Insights
Weekly Market Update
Notable events over the last week The FOMC meeting dominated headlines last week as the Fed announced it would scale back its ambitious rate plans. The Fed confirmed that due to global economic concerns and financial system distress that the committee has reduced its forward guidance from 4 rate rises this year to just…
Continue readingUK Budget 2016 review
Wednesday’s budget statement was somewhat of a bitter-sweet affair. Chancellor George Osborne started his speech by announcing downward revisions to the UK’s economic growth forecasts. The Office for Budgetary Responsibility now forecast the economy to grow by 2.0% in 2016, significantly less than the 2.4% projected in November. Growth expectations were also revised down for…
Continue readingWeekly Market Update
Notable events over the last week With the euro area inflation outlook continuing to worsen, the ECB announced a broad policy package in its March meeting, which shifted the focus away from negative rates and towards quantitative and credit easing. The aggregate package delivered by the ECB, was larger than expected although the market reaction…
Continue readingYo-Yo Oil Price Keeps Everyone Guessing
The price of oil is yo-yoing so fast that it’s hard to keep up with the current price. Everyone knows by now that the price per barrel as slumped to the lowest price for years, forcing oil companies to slash jobs, shelve exploration and cut every cost they can. Only a week or two…
Continue readingSaudis Seek $10 Billion Bail-Out As Cash Dries Up
Concerns that one of the world’s richest oil producing countries is going broke are sweeping through the markets faster than a bush fire. News has slipped out that Saudi Arabia has written a begging letter to a number of leading banks asking for loans to shore up the economy, Although no numbers are mentioned in…
Continue readingWeekly Market Update
Notable events over the last week Last week saw the release of the China Manufacturing PMI series which came in at 49.0 (vs. 49.4 expected) in February down from 49.4 in January, reaching 7 year lows. The non-manufacturing PMI also came in weaker in February at 52.7 (vs. 53.5 expected). Although the index is still…
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