Real-time News

The yield on Japan's 20-year government bond fell 1.0 basis point to 3.135%.

March 17th - Beijing released its economic performance data for January and February. New residential housing sales reached 664,000 square meters, a 10.9% increase, primarily driven by concentrated sales of affordable housing. In January and February, new commercial housing sales in Beijing totaled 934,000 square meters, a 1.3% year-on-year decrease, a significant narrowing of 5.6 percentage points compared to the 6.9% decrease for the whole of last year.

March 17th - Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister stated on Tuesday that Thailand has discussed the possibility of purchasing crude oil with the Russian government. He said the Thai Foreign Minister raised the issue at a meeting in Europe on Monday, and it is understood that negotiations are underway regarding the purchase of Russian crude oil. The Thai government will strive to keep domestic diesel prices capped at 33 baht (US$1.02) per liter.

On March 17th, Rakuten Securities strategist Masayuki Kubota stated that if oil prices remain in the $90 per barrel range, Japanese companies' willingness to invest in capital expenditures and private consumption are likely to remain robust. In this scenario, the negative and positive effects of rising energy costs will offset each other, limiting the drag on corporate profits. He believes that under this scenario, there is no need to revise his forecast of over 15% net profit growth for companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's main board for the fiscal year ending March 2027.

March 17th - Despite the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raising the official cash rate from 3.85% to 4.10%, the Australian dollar/Japanese yen exchange rate edged lower in Asian trading. The ongoing Middle East conflict continues to push up energy prices, exacerbating inflationary pressures in Australia. Meanwhile, the yen received support due to market expectations of potential intervention by Japanese authorities. The RBA became the first G10 central bank to restart its rate hike cycle. Market participants will be closely watching RBA Governor Bullock's press conference for signals on the future policy path.

Financial website investinglive: This rate hike underscores the Reserve Bank of Australia's determination to keep inflation expectations stable amid a complex global environment where policymakers face geopolitical risks and increased commodity price volatility.

On March 17, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised its benchmark cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1% at its latest policy meeting. The decision, passed by a narrow 5-4 majority, highlights policymakers' growing concerns about persistent inflationary pressures. This follows mounting evidence that inflationary momentum strengthened in the second half of 2025, reversing some of the progress made after price growth peaked in 2022. According to the RBA, a broad range of recent economic indicators suggest that underlying inflationary pressures have resurfaced, partly reflecting increasing capacity constraints within the economy. The committee concluded that inflation may remain above the RBA's 2-3% target range for longer than previously expected, and that the risks have tilted further to the upside. However, the vote underscores significant internal disagreements within the committee on how to address evolving inflation dynamics. The committee also emphasized the role of global developments in shaping the inflation outlook. The Middle East conflict has led to a sharp rise in fuel prices, which policymakers say could exacerbate inflationary pressures if energy costs remain high.

The UAE Ministry of Defense stated that the UAE's air defense system is currently responding to missile and drone threats from Iran.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister: The government will strive to keep diesel prices at 33 baht per liter.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) stated that the policy committee believes inflation may remain above target for longer than previously anticipated.

Reserve Bank of Australia: Rising prices and prolonged uncertainty could slow economic growth in Australia and its major trading partners.

Reserve Bank of Australia: A longer or more severe conflict could put further upward pressure on global energy prices.

Reserve Bank of Australia: Financial conditions have tightened slightly this year, but the extent of monetary policy tightening remains uncertain.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) stated that developments in the Middle East remain highly uncertain, but could exacerbate global and domestic inflation under various possible scenarios.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) believes that domestic inflation is likely to remain above the target level for some time. Inflation risks are tilted to the upside.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) believes that there are significant risks to inflation remaining above the target level for longer than previously expected.

Reserve Bank of Australia: Middle East conflict has led to a sharp rise in fuel prices, which, if continued, will push up inflation.