Opinion

The term “Down Under” as a somehow blessed space separate from the realities of the rest of the world really ought to be banished, at least from discussions about economics. The direction of monetary policy in Australia and New Zealand is headed upside down after years of exceptionalism. As four central ba-nks across Asia reduced int- erest rates last week, ...

While China’s industrial sector crashes, one corner is booming. Oddly enough, it’s probably bad news for participants. Fixed-asset investment in mining increased 27.4 percent from a year earlier in July, continuing an extraordinary run this year that puts growth at the fastest pace in a decade. One commodity is likely to have dominated: Investments in mining and preparing coal have ...

Rather unexpectedly, Republicans have become a minor font of ideas on fighting climate change. There’s been talk of clean-energy tax credits, a boost to carbon-capture technology, a renewed push for nuclear power, even a new “Roosevelt Conservation Caucus” dedicated to green issues. Above all, they say, the fight against climate change must take advantage of American innovation. That’s no doubt ...

Is your company immune to Brexit? With the looming threat of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal deal and a slim but rising risk of the pound plunging to parity with the dollar, more chief executives are telling investors they can handle any eventuality — however messy. Unfortunately, having a fully fleshed out Brexit contingency plan is a ...

Switzerland is one of the richest places on the planet but it isn’t all sunshine and alpine flowers when you’re encircled by the world’s biggest trading bloc: the European Union. While the Swiss are pretty nimble in managing this unfortunate state of affairs, there are limits to what they can do. Take currency. The Swiss National Bank is facing the ...

In the past couple of months, the flaws in the Federal Reserve’s management of the economy have become hard to ignore. The central bank’s current way of doing things is increasingly self-defeating. To its credit, the Fed seems to realise this and is conducting a broad review of its goals and methods. It would be a pity if this process ...

To have a recession or not — that is the question. It also encompassed last week’s most important political news, notwithstanding all the public attention understandably focussed on the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton. There is growing evidence of a possible recession. If one materialises, President Trump could lose his most powerful argument for reelection: a strong economy. ...

Singapore just gave a verdict on who’s winning the trade war. The answer is few countries, if any, in Asia. The deep cut in the trade-reliant economy’s growth forecast was disappointing, albeit not startling. There may be no expansion at all. Growth is likely to be between zero and 1 percent this year, compared with a previous projection of 1.5 ...

Asset managers face “tough industry conditions with flows difficult to come by and fees under pressure,” says Standard Life Aberdeen Plc Chief Executive Officer Keith Skeoch. He’s not wrong; but competitors are weathering the ongoing storm far, far better than his firm is this year. SLA’s performance this year is dismal, with its shares languishing at their lowest level since ...

It looks as if the Trump administration didn’t want to be accused of ruining Christmas. The US Trade Representative’s office said that it would delay until December 15 the imposition of tariffs on certain goods coming to the US from China. The government said products such as cellphones, laptops, as well as some toys, clothes and shoes would be spared ...