Quantitative Easing

Peter Schiff, a well-known gold bull, recently challenged Jerome Powell’s claim that inflation is a consequence of consumer expectations, highlighting the role of excessive government spending and deficits. What Happened: On Tuesday, Schiff took to Twitter to question Federal Reserve Chair...

Each day, Benzinga takes a look back at a notable market-related moment that happened on this date. What Happened? On Jan. 31, 2006, the Senate approved the appointment of Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Where Was The Market? The S&P 500 was trading at 1,280.08 and the Dow...

In the Federal Reserve's current tightening campaign, the Federal Open Market Committee has looked into shrinking the central bank’s balance sheet. The median dealer expects the FOMC to allow the balance sheet to begin shrinking in the second quarter of 2018, according to the March survey...

Kevin Logan, HSBC Chief U.S. Economist, commented in a research report that Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's speech on Friday basically told the market what is already known. Logan noted that Yellen indicated in her space that the case for a rate hike has "strengthened," but any final decision...

The Central Bank of the United States has several arrows in its quiver when it comes to monetary policy, or the method by which the Federal Reserve manages money for the country. One of the most often used is quantitative easing (nicknamed "QE"). Often spoken of as “printing...

Ten-year Treasury yields slid 3.5 percent Tuesday to a close of 1.8 percent, bringing the year-to-date decline for yields on benchmark U.S. government debt to a staggering 20.7 percent. For those that think yields on Treasurys are piddly, they are correct; however, significantly lower yields can be...

No, that headline is not referencing U.S. government bond exchange-traded funds; although, given the stellar performances turned by such funds this year, it is a good guess. Rather, the headline references a once fragile asset class and its corresponding ETFs: dollar-denominated emerging markets...

U.S. markets are mostly flat in early Thursday trading after the ECB issued a surprise cut to its main interest rate, lowering it from 0.05 percent to 0.00 percent. The fifth primary rate cut in Europe since the beginning of 2013 is set to go into effect on March 16. U.S. markets have shown...

The European Central Bank (ECB) stunned the market with three-pronged cut in interest rates and expansion of its bond-buying program. The ECB trimmed the interest rate on the main refinancing operations of the eurosystem by 5 basis points down to 0.00 percent. The interest rate on the marginal...

Over the past month, the PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish (NYSE: UUP) has gained nearly 5 percent, while the Guggenheim CurrencyShares Euro Trust (NYSE: FXE) has tumbled by more than 6 percent. Those performances have been aided by rising expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise...

Some exchange-traded funds are really enjoying the diverging policies of major global central banks. For example, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) recently delivered more yuan-depressing stimulus, and market participants are comfortable wagering the European Central Bank will add to its...

When it comes to exchange-traded funds that hold bank stocks, many U.S. investors focus on familiar ETFs such as the Select Sector Financial Slct Str SPDR Fd (NYSE: XLF) and the iShares Dow Jones US Financial (ETF) (NYSE: IYF), but that domestic bias could be costing those investors opportunity...

U.S. small caps have not delivered much to be excited about this year, as the Russell 2000 – the benchmark small-cap index – is off 3.2 percent year-to-date. However, the possibility of more quantitative easing from the European Central Bank (ECB) could spell opportunity with European...

For the first time in a long time, Europe is beginning to look appealing for investors. The region has been through a difficult year of economic and political uncertainty, and despite predictions that the eurozone would crumble just a few months ago, the region appears to be turning a corner into...