Investors Told to Brace for Steepest Rate Hikes Since 2006

[n2doc]

Wall Street economists are telling investors to brace for the biggest tightening of monetary policy in more than a decade.

With the world economy heading into its strongest period since 2011, Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. predict average interest rates across advanced economies will climb to at least 1 percent next year in what would be the largest increase since 2006.

As for the quantitative easing that marks its 10th anniversary in the U.S. next year, Bloomberg Economics predicts net asset purchases by the main central banks will fall to a monthly $18 billion at the end of 2018, from $126 billion in September, and turn negative during the first half of 2019.

That reflects an increasingly synchronized global expansion finally strong enough to spur inflation, albeit modestly. The test for policy makers, including incoming Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, will be whether they can continue pulling back without derailing demand or rocking asset markets.



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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-11/investors-told-to-brace-for-steepest-rate-hikes-since-2006

[HeartachesNhangovers]

1. I hope it's true but I'll believe it when

it actually happens. I wouldn't mind a bit more bond income without having to invest in junk.

The headline makes this sound earth-shaking but the described increases would be justified and timely and shouldn't surprise anyone.