Defaults on subprime mortgages in the US have triggered jitters in global financial markets over the course of this year, leading to a sharp rise in certain types of risk premia over the summer. The Federal Reserve and the ECB responded by injecting emergency liquidity into money markets, on top of which the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 50 basis points in September. We expect the recent turbulence to be short-lived, and impacts on the real economy will be limited. We continue to expect global growth of 5.2 per cent this year, with a sharper slowdown in the US offset by persistently strong growth in China and a relatively robust outlook for Europe and Japan - despite disappointing outturns for the second quarter of 2007. Global growth is expected to ease to 4.7 per cent in 2008, reflecting more moderate growth in China and Europe. However, as annual global growth has exceeded 4.5 per cent in only nine years since 1970, global prospects continue to look promising. Risks to the outlook include a further rise in risk premia, which could potentially lead to major banking crises.
Where's the Smoking Gun? A Study of Underwriting Standards for US Subprime Mortgages