Investment Strategies
Strong Consensus Of Fed Hike By End-2015 - Credit Suisse Megatrends Conference

Almost three-quarters of people attending a Credit Suisse conference in Singapore said they expect the US to hike interest rates this year.
Stability is returning to global markets but there are plenty of noises to keep investors awake at night, while there is a strong belief that US interest rates will rise this year, according to the result of views gathered by Credit Suisse at its third annual “megatrends” conference in Singapore this week.
The conference, attended by more than 370 people from fields such as business, academia and economic research, addressed the major economic, social and political forces that are shaping the way people live and how business is conducted globally.
Responses from investors at the conference were indicative that a sense of stability is emerging and that tentative optimism is returning, though it was also clear that deep uncertainties remain.
A poll of attendees on the outlook for 2015 and beyond showed
that 72 per cent of them think the US Federal Reserve will hike
rates by the end of 2015. Meanwhile, 83 per cent of
attendees think that the Fed policy changes will push the US
dollar even higher, while 62 per cent do not think that the
European Central Bank can effectively implement its quantitative
easing programme. In other findings, 62 per cent said Greece
will not leave the eurozone; 89 per cent think that the UK will
not exit the EU; 83 per cent agree that commodities and notably
energy prices are forming a base, and 47 per cent believe that
deflationary forces are about to ease.