Markets remain jittery and found little solace in the FOMC meeting overnight as the Fed continued to expound a downbeat view of the US economy. Asian bourses continue to be concerned over the eurozone sovereign debt crisis with RBA Deputy Governor Battellino commenting that a major crisis in Europe ‘can’t...

A full set of data releases puts risk back on the table today. While this evening’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting remains the key event, there is still a great deal of disquiet over the eurozone package with the Finnish government the latest to start raising difficulties.

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Market scepticism over the Friday deal for a eurozone fiscal compact has seen equity markets open lower in Europe. The current confusion is how the ESM and EFSF will co-exist and whether European governments will be able to find the €200 billion that needs to be given to the IMF...

The second day of the EU Heads of State Summit is supposed to save the euro. We shall see. Indeed sentiment and the overnight comments from the summit suggest there is unlikely to be a quick fix with news headlines sending out mixed and somewhat confusing signals The main focus...

Asian stock markets closed higher, with the ASX buoyed by slightly stronger than expected Q3 Australian GDP. Futures markets show European bourses opening higher as markets await the EU Heads of State summit at the end of the week.

Once again, Europe and the prospects for the Single Currency dominate investor sentiment. Tempting as it is to dismiss the upcoming Summit on Friday as yet another trigger for disappointment, there is arguably a greater chance of success than any of the previous hubristic gatherings.

The major central banks coordinated moves to inject more liquidity in the global banking system has set the tone for markets today hence risk is back on (tentatively), overnight markets have followed in the wake of European and US indices, and we see little to change the prevailing mood.

Yesterday’s Eurogroup meeting managed to indentify principles as to how the EFSF might be leveraged with first losses indemnified by between 20% and 30%, but real concerns remain that this degree of leverage will not be enough should the fund be required to bailout Italy.

EVEN as the euro zone hurtles towards a crash, most people are assuming that, in the end, European leaders will do whatever it takes to save the single currency. That is because the consequences of the euro’s destruction are so catastrophic that no sensible policymaker could stand by and let...