Stephen Halmarick Quotations

I think he's made a fairly obvious point that the next move in rates is more likely to be up than down, but certainly there is no near-term trigger for that.

We expect firm profit growth to support the equity market.

First-quarter inflation won't trigger a near-term rate hike. But the bank's statement on monetary policy in May will reinforce their inclination to raise rates, maybe even harden it up a little.

For the equity market, the budget helps economic growth and, therefore, earnings, especially with the cut in the corporate tax rate. But interest rates and the Australian dollar remain the key issues in the short-term.

The employment growth was slightly higher than anticipated, so it's a slight pleasant surprise.

The latest IMM data showed that the speculative community posted a net long U.S. dollar position for the third week in a row, with most of the gain coming at the expense of the pound.