GDP

Back in July 2000 following the Asian crises, the IMF produced a report entitled "Currency and Banking Crises: The Early Warnings of Distress". The study looked at 102 financial episodes in 20 countries.

The Chinese economy grew a faster-than-expected 9.7% in Q1 and its inflation rose to the highest level in almost three years despite government attempts to slow surging growth.

BlackRock's Mark Lyttleton has cut his banking exposure on concerns a heavier burden of regulation and increased capital requirements are clouding the outlook for the sector this year.

Following a week when Japan was rocked by two more devastating earthquakes, Stephen Harker, GLG's star Japan fund manager, explains why he is at odds with optimists who expect the economy to bounce back later this year.

Back in 1994, amidst an ongoing fiscal crisis in Sweden and a ferocious bear market in government bonds, Christer Käck, at Skandia, was the biggest bond player in domestic Swedish bonds.

Sparks and Dickstein expect US Fed to keep holding asset class in short term

Ecclesiastical's Robin Hepworth has warned Western equity markets could fall as much as 10% when central banks finally act to tackle inflation.

The pound has risen against the euro after UK GDP growth was reported as -0.5% in Q4 2010, slightly ahead of previous estimates of -0.6%.

ON SPECIALIST MARKETS

LGIM's Richard Hodges believes the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) would be "lunatics" to raise interest rates in May as it will put the UK at risk of a double-dip recession.