Global Financial Stability Report

This September 2005 issue of the Global Financial Stability Report highlights that financial conditions have remained broadly positive over the past six months, but some market developments diverged from consensus expectations of market participants. Long-term interest rates, instead of rising, as expected by some investors, have moderated, leading to a further flattening of global yield curves. This reflected cyclical factors, as market participants seemed to expect more moderate global growth and inflation, and structural factors such as a secular portfolio shift toward long-term bonds by pension funds and life insurance companies.