Chronology of a Crisis

Not many would have thought that the global financial crisis stemming from the sub-prime debacle in the US would have spawned such a massive degree of global contagion, the impact of which is being felt to this day. Indeed, it is evident that global markets have had to face crisis after crisis since the sub-prime saga began. It is equally evident that the chances of returning to the definition of normality that we knew prior to the crisis are extremely slim. Fast forward to now and one could be forgiven for thinking that markets are still in the midst of crisis. The stark reality is that, despite the massive amount of fiscal and monetary stimulus enacted since 2008, the world economy remains very fragile and while the financial system is arguably in better shape, policy makers have far less ammunition in their pockets than they did at the beginning of the financial crisis. All is not so bad, however, with signs over recent months that the global economy is finally emerging from its quagmire. Even the crisis in the Eurozone is increasingly moving painstakingly towards some form of resolution. In this book Mitul Kotecha gives a month-by-month analysis of the period following the escalation of the financial crisis, attempting where possible to determine where and how things could have been handled differently. In assessing the market impact, particularly in relation to currency markets, the analysis will hopefully provide some insight into what can be learnt from the crisis and what to expect should a similar situation arise in the future.