With a rather good sense of timing, the IMF warned last week in its biannual global financial stability update that risks to the financial system have risen this year.

One of the main annual events i the political calendar occurs today, when the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD, presents his budget for the coming year to the Dáil.

The latest set of Irish labour market data published last week by the CSO saw the unemployment rate revised up from 5.1% to 5.9% for the most recent month, July.

The US dollar had a weak start to the year, with the euro-dollar rate rising above $1.20 and then reaching $1.25.

The US economy grew at an annualised rate of 4.1% in the second quarter of the year.

A new measurement of housing completions by the CSO shows the level of house-building is much lower than previously envisaged.

The year may have got off to a flyer, but the first half of 2018 has been characterised by the return of risk aversion and volatility in financial markets, writes Oliver Mangan.

A key part of the very loose monetary policy in the eurozone has been the ECB’s quantitative easing programme, involving the large-scale purchases of bonds. Market attention in the run up to last week’s meeting of the ECB Governing Council was mainly centred on if it would provide guidance on the precise date it will end the purchases, writes Oliver Mangan.

Even if the dollar continues to rise against emerging markets currencies, further gains against the euro may prove difficult, writes Oliver Mangan

Warnings about the risks of the Irish economy overheating are becoming more commonplace as the unemployment rate drops below 6% and house prices and mortgage lending continue to rise at strong double-digit rates, writes Oliver Mangan.