Despite the ending of the US Federal Reserve’s second round of quantitative easing (‘QE2’), BMI believes that there will be few ill effects, and that monetary policy will remain very loose for several quarters to come. We do not see Fed rate hikes until late 2012, and the risks are that hikes are put off… [Read more]

In line with the view that Business Monitor Online promoted on March 3, euribor futures have traded much lower on the back of European Central Bank (ECB) President Jean-Claude Trichet’s hawkish comments on monetary policy. Most notably, he said that a rate hike in April was possible. Indeed, the June 2012 contract broke key support… [Read more]

It’s only Tuesday and two key things have happened in China already this week. Xi’s Got The Look… The first was Vice President Xi Jinping’s appointment to the post of vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). This was no surprise, for Xi has long been considered the heir-apparent to succeed Hu Jintao as Communist… [Read more]

Brazil’s Q409 real GDP reading came in roughly in line with market expectations, posting a growth rate of 2.0% quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) seasonally adjusted – its highest reading in two years. Expectations of a robust headline number for Q4 have previously sent the interbank deposit (DI) futures market higher, amid expectations that the Banco Central do… [Read more]