Central banks are taking bigger leaps to normalize monetary policy and investors are wondering If the Federal Reserve is next. On Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand shocked investors by suddenly halting asset purchases. Although hawkishness was widely anticipated with a number of local banks forecasting a November rate hike, most expected the RBNZ to taper not cease asset purchases. But “more persistent consumer price inflation pressure,” that is “expected to build over time due to rising domestic capacity pressures and growing labor shortages,” prompted more aggressive action from the central bank. Unlike ... (full story)