End of US interest rate cycle may threaten market stability

US interest rates are arguably one of the single most important variables in global markets and until recently the direction of US interest rates have seemed to be on an unstoppable upward trend, with a steady pattern of quarter point increases for some 18 months to reach their current level of 4.25%. However, Paul Niven, head of asset allocation at F&C Asset Management (London), says although markets anticipate further tightening, the end appears to be in sight with the minutes of the last Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, where interest rates were raised by 0.25%, giving a c...