Actualités financières en direct

Synopsis The Reserve Bank of India recently raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to curb inflation. This increase is expected to raise borrowing costs for banks, affecting interest rates on home loans. …

Synopsis The Reserve Bank of India recently raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to curb inflation. This increase is expected to raise borrowing costs for banks, affecting interest rates on home loans. First-time and price-sensitive homebuyers in the affordable housing sector may feel the impact more significantly. Market experts anticipate that strong demand fundamentals will mitigate some negative effects. The overall housing market remains robust, especially in higher-priced segments.

HANOI, Oct 7 : The rise in annual inflation in September has put pressure on Vietnam's monetary policy management for the rest of this year but prices remain under control, central bank deputy governor …

HANOI, Oct 7 : The rise in annual inflation in September has put pressure on Vietnam's monetary policy management for the rest of this year but prices remain under control, central bank deputy governor Pham Thanh Ha said on Wednesday. • Vietnam's annual inflation in September was 5.08 per cent, compared with 4.89 per cent in August, according to data from the statistics office. • "This is the highest reading in several years, putting huge pressure on managing prices and controlling inflation during the rest of the year," Ha told a regular press conference in Hanoi. • Ha said recent interest rate hikes by central banks, including the Fed, has also put pressure on emerging and developing economies, including Vietnam. • Export-reliant Vietnam has faced higher prices for imported fuels this year due to the Iran war. • Total bank lending as of September 30 had risen 11.59 per cent from the end of last year, and was up 16.69 per cent from a year earlier, Ha said. • The country has a target of keeping inflation at 4.5 per cent this year. • Vietnam reported gross domestic product growth of 9.95 per cent in the third quarter, and its fourth quarter growth must be higher than 12 per cent for the country to meet its full-year growth target of at least 10 per cent, the head of the central bank's monetary policy department, Pham Chi Quang, told the same conference. • The central bank said it will pursue flexible monetary policy for the rest of the year, striking a balance between keeping inflation under control and supporting economic growth. • It will boost lending to business and manufacturing projects while tightening control over lending to risky sectors, it said.

Real estate companies in West Bengal on Wednesday said the RBI's 25-basis point repo rate hike could increase borrowing costs for homebuyers and developers, but maintained that the rise is unlikely to impact demand …

Real estate companies in West Bengal on Wednesday said the RBI's 25-basis point repo rate hike could increase borrowing costs for homebuyers and developers, but maintained that the rise is unlikely to impact demand in the long term. The Reserve Bank of India raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 5.50 per cent on Wednesday, its first increase in nearly four years. "The RBI has increased the repo rate after three years As a result, interest rates of banks and financial institutions on housing and construction loans will increase. This will have some adverse impact on real estate," CREDAI West Bengal president Sushil Mohta said. Primarc Projects MD Siddharth Pansari said the hike may make home loans marginally more expensive, but is unlikely to have a major impact on genuine homebuyers. "In Kolkata, people are buying homes with a long-term view, and their decisions are increasingly driven by the right location, better quality and the lifestyle a home offers. There may be some caution in the short term, but the underlying demand for good homes remains strong," he said. MD of Purti Realty Mahesh Agarwal said the immediate impact could be felt through higher home loan costs, while developers may also face a marginal increase in the cost of capital. "However, we do not anticipate this to fundamentally alter the long-term trajectory of the housing market," he said, adding that demand for quality homes is increasingly supported by income growth, evolving lifestyles and infrastructure development. Emami Realty MD and CEO Nitesh Kumar said the rate hike could temporarily affect affordability, particularly for financing-dependent first-time buyers, and those in the affordable-to-mid segment, coming as it does at the beginning of the festive season. "Despite short-term borrowing-cost pressures, strong cultural and financial intent continues to support festive real estate demand. Developers are responding with flexible payment plans, stronger value propositions, and targeted offers to sustain quarterly momentum," Kumar said. Knight Frank India Chairman and MD Shishir Baijal said the 25-basis-point hike was broadly in line with expectations amid weak monsoons, the potential impact of El Nino, geopolitical conditions and inflationary pressures. "The shift to a 'calibrated tightening' stance signals that further rate action will remain data dependent. For real estate, higher borrowing costs could create some affordability pressures, particularly in interest-rate-sensitive and lower-priced segments, but we do not expect a material disruption to the sector's broader trajectory in the near future," Baijal said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the economy is "accelerating" and inflation, along with bond yields, will come back down once the conflict in Iran ends. "Right now, we have this energy shock that's generated …

