BOI’s Fischer Doesn’t Rule Out Further Rate Cuts

Written by: Aaron Katsman | March 4, 2009

It looks like Bank of Israel head Stanley Fischer, may resort to another round of rate cuts, as he attempts to navigate the Israeli economy through the global economic abyss. While most pundits thought that he was done cutting interest rates, yesterday, Fischer hinted that more rate cuts were on the way.

According to Globes: “Governor of the Bank of Israel Prof. Stanley Fischer today declared, “We’re examining further interest rate cuts.” The announcement contrasts with the message implied in last month’s interest rate decision that no new interest rate cuts were likely for the time being. He made the comment at today’s Atnachta Conference in Jerusalem. Fischer added, “We must work fully with the Ministry of Finance to formulate economic policy. It’s important to remember that we have one patient, the economy, and we’re not two different doctors each offering his own medicine without coordinating with the other. We will coordinate and continue to work together. I hope that we will win.”

Without a functioning government, it’s up to Fischer to set policy to help Israel deal with the global economic crisis. There is no question that while growth in Israel has gone negative, the fundamentals of the economy are far better than those of most western countries.

 

Israel real estate keeps going…up

Written by: Zack Miller | January 12, 2009

In the face of global chaos, Israeli real estate prices still found a way to go up over 10% for 2008.  While most of the gains came in the first 3/4 of the year, prices have gone up even more in places like Petach israel real estate prices keep going upTikva and Modiin, both with yearly price gains of over 20%.

From Globes:

Tel Aviv suburb Petach Tikva led the price rise in 2008 with the average apartment climbing 22% in price to NIS 856,000 last year. In second place was Modi’in where the price of the average apartment rose 21% to NIS 1,031,00. The average apartment in Rishon Lezion and Yavne rose by 17% to NIS 926,000 and NIS 587,000 respectively. The average apartment in Givat Ze’ev recorded a 16% rise to NIS 852,000. Prices rose 15% in Ramat Gan to NIS 1,037,000 and 14% in Tel Aviv to NIS 1,214,000. The average apartment price in Mevasseret Zion rose by 14% in 2008 to NIS 1,218,000 and by 10% in Jerusalem to NIS 1,060,000.