WSJ Economy

Singapore’s central bank kept monetary-policy settings steady at its first meeting of the year, forecasting hotter inflation and relatively solid growth.

The bank’s monetary policy committee kept the nation’s benchmark rate at 15%, while indicating it may start cutting at its next meeting in March.

Officials signaled greater comfort with a pause on rate cuts. Two governors favored a reduction.

Officials said they are unable to predict the timing and direction of the central bank’s next rate move.

American farmers hope to benefit from a U.S.-Malaysia trade deal, but finding buyers in a fiercely competitive landscape isn’t straightforward.

The central bank was closely monitoring the appreciation of the euro, which could potentially reduce inflation across the bloc, the Governor of the Bank of France said.

The improvement was driven by a jump in economic and income expectations, as well as a higher willingness to buy among consumers, according to the survey.

Bank of Japan policy board members have grown more cautious about the potential inflationary impact of a weak yen, meeting minutes show, as markets stay on alert for any sign of action to stabilize the currency.

The president wants someone who will pursue lower interest rates—and who’s credible enough to actually deliver them.

The Continent’s dependence on America runs deep and belies attempts to replace it with new alliances.

The monthly survey’s primary index dropped from 94.2 in December to 84.5 in January as the economic mood worsened across ages and income levels.

The agreement is both economies’ largest and will link almost two billion consumers.

It is possible that the potential growth rate, a key reading for policymakers, is higher than currently estimated, the World Bank’s deputy chief economist said.

Ten of 12 analysts polled foresaw no change in the bank’s 2.25% benchmark rate for the entirety of this year.

Officials, who are meeting this week, are divided over when the inflation data will justify further reductions.

The number of unemployed people fell by 136,100 to 2.48 million, the country’s statistics body, INE said Tuesday.

Confidence among German firms was flat in January, with sentiment failing to pick up steam despite the rollout of government stimulus.

Rearmament, an aging population, technological change and fear of voters are fueling a risky trend.

Michelle Bowman, the central bank’s vice chair for supervision, is slashing staff, changing rules and adding to the tension at the Fed in the process.

The build-to-rent business looks poised to take off after Trump exempted this industry from his regulations on large investors.