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Market Update
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…

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Market Update
UK 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…

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Market Update
Weekly 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…

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Market Update
Yo-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…

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Market Update
Saudis 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…

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Market Update
Weekly 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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