The International Monetary Fund has cut its global growth forecasts, expecting global economy to grow at 3.7% this year and next year down 0.2 %age points from an earlier forecast. The IMF maintained that the U.S. and China will grow by 2.9% and 6.6%, respectively, this year but said both would slow more than expected to 2.5% and 6.2%, respectively, in 2019. The IMF said emerging economies as a whole have experienced larger volumes of capital outflows as investors shift their money out on the back of rising interest rates in the U.S. Countries.
The People's Bank of China had lowered the required reserve ratio (RRR) as it looks to shore up the economy after a series of weak data, amid Beijing's trade war with Washington. The People's Bank of China's move over the weekend to reduce how much cash lenders must hold as reserves -- the so-called reserve requirement ratio (RRR) -- came as challenges to the economy grow, including fallout from the US-China trade war. As per reports, the reduction in RRR could pump about $175 billion into the economy, especially to small to medium size businesses. China's RRR cut reinforces expectations of more policy easing ahead, putting China on a divergent path of monetary policies with the United States, where 10-year treasuries yields hit seven-year highs as the Federal Reserves keeps raising rates. Yields of China's 10-year central government bonds have been trending lower this year, standing at 3.633% on Oct. 8. That compares with the 3.227% yield for U.S. bonds, the highest level since May, 2011. The narrowing interest rate differentials between China and the U.S. will exert more downward pressure on the RMB. The Yuan had slid to its lowest official close against the dollar in seven weeks on expectations Beijing would follow Sunday's policy easing with more stimulus. On Monday, a senior US Treasury official expressed concern at the fall in the yuan, adding that it was unclear whether Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would meet with any Chinese officials this week.
Investors are meanwhile concerned about Italy, which sparked disquiet last week by unveiling a budget that set the public deficit at around 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) for the next three years, earning a rebuke from Brussels and forcing it to row back slightly. The European Commission wrote last week to Italian economy minister Giovanni Tria outlining serious concerns about the budget, but deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio responded that the government will not retreat on spending plans. Fellow deputy PM Matteo Salvini ramped up the war of words, attacking EU Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici directly.
CURRENCY NEWS: Japanese yen appreciated against greenback on Tuesday, as demand for safe heaven currency resumed on simmering anxiety about higher US bond yields, the Sino-US trade war and political turmoil in Europe. The IMF added to the malaise by cutting forecasts of global growth for both this year and next, including downgrades to the outlook for the United States, China and Europe. The dollar shed 0.2% to 113.04 yen on Tuesday. The euro lost 0.15% to 129.95 yen, slightly above a near-four-week low of 129.49 yen reached overnight.
OFFSHORE MARKET NEWS, US stock market closed mixed on Monday, as many traders remained away from their desks for the Columbus Day holiday. Traders also seemed reluctant to make significant moves, as the bond markets were closed along with banks and federal offices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 39 points, or 0.2%, to 26,486. The Nasdaq composite fell 52 points, or 0.7%, to 7,735. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 1 point to 2,884.
The major European markets ended down on Monday, on concerns that Italy could face a sovereign debt crisis after its populist government passed a purse-busting budget last week to the chagrin of the EU. The German DAX Index plunged by 1.4%, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index and the French CAC 40 Index slumped by 1.2% and 1.1%, respectively.
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