Are bonds in a bubble?

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Outside of the troubled countries in Europe, government bond yields in developed countries have fallen to generational and in some cases record lows. Reflecting the capital gains that are generated

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Weekly market & economic update

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The key development over the last week was that manufacturing business conditions indicators, or PMIs, in the US, Europe, Japan, China, India and even Australia all rose in January providing

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Global economy looking a little less scary

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The past few weeks have been interesting. Sovereign rating downgrades in Europe have intensified. The World Bank and now the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have slashed their growth forecasts for

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Weekly market & economic update

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The past week saw share markets and other risk related trades supported by a combination of favourable economic data in the US and Europe, good profit results in the US

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Weekly economic & market update

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Despite ratings downgrades across the Euro-zone, a sharp downgrade to the World Bank’s 2012 global growth forecast (from 3.6% to 2.5%) and news that the IMF is seeking to increase

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2012 and beyond….a list of lists

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I was determined that after writing endlessly about Europe last year that my first note this year would not be on Europe. And it isn’t (well mostly not anyway). Rather

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Weekly market & economic update

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The European Central Bank’s (ECB) first monetary policy meeting for 2012 saw no significant changes with interest rates staying on hold at 1.0%. There were some notable comments on Europe’s

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Weekly economic & market update

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Europe’s debt debacle has continued into 2012 with mixed responses in global share markets this week. For the year’s opening, European shares have ranged between the “robust” with German shares

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Weekly economic and market update

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The past week has seen the usual post summit let down in Europe with general scepticism regarding whether the latest EU summit will achieve much in terms of stabilising Europe’s

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2011 in review and looking toward 2012…should we be scared?

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2011 has been a year full of disasters with floods, earthquakes, civil wars in the Middle East, and of course public debt woes in Europe and the US. Fears of

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