英伦广角 Issue 135 欧央行下周或降息

Interest rates were in focus and the speculation¹ is that European Central Bank's rate cuts expected next week will be sizeable. Fresh data shows November's euro zone inflation plunged² to 2.1% and unemployment rose faster than expected. Most analysts⁴ now predict a 50 basis point cut when the ECB meets next week. Euros' main market opened down 0.3% after seeing arise to 11.6% earlier this week. Oil was also down dipping below $54 a barrel on a roundup to OPEC this weekend.

Meanwhile, shares in Germany's Commerz Bank surged as it sealed its takeover with Dresdner ahead of time. Commerz Bank will pay just over five billion euros or 6.6 billion US dollars. The move is expected to see nine thousand jobs go, the combined group will become Germany's biggest bank in terms of customer numbers, although it will still be second to Deutsche in terms of assets.

In London, the government will own 58% of Royal Bank of Scotland of the shareholder⁵ shunned⁶ the rescue plan, investors⁷ only signed up for tiny push of the offering, leaving the government with the remaining 22.8 billion shares. On Friday morning, shares in London fell by 1.27%.

In India, markets reopened after being closed on Thursday, following attacks in the financial capital of Mumbai. After what analyst³ called a ‘knee-jerk reaction’, the market settled back with Mumbai's Sensex Index ending Friday slightly up. The attacks on two luxury hotels and elsewhere have left scores dead and hundreds wounded. The fear now was foreign investors who start withdrawing from an already shaky market.

 

1 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

2 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

6 shunned   

v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。
• He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人，总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会