In the end March was a pretty straightforward month in terms of news – central banks were dovish and OPEC was bullish.  The ECB led the way with a raft of easing measures including lower (and more negative) interest rates, increased bond purchases, expanded categories of bonds and a restarted…

Central banks and OPEC members vied for the headlines, though the direction was basically the same – bullish on asset prices.  The ECB and Fed meet in March and the Europeans are expected to engage in significant monetary easing at their meeting on the 10th.  Draghi disappointed the markets in…

The US Federal Reserve kept rates steady in its January meeting but the poor showing of Q4 2015 GDP sparked off speculation that no more rate hikes are likely in 2016.  Poor industrial production numbers, freight volumes and durable goods orders all contributed to the bullish speculation.  Meanwhile, Draghi promised…

Last month, the Fed decided to increase interest rates by 0.25% for the first time since the financial crisis. Officials cited that the economy was growing stronger and required less help from the central bank.  The Fed mentioned job growth as a key reason for raising rates as unemployment fell…