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the economy is "accelerating" and inflation, along with bond yields, will come back down once the conflict in Iran ends. "Right now, we have this energy shock that's generated by the Iran conflict, and headline inflation is about 3.5%. But my message is underlying inflation — core inflation — is down to about 2.3%," Bessent said at the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce on Monday night. He asserted that median wage growth is in line with headline inflation, and that "we will get to the other side of this Iran conflict. Energy will come back down, and the wage growth will continue." Read more: How oil price shocks ripple through your wallet, from gas to groceries He said 1 million private sector jobs have been created this year, while government jobs have been trimmed by 300,000. "Real wage growth comes from private sector jobs, and I think we're just starting to see the acceleration here," he said. But not everyone sees the wage picture the same. Gregory Daco, chief economist for EY, notes that average hourly earnings rose at an annualized pace of 3% in September, marking the slowest pace of the post-pandemic cycle. He said he expects inflation in September, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, to clock in at 3.6%, and as a result, he anticipates that wages adjusted for inflation will likely fall 0.6% year over year, marking a sixth consecutive month of contraction. "While strong wealth effects from stock market gains continue to support solid aggregate consumer spending, the growing income squeeze affecting households is likely to cap spending growth heading into 2027," Daco said. Joe Brusuelas, chief economist for RSM, agrees that the economy accelerated into the third quarter, but he asserts that inflation is not easing, pressuring wages and purchasing power. Brusuelas maintains that the CPI report due out next week will show that wage growth adjusted for inflation has been flat to negative since the start of the Iran war. "It's far more likely that declining real wages begin to act as a mild drag on growth heading into the final quarter of 2026 and early 2027," he said. Higher bonds: strong economy or oil prices? Bessent also addressed the spike in long-term Treasury yields, saying he believes the run-up is a function of headline inflation and higher energy prices stemming from the war. Once the conflict ends, he said, longer-term bond yields will come down to levels seen in mid-February before the war. "I don't know if this conflict's going to end next week, next month, in two months, but I believe on the other side of this, energy prices will be much lower and interest rates, mortgage rates will come back down," he said.

United States stock futures traded mostly lower on Wednesday as investors awaited the minutes from the Federal Reserve's September meeting, when the central bank raised interest rates for the first ti... United States stock …

United States stock futures traded mostly lower on Wednesday as investors awaited the minutes from the Federal Reserve's September meeting, when the central bank raised interest rates for the first ti... United States stock futures traded mostly lower on Wednesday as investors awaited the minutes from the Federal Reserve's September meeting, when the central bank raised interest rates for the first t…

Higher interest rates have weighed on property markets in both Hong Kong and New York, but Morgan Stanley sees greater upside potential in the Asian financial hub – particularly the office segment – in …

Higher interest rates have weighed on property markets in both Hong Kong and New York, but Morgan Stanley sees greater upside potential in the Asian financial hub – particularly the office segment – in the months ahead, according to its latest report. The US … Higher interest rates have weighed on property markets in both Hong Kong and New York, but Morgan Stanley sees greater upside potential in the Asian financial hub particularly the office segment in t…

Will the worldwide revolt against oligarchy reach America before the billionaires buy our elections this fall?Two weeks ago tomorrow, on September 23, Madrid’s police had to cordon off a downtown street to carry an …

Will the worldwide revolt against oligarchy reach America before the billionaires buy our elections this fall?Two weeks ago tomorrow, on September 23, Madrid’s police had to cordon off a downtown street to carry an 87-year-old woman named María del Carmen Aba… Will the worldwide revolt against oligarchy reach America before the billionaires buy our elections this fall? Two weeks ago tomorrow, on September 23, Madrids police had to cordon off a downtown st…

As persistent inflation and squeezed household budgets leave millions of Americans feeling financially stretched, democratic socialist leaders are pitching rent controls and greater government involvement in the economy as an equalizer. Patrice Onwuka, vice …

As persistent inflation and squeezed household budgets leave millions of Americans feeling financially stretched, democratic socialist leaders are pitching rent controls and greater government involvement in the economy as an equalizer. Patrice Onwuka, vice p… As persistent inflation and squeezed household budgets leave millions of Americans feeling financially stretched, democratic socialist leaders are pitching rent controls and greater government involv…

With the RBI changing its monetary policy stance from 'neutral' to 'calibrated tightening ', experts on Wednesday said that the central bank would go for another rate hike of up to 50 basis points …

