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.

National champion Gary O’Hanlon believes tomorrow’s Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon will be one of the most challenging editions of the event.

Last week, Germany and Japan became the latest countries to publish GDP figures, showing that their economies lost momentum in the opening quarter of the year, writes Oliver Mangan. 

The market has been very unenthusiastic about the dollar in recent months, with traders anticipating that the currency’s decline in 2017 and in the opening weeks of 2018 would be sustained throughout this year, writes Oliver Mangan.

The past month has seen updated forecasts published on the Irish economy by the ESRI, Central Bank and Department of Finance.

World stock markets have endured a difficult three months. They have been buffeted by a series of destabilising events.

The UK and EU have been outlining their preliminary positions on the shape of any future post-Brexit trade deal ahead of the EU heads of state summit later this week, writes Oliver Mangan.