Low Oil Prices And Money Worries For 2015.
In response to the Ruble’s recent fall (over 50% against the U.S. Dollar), Swiss banks have begun taking extreme and extraordinary measures in what appear to be early signs of a currency war. There is now a negative interest rate of 0.25% on deposits made in Swiss Francs. In combination with pre-existing efforts such as Zero Interest Rate policies and quantative easing, we are now entering an era of Negative Interest Rate Policies. These kinds of policy decisions will do nothing to allay fears about economic slowdown in Europe and Asia and the looming threat of another financial crisis. Worries aboutdebt-bubbles propping up the US shale scene seem to already be influencing international banking policy, with strategies now revolving around insulating any potential risks should it all turn sour in 2015 for key global currencies.
In addition to the Ruble’s near 50% decline against the dollar, the Japanese Yen is down 20% against the U.S. Dollar since the summer. This comes as welcome news for struggling Japanese industry as it improves export prices against import prices in favor of Japanese workers. As part of the Abenomics strategy unveiled over two years ago by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, by flooding the market with Yen he hopes to reinvigorate domestic industry. Given his re-election this December, his policy seems to be popular if somewhat unsuccessful thus far. Off the back of this election victory, the pro-nuclear Liberal Democratic party has greenlit the re-opening of two nuclear reactors in the Takahama project, bringing the current approved number to four with a final total of nine expected to come online in total in 2015. The restarting of these reactors could prove crucial as Japan struggles with expensive, dollar-linked imports of commodities such as LNG and crude oil. It will likely have a positive impact onlanguishing uranium markets should the go-ahead be given for all nine but only time will tell.
