With a rapidly ageing population, Germany is urgently looking at how it can get more work from a labour force that enjoys the most ample leisure time in the rich world. But analysts say it is overlooking one vital, untapped resource: its women.
The yen jumped in the wake of comments from Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda at a press conference after the central bank raised interest rates and unveiled a plan to taper its huge bond-buying programme.
Oil futures rebounded more than $1 a barrel from 7-week lows on Wednesday after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran ratcheted up tensions in the Middle East, but prices stayed under pressure from concerns about weak China demand.
Pressure on the world’s biggest cryptocurrency came chiefly from speculation over potential token sales by the U.S. government, which reportedly holds about $12 billion worth of tokens and is among the biggest Bitcoin holders in the world.
European shares climbed 1% on Wednesday, driven by a raft of corporate updates, while heavyweight ASML (AS:ASML) led overall gains on report that the Dutch chip equipment manufacturer would be exempted from a new U.S. rule on foreign chip equipment exports.
The Bank of Korea said at the meeting that it was time to prepare for a pivot to interest rate cuts after leaving the benchmark interest rate steady at a 15-year high of 3.50% for the 12th straight meeting, as expected.
While flagging the potential for a more diversified currency landscape, UBS highlights the dollar’s deep liquidity, stability, and the stickiness of global currency regimes. Gold is identified as a key diversifier, with central bank buying and other factors expected to drive its price higher.
Oil fell 2% in the previous session after Israel signalled that its response to a rocket strike in Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday would be calculated to avoid dragging the Middle East into an all-out war.
The world’s biggest cryptocurrency had risen as far as $70,000 on Monday after Republican presidential nominee Trump promised friendlier regulations when speaking at the Bitcoin Conference over the weekend.
European shares opened higher on Tuesday, boosted by gains in technology and oil stocks, while investors held back from placing big bets ahead of the Federal Reserve’s meeting and Euro zone inflation data.
