MONEY MASTER

 Key Takeaway The  European Central Bank (ECB)  is expected to keep interest rates unchanged this week, but markets are far more worried about  France’s deepening political turmoil , which could spill over into the eurozone’s economic outlook. France in Focus Political Uncertainty:  Prime Minister Francois Bayrou faces a confidence vote he looks set to lose. If his government falls, President Emmanuel Macron must step in, raising fresh doubts over France’s fiscal repair plans. Investor Concern:  France’s instability is drawing scrutiny from global markets. Fitch Ratings, which already has a negative outlook on France, will review its rating on Friday—another potential flashpoint. ECB’s Dilemma Policy Hold Expected:  ECB officials will almost certainly  leave rates unchanged  in Frankfurt this week. Muted Guidance:  Policymakers agreed in July to stay “deliberately uninformative” about the next move, reflecting uncertainty over inflation ...

Cracks are beginning to show in the eurozone’s labor market , prompting the European Central Bank (ECB) to consider speeding up interest rate cuts. Despite record-low joblessness following the inflation shock, policymakers are now seeing early signs of a slowdown that has pushed them to back another reduction in borrowing costs this week. While the ECB doesn’t have the same dual mandate as the Federal Reserve —which targets both price stability and full employment—a weakening labor market could still significantly impact the ECB’s inflation outlook. With major companies like BASF SE and Thyssenkrupp AG cutting staff, some officials fear a deeper deterioration that could rattle a region already on the brink of recession. Economist Soeren Radde from Point72 expects the ECB to begin cutting rates this month and continue doing so, noting that the key concern is the labor market . ECB President Christine Lagarde , who in July cited the strength of the jobs market as a reason for cautio...

Bets on aggressive monetary easing in economies like the European Central Bank (ECB) and Bank of England (BOE) are complicating the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) efforts to raise interest rates. As central banks in advanced economies signal rate cuts, the BOJ risks standing out as the only major central bank contemplating rate hikes . BOE Governor Andrew Bailey indicated a shift toward a more active approach to lowering rates , while the ECB is facing increased speculation of aggressive rate cuts due to weak economic data in Canada and Sweden . Analysts at Evercore ISI noted that as other central banks ease rates, it becomes more challenging for the BOJ to raise its own rates. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve 's recent 50-basis-point cut has further complicated the global outlook. Weak US jobs data in August increased the odds of more Fed action, coinciding with Japan’s recent rate hikes, which triggered a global selloff in Japanese equities . Newly appointed Prime Minister Shigeru ...

The market is behaving like a yo-yo and today, we have a better side of things. It’s an uptrend and we’re looking at a jump for FBM KLCI by 0.27% or 4.56 points to 1,690.91. FBM KLCI closed higher as oil rebound There is still no clear signal of breaking the 1,700 mark but things have been slightly more positive now. Across Bursa Malaysia, we saw 1.72 billion shares traded worth RM1.81 billion. There are 441 winners compared to the 355 losers while another 353 is unchanged. Regionally, things are also looking better except for the volatile China. The positive sentiment was mainly driven by the rebound of crude oil price and the expectation of policy easing by the European Central Bank (ECB) later in the day. In Bursa, the top gainer is Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd while leading the decliners was British American Tobacco (M) Bhd. The warrants of AirAsia X and RedSena dominated the top active counters.