Bailey speech: Labour market is softening
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said on Tuesday that they have to watch very carefully for consequences of inflation, per Reuters.
Key takeaways
"Labour market is softening."
"Path of interest rates will continue to be gradually downwards."
"We've seen a steepening of the long term bond yield curve."
"I don't think there's anything unusual about the UK in terms of the yield curve."
"There will be no sustained growth without stable low inflation."
"I don't believe that quantitative tightening is causing steepening of yield curve."
"Yield curve steepening partly as a response to high level of uncertainty in global economy."
"I don't think investors are concerned about viability of UK debt stock."
"Internationally there is an increase in uncertainty."
"Increase in uncertainty is coming through in terms of economic activity and growth."
"Businesses tell me they are putting off investment decisions."
Market reaction
These comments failed to trigger a noticeable reaction in GBP/USD. At the time of press, the pair was trading marginally higher on the day near 1.3750.
BoE FAQs
The Bank of England (BoE) decides monetary policy for the United Kingdom. Its primary goal is to achieve ‘price stability’, or a steady inflation rate of 2%. Its tool for achieving this is via the adjustment of base lending rates. The BoE sets the rate at which it lends to commercial banks and banks lend to each other, determining the level of interest rates in the economy overall. This also impacts the value of the Pound Sterling (GBP).
When inflation is above the Bank of England’s target it responds by raising interest rates, making it more expensive for people and businesses to access credit. This is positive for the Pound Sterling because higher interest rates make the UK a more attractive place for global investors to park their money. When inflation falls below target, it is a sign economic growth is slowing, and the BoE will consider lowering interest rates to cheapen credit in the hope businesses will borrow to invest in growth-generating projects – a negative for the Pound Sterling.
In extreme situations, the Bank of England can enact a policy called Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the BoE substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. QE is a last resort policy when lowering interest rates will not achieve the necessary result. The process of QE involves the BoE printing money to buy assets – usually government or AAA-rated corporate bonds – from banks and other financial institutions. QE usually results in a weaker Pound Sterling.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse of QE, enacted when the economy is strengthening and inflation starts rising. Whilst in QE the Bank of England (BoE) purchases government and corporate bonds from financial institutions to encourage them to lend; in QT, the BoE stops buying more bonds, and stops reinvesting the principal maturing on the bonds it already holds. It is usually positive for the Pound Sterling.
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