Foreign Exchange News

This is Money10 February 2006 BRITISH Airways is facing the renewed threat of industrial action over the company's £1.2bn pension deficit. UP IN THE AIR: Travellers may face disruption if BA pilots push ahead with a strike WANT TO KNOW MORE? POLL: Would you increase your pension contributions to keep your final salary scheme intact? OTHER STORIES QinetiQ win for private investors Royal Mail fined £11m for lost letters Market report: Friday close Asda guil ...

The US trade deficit widened in December, pushing the shortfall for 2005 to record levels. In December, the deficit was $65.7bn (£37bn) compared with $64.7bn in November. The 2005 deficit was $725.8bn, almost 18% more than in 2004. While exports have climbed, they have struggled to keep up as record oil prices, strong consumer demand and cheap foreign goods boosted imports. Analysts have questioned how long this size of deficit can be sustained. 'Extra room' "There have been historical ...

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The Japanese yen surged against the dollar and other rivals after December machinery orders well exceeded market expectations. The dollar fell to 117.63 yen from 118.79 late Thursday, while the euro eased to $1.1969 from $1.1988. The core measure in December of Japanese machinery orders, which strips out volatile components such as ship orders, surged 6.8% month-on-mo ...

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The dollar remained lower against Japan's yen late in Friday's session, pushed down by news that the U.S. racked up its largest- ever trade deficit last year and data that suggested the Bank of Japan may be forced to tighten its monetary policy soon. The dollar late in the day was 0.8% lower at 117.88 yen. The euro eased 0.7% to $1.1902, after data showing weak economi ...

Countries with weaker currencies tend to offer better equity returns to foreign investors than those with stronger ones, according to a study by ABN Amro and London Business School. // Using data collected over more than a century, the study disputes the belief that equity returns are superior in countries whose currencies are stronger. Writing in their latest global investment returns yearbook, London Business School professors Elroy Dimson, Mike Staunton and Paul Marsh found that since 1900, ...

By Richard Beales and Jennifer Hughes in New York and Andrew Balls in WashingtonPublished: February 9 2006 20:44 | Last updated: February 9 2006 20:44Barely a week after leaving the US Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan has been reminded how tricky life can be in the private sector for a man revered as the world’s greatest former central banker. // His comments at a Wall Street dinner on Tuesday ri ...

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The dollar was mixed late in Thursday's session, after getting a short-lived boost from news of exceptionally strong foreign demand for the revived 30-year Treasury bond. document.write('');   MARKETWATCH TOP NEWS U.S. stocks up on results; 30-yr bond auction goes well Treasurys end higher after strong 30-yr bond sale AIG pays $1.6B in settlement ...

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - The dollar was a bit lower Thursday morning, after both the Bank of Japan and the Bank of England left rates unchanged, actions that were widely expected and did not immediately change valuations much. Throughout the year to date, the dollar overall has benefited from attractive rate differentials against the euro and yen. The dollar last was down 0.05% at 118.42 yen ...

The yen held steady against the euro and the dollar on Thursday despite the Bank of Japan giving no indication when it will dump its ultra-loose monetary policy. // Toshihiko Fukui, BOJ governor, said he could not say whether the central bank would decide to end its quantitative easing policy - the pumping of additional liquidity into the banking system - at its next policy meeting on March 8-9.  ...

South Korea's central bank has raised interest rates for the third time in five months to keep a lid on inflation. The Bank of Korea raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point to 4% - its highest level since May 2003 - after rises in October and December. The economy is set to grow at about 5% this year and both consumer and business spending have picked up. The rise came despite fears that high oil prices and the strong value of the won could hit Korea's economic growth. The country's cu ...