BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
ECB’s Cipollone Backs Digital Euro as Europe Pushes for Payment System Independence 
RBA Expected to Raise Interest Rates by 25 Basis Points in February, ANZ Forecast Says 
Jerome Powell Attends Supreme Court Hearing on Trump Effort to Fire Fed Governor, Calling It Historic 
BOJ Rate Decision in Focus as Yen Weakness and Inflation Shape Market Outlook 
Bank of England Expected to Hold Interest Rates at 3.75% as Inflation Remains Elevated 
Why Trump’s new pick for Fed chair hit gold and silver markets – for good reasons 
Data released earlier on Wednesday showed that Singapore's core inflation which excludes the costs of accommodation and private road transport crept higher in February. MAS’s core inflation rose 0.5% y/y, compared to 0.4% in the previous month, owing to higher food prices.
However headline inflation remains entrenched in negative territory, owing to a continued decline in the costs of private transport and accommodations. Singapore’s headline inflation in February contracted 0.8% y/y, from a 0.6% decline in the preceding month.
An increase in the labour market slack will also keep core inflation soft and increase the chances of another policy easing. Core inflation is likely to rise gradually as the disinflationary effects of oil and budgetary one-off measures fade in y/y terms. The MAS’s core inflation forecast for 2016 is at 0.5–1.5%.
"While we expect the MAS to maintain its monetary policy settings in April, we still see a risk of easing later in the year if the growth and inflation outlook worsens," said ANZ Research in a note to clients.
