One thing we can be certain about is that the recent trend towards easier monetary policy in both developed and emerging markets has much further to run in 2012. On Thursday, December 8, the European Central Bank cut rates by 25bps for the second time in as many months, and we expect that continued macroeconomic… [Read more]
Despite the lack of an agreed plan of action out of the weekend meetings of the IMF and G20 Finance Ministers, there are encouraging indications that a more encompassing policy response to the eurozone debt crisis is currently under formulation. Reports suggest that leaders are tending towards a plan consisting of a haircut on Greek… [Read more]
The ‘epic crisis’ scenario which we outlined in a recent podcast appears to be in full swing. With much riding on the decisions policymakers make in the very near term, Business Monitor’s Chief Economic Strategist Tim Cooper and Head of Europe Country Risk & Financial Markets Mark Schaltuper believe that the probability of a Greek… [Read more]
Regular readers will be familiar with our increasing concerns about the eurozone, as outlined in Monday’s blog post. Following an extraordinary session of Business Monitor International’s Politburo Standing Committee (in this case our Europe and Global Analysts), we outline our core views on the eurozone debt crisis: Policymakers will take the necessary steps to prevent… [Read more]
Mark Schaltuper, Head of Europe Country Risk and Financial Markets, and Tim Cooper, Chief Economic Strategist, come together to discuss Business Monitor’s latest Special Report titled “Market Meltdown: Global Economy On The Edge”. With the US reeling from debt concerns after losing its AAA credit rating, the eurozone dogged by the ongoing sovereign debt crises,… [Read more]
The coming days and weeks will see macroeconomic and corporate data that has the potential to determine the path of global financial markets through the second half of 2011. On the macroeconomic front, upcoming data releases in the US will reveal whether the slowing of economic growth observed since the beginning of the year is… [Read more]
Although equities sold off in the wake of US Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s comments to the International Monetary Conference in Atlanta, my colleagues and I see little evidence of any change to the Fed’s overall outlook. Bernanke reiterated the FOMC’s expectations that higher headline inflation would prove a transient phenomenon; that the labour market was… [Read more]
