Karen Maley

Jun 25, 2024 | afr.com | Karen Maley

Investors are being forced to shift their attention towards politics, with US President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump on Thursday set to engage in a highly anticipated head-to-head confrontation, in what will be the earliest presidential debate in American history. All eyes will be on Thursday’s debate between US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.  AP

Jun 24, 2024 | afr.com | Karen Maley

As France heads to the first round of parliamentary elections on the weekend, the far-right Rassemblement National is trying to appeal to centrist voters and calm jittery financial markets, by adopting many of the signature economic policies of French President Emmanuel Macron, while using immigration and security to differentiate itself. Rassemblement National president Jordan Bardella is seeking to appease anxious investors. Lewis Joly/AP

Jun 19, 2024 | afr.com | Karen Maley

China’s central bank boss has acknowledged that deepening problems in the real estate sector and for debt-laden local governments mean the country’s banks will struggle to boost lending enough to bolster economic activity. Pan Gongsheng, the head of the People’s Bank of China, told a major financial forum in Shanghai this week that lending to real estate and local government financing vehicles accounts for a large share of the country’s 250 trillion yuan ($51.6 trillion) of bank loan books.

Jun 18, 2024 | afr.com | Karen Maley

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock is going out of her way to douse investor hopes for a quick cut in interest rates. Although the RBA board kept interest rates steady at its meeting on Tuesday, Bullock said at her post-meeting press conference that the board discussed the case for increasing interest rates – while the case for a rate cut “was not considered”.

Jun 18, 2024 | afr.com | Karen Maley

Reserve Bank boss Michele Bullock will need all her political acumen as she tries to explain why punishingly high interest rates are inflicting huge pain on Australian households yet failing to tame inflation. At its meeting on Tuesday, the Reserve Bank board kept the cash rate steady at 4.35 per cent, while acknowledging that even though inflation is easing, it “has been doing so more slowly than previously expected and it remains high”.