With the RBI changing its monetary policy stance from 'neutral' to 'calibrated tightening ', experts on Wednesday said that the central bank would go for another rate hike of up to 50 basis points in its upcoming December policy. The next bi-monthly monetary policy is due on December 4. Earlier in the day, the Reserve Bank of India raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 5.50 per cent, its first increase in nearly four years, and signalled that further hikes could follow as rising inflation and a weakening currency prompt a policy pivot. Anticipating the rate hike by the RBI, Bajaj Finance has raised interest rates on its fixed deposits by 15 to 40 basis points across all tenures from 12 to 60 months. The revised rates take effect from October 7 and apply to both fresh deposits and renewals, Bajaj Finance said in a statement. The biggest increase is on longer tenures, it said, adding, interest rates on deposits for 31 to 60 months rise by 35 basis points for regular depositors and 40 basis points for senior citizens. According to HDFC Bank Principal Economist Sakshi Gupta, "We expect cumulative rate hikes by the central bank to the tune of another 50-75 bps over the next few months. The risk of a more aggressive rate hike cycle hinges on whether the current West Asia conflict and rise in oil prices continue to linger on for longer." The inflation prints are expected to harden moving forward, on account of a combination of factors such as the poor monsoon, rising commodity prices and an unfavourable base effect, setting the stage for another rate hike in December as of now, ICRA Chief Economist Aditi Nayar said. The current inflationary trends on the food as well as fuel front have weighed heavily on RBI, prompting it to increase the repo rate. Going forward, a further rate increase at least in the next two quarters, if not more, and this may help in bringing about an effective check on inflationary expectations and ensuring stability, Resurgent India MD Jyoti Prakash Gadia said. Echoing a similar view, Yes Bank Chief Economist Indranil Pan said, "All policies remain live; a December hike of 25 bps is a certainty now. The RBI will continue to remain data-dependent and factor in the breadth of inflation pressures in the months ahead to determine the cumulative dose of hikes." Crisil Principal Economist Dipti Deshpande said retail inflation has firmed in recent months, while upside risks from crude oil, commodities and food prices have become more pronounced. A calibrated tightening stance allows the central bank the choice to either hike rates or take a pause depending on evolving inflation conditions, she said. With rising energy prices, broader price pressures and volatility in global markets, the move reinforces the RBI's focus on anchoring inflationary expectations while supporting the resilience of the domestic economy, Tata Capital MD & CEO Rajiv Sabharwal said. RBI's decision to raise the repo rate by 25 basis points is a measured response to the evolving macroeconomic environment, said Abhimanyu Munjal, MD and CEO of Hero FinCorp. For NBFCs, higher rates will have an impact on funding costs, making disciplined pricing, a diversified funding mix and prudent underwriting even more important, he said. Ranen Banerjee, Partner and Leader, Economic Advisory, PwC India, also said the MPC was widely expected to increase the repo rate. "The increase in repo rate with a change in stance to calibrated tightening will help provide that anchor to inflation expectations. The future actions will now depend on the US Fed action, global bond yield movements, food inflation trajectory and crude oil prices," he said. According to Shrikant Goyal, Managing Director, Getfive Funds, the timing of the rate hike is notable for MSMEs, as the festive season is when they ramp up inventory, production and hiring, and rely heavily on working capital and short-term credit. Amit Prakash Singh, Co-founder & Chief Business Office, Urban Money, said the hike has to be viewed in the larger geopolitical context. "The RBI's decision to hike the repo rate to 5.50 per cent reflects a proactive, stability-first approach designed to anchor long-term economic health amidst evolving global headwinds. The RBI's decision to hike the repo rate to 5.5 per cent reflects a proactive, stability-first approach designed to anchor long-term economic health amidst evolving global headwinds, MIDASX CEO Aakash Bansal added.

Governor Sanjay Malhotra and MPC members at a press conference on its Monetary Policy announcement What did the RBI decide? What is the RBI’s GDP forecast? What is pushing inflation higher? What does ‘calibrated …

Governor Sanjay Malhotra and MPC members at a press conference on its Monetary Policy announcement What did the RBI decide? What is the RBI’s GDP forecast? What is pushing inflation higher? What does ‘calibrated tightening’ mean? What does the repo rate hike mean for home loan borrowers? Will home loan EMIs rise? Middle East risks, weather conditions & more - What’s next?