21 June 2019 FT — Articles to Read

Question: According to MSN: Money, what is the average credit score for people in DC?

Fed plays waiting game with eye on slowdown and trade war – Pg. 2

  • “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure”, the Fed chairman told reporters
  • After a two-day meeting, where it decided to keep rates steady, the US central bank issued a policy statement citing rising “uncertainties” about the outlook posed by trade and some weakening in economic indicators
  • As many as eight of the 17 Fed officials are predicting lower rates this year
  • One of the biggest challenges for the Fed is contemplating rate cuts is that US economic data have not deteriorated to the point where officials fear a sharp slowdown or recession, which would easily justify monetary easing
  • …still expecting growth of 2.1% this year and 2% in 2020
  • The other difficulty for Mr Powell is that US trade policy may remain uncertain for some time
  • The markets-implied probability of a 25bp cut in the Fed’s interest rate corridor in July had jumped to 76%, and the odds on a whopping 50bp reduction has jumped to 24%…

Gold hits five-year high on increasing prospect of Fed interest rate reductions – Pg. 19

  • The price of gold rose to its highest level in more than five years yesterday after the US Federal Reserve signalled it would cut interest rates and the dollar fell
  • Gold has been aided by plunging bond yields

Answer: 676 (Rank: 33)