Federal Reserve

  • Credit Suisse pleads guilty in US court and agrees

    Credit Suisse pleads guilty in US court and agrees

    Credit Suisse has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist US customers in presenting false income tax returns and has paid a settlement to the US Government of $2.8bn.

  • stick or twist for equities

    stick or twist for equities

    The bull market in equities is more than five years old, with massive injections of liquidity from the worlds central banks, led by the US Federal Reserve, fuelling the rally.

  • Could the Bank of England be the first to blink

    Could the Bank of England be the first to blink

    The nature of historically low interest rates is that the only way is up, but which central bank will make the first move, and when, is a matter of fierce debate.

  • US Fed like the Oracle of Delphi

    US Fed like the Oracle of Delphi

    Gustavo Medeiros, portfolio manager at Ashmore, has compared the US Federal Reserve to the Oracle of Delphi in its ambiguity.

  • one accident away from inflation anguish

    one accident away from inflation anguish

    The continuation and intensification of ultra-low interest rates has amplified the chance of capital misallocation with central banks one accident away from a wave of inflation, according to Ruffers Steve Russell.

  • Fed will normalise sooner than expected

    Fed will normalise sooner than expected

    Schroders’ European economist dissects Yellen’s first FOMC meeting as Fed chair

  • Hysterical criticism Fed forward guidance unfair

    Hysterical criticism Fed forward guidance unfair

    Contrary to popular opinion, forward guidance was not a promise and was only ever intended as an expectations-management tool to ease financial conditions when slack in the economy was judged too great.

  • Difficult to argue with the bulls

    Difficult to argue with the bulls

    One of the best maxims concerning financial markets is to be always distrustful of a consensus.

  • World Bank warns over ending QE

    World Bank warns over ending QE

    World Bank report warns tapering measures could end in a car cash for emerging markets.

  • Taper not Selfie was the word of 2013

    Taper not Selfie was the word of 2013

    With tapering one of the most overused financial phrases of 2013, we look for forward guidance to be the dominant phrase for 2014.

  • Pimcos Gross Fed to stabilise policy until 2016

    Pimcos Gross Fed to stabilise policy until 2016

    In a recent note entitled ‘On the Wings of an Eagle’, Gross, managing director of the bond giant, said moving into higher risk assets or leveraging higher quality assets had been the only options left open to investors as a result of negative real interest rates. But he felt that limitations were starting to show and…

  • Jobs data reignites taper talk

    Jobs data reignites taper talk

    The US economy was buoyed by over 200k new jobs in October, but commentators are still in two minds whether QE tapering will start before the end of the year.