on Covid-19 and Putin

As inflation continues to wreak havoc on the lives of ordinary American citizens, all eyes are focused on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s plans to fix the situation. Meanwhile, as the St. Louis Fed president James Bullard wants to aggressively hike the benchmark bank interest rate, Atlanta Fed president Raphael Bostic thinks the central bank needs … Read more