Investors await Bank of England decision
Markets await today's highly anticipated Bank of England decision as expectations are mixed for today's meeting after yesterday's FED decision to start the QE tapering process. While some analysts think the central bank will raise interest rates by 15 points, others believe the bank will follow in the Fed's footsteps and leave rates unchanged while adjusting government asset purchasing. The uncertainty surrounding today's decision could lead to some added volatility once it is announced as many believe that rising inflation must be addressed by the Bank since it is having a significant impact on the economy as a whole. Whatever the BoE decides to do, it is clear that the global situation is beginning to shift as more central banks start to take steps towards normalising monetary and fiscal policy after nearly two years of emergency measures.
OPEC meeting remains in focus as Oil prices rebound
Oil prices continued to trade higher in recent times, reaching new multi year highs and benefitting from the last OPEC decision to not increase monthly output further. While that decision caught markets slightly by surprise as many were expecting an increase in order to cope with rising demand and several supply issues, today's decision could be equally as important as it could set the tone for the final part of the year. OPEC is expected to leave the production increase at the previously agreed upon 400K, but any major surprises could potentially impact the prices of oil either by pushing them higher once again or by pressuring them back down if the group were to decide to unexpectedly increase levels.
