Economic and financial indicators

摘要

There was more gloomy news on industrial production: in the year to the fourth quarter it fell by 10.3%in Hong Kong; in the year to January it was down by 19.2%in Germany, 16.7% in Italy and 11.1%in Mexico; and in the year to February it dropped by 11.2% in America and 13.2%in Russia.rnThe Federal Reserve said it would buy up to $300 billion of longer-dated government bonds to help spur economic recovery. The yield on ten-year Treasuries soon dropped to 2.5%, having been above 3% a day earlier. The Fed also said it would expand its purchases of mortgage-related debt.