Vladimir Putin muscles onto central banker agendas 22 Feb 2022 Russia’s president formally ordered troops into two separatist regions of Ukraine, raising the spectre of war. As oil surges toward $100 a barrel, riskier assets are falling out of favour. Any retaliation, including sanctions, could further fuel inflationary fires.
Oligarch sanctions with teeth may yet lack bite 17 Feb 2022 Britain has widened the ways rich Russians can effectively be banned from its shores via sanctions. While less bad than the worst U.S. strictures, they would make life much harder for Russia’s top companies and their overlords. But only if the UK actually uses its new powers.
Viewsroom: Ukraine, ECB and India’s giant insurer 17 Feb 2022 Worries about an invasion of Ukraine have rattled markets, but Dasha Afanasieva says Russian investors are more sanguine. The European Central Bank faces a tougher inflation juggling act, argues Swaha Pattanaik. And Una Galani discusses the listing of India’s Life Insurance Corp.
Russian investors display war chat scepticism 14 Feb 2022 Global stocks dropped and government bonds rose after the U.S. said Moscow could invade Ukraine at any time. Though the rouble and shares in lender Sberbank declined, Russian assets aren’t pricing in the toughest economic sanctions. If war is imminent, there’s more pain to come.
Oil dims hope central bankers will walk fine line 28 Jan 2022 Brent crude topped $91 a barrel for the first time since 2014. Rate-setters can usually ignore temporary jumps, but not when inflation is already high. Fed boss Jay Powell and global peers will struggle to hike rates enough to curb price pressures without stifling growth.