Qatar Central Bank Issues Treasury Bills Valued at $163.3 Mln for Sept.

The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) issued treasury bills for September for three, six and nine months, with a value of QR 600 million ($163.6 million). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) issued treasury bills for September for three, six and nine months, with a value of QR 600 million ($163.6 million). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Qatar Central Bank Issues Treasury Bills Valued at $163.3 Mln for Sept.

The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) issued treasury bills for September for three, six and nine months, with a value of QR 600 million ($163.6 million). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) issued treasury bills for September for three, six and nine months, with a value of QR 600 million ($163.6 million). (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) issued treasury bills for September for three, six and nine months, with a value of QR 600 million ($163.6 million).

In a statement, QCB said the treasury bills were distributed as follows: QR 300 million for three months at an interest rate of 1.09 percent, QR 200 million (54.4 million) for six months at an interest rate of 1.99 percent, and QR 100 million ($27.2 million) for nine months at an interest rate of 2.22 percent.

The issuance is part of the Central Bank's monetary policy initiatives and its efforts to strengthen the financial system and activate the tools available for open market operations.

It is part of a series of issues executed by the Central Bank on behalf of the government and in accordance with the schedule prepared by both the QCB and the Ministry of Finance.

Meanwhile, the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) expected Qatar’s economy to grow by 4.4 percent this year and 3.6 percent in 2023, supported by the boom in activities related to the country’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and the growth of non-hydrocarbon activities, in addition to its vital role in the global gas market.

The fund said in a report that it expected inflation in Qatar to reach about 4.3 percent during the current year, and it will decline to 3.5 percent in 2023.

The AMF expected the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to achieve a relatively higher growth rate this year, at about 6.3 percent, compared to 3.1 percent last year, due to a host of factors supporting growth in both the oil and non-oil sectors, and the positive impact of economic reforms, in addition to the continued adoption of stimulus packages supportive of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is likely that the growth rate of the group of countries will decline to 3.7 percent in 2023, the AMF said.



US Job Growth Surges in September, Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.1%

A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
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US Job Growth Surges in September, Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.1%

A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo

US job growth accelerated in September and the unemployment slipped to 4.1%, further reducing the need for the Federal Reserve to maintain large interest rate cuts at its remaining two meetings this year.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 254,000 jobs last month after rising by an upwardly revised 159,000 in August, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report on Friday.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls rising by 140,000 positions after advancing by a previously reported 142,000 in August.
The initial payrolls count for August has typically been revised higher over the past decade. Estimates for September's job gains ranged from 70,000 to 220,000.
The US labor market slowdown is being driven by tepid hiring against the backdrop of increased labor supply stemming mostly from a rise in immigration. Layoffs have remained low, which is underpinning the economy through solid consumer spending.
Average hourly earnings rose 0.4% after gaining 0.5% in August. Wages increased 4% year-on-year after climbing 3.9% in August.
The US unemployment rate dropped from 4.2% in August. It has jumped from 3.4% in April 2023, in part boosted by the 16-24 age cohort and rise in temporary layoffs during the annual automobile plant shutdowns in July.
The US Federal Reserve's policy setting committee kicked off its policy easing cycle with an unusually large half-percentage-point rate cut last month and Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized growing concerns over the health of the labor market.
While the labor market has taken a step back, annual benchmark revisions to national accounts data last week showed the economy in a much better shape than previously estimated, with upgrades to growth, income, savings and corporate profits.
This improved economic backdrop was acknowledged by Powell this week when he pushed back against investors' expectations for another half-percentage-point rate cut in November, saying “this is not a committee that feels like it is in a hurry to cut rates quickly.”
The Fed hiked rates by 525 basis points in 2022 and 2023, and delivered its first rate cut since 2020 last month. Its policy rate is currently set in the 4.75%-5.00% band.
Early on Friday, financial markets saw a roughly 71.5% chance of a quarter-point rate reduction in November, CME's FedWatch tool showed. The odds of a 50 basis points cut were around 28.5%.