BLOOMBERG

Draghi's QE Moves to Starting Line as Outlook Brightens

(Bloomberg) -- The euro-area economy has taken a step in the right direction.

While improving conditions over the past month won't change Mario Draghi's plan to start buying government bonds within days, continued economic recuperation may well stir a debate about when to end them. So far, officials have indicated the buying spree could be extended beyond its proposed timetable -- a less likely outcome if an easing in the region's price slump and a drop in unemployment mark the beginning of a trend.

Draghi will have an opportunity in two days to add to details of the 1.1 trillion-euro ($1.2 trillion) quantitative-easing plan, which was announced in January amid dissent from some policy makers. After a Governing Council meeting in Nicosia, he'll also unveil the ECB's first growth and inflation forecasts for 2017, numbers that will have significance for the duration of QE.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-03/draghi-s-qe-moves-to-starting-line-as-economic-outlook-brightens

REUTERS
Saudi king keeps close hand on oil in remodelling strategic team

(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's subtle change of energy policymaker line-up since the accession of new King Salman in late January appears to give the monarch's inner circle a firmer hand on the kingdom's oil strategy than previous rulers have enjoyed.

The most notable change was the promotion of the king's son Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, long a member of the No. 1 crude exporter's OPEC delegation, to the role of deputy oil minister from assistant oil minister, a post he had held for many years.

On the same day, King Salman formed a new body replacing the Supreme Petroleum Council and appointed another son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to head the new Supreme Council for Economic Development.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/03/us-saudi-oil-policy-analysis-idUSKBN0LZ0MT20150303

REUTERS
Investor survey shows 38 percent chance of euro zone break-up in 12 months

(Reuters) - Investor expectations of the euro zone breaking apart have risen to their highest level in two years, a survey showed on Tuesday, even after Greece agreed a financial lifeline with its euro zone partners.

The sentix Euro Break-up Index (EBI) gave its highest reading since March 2013, with 38 percent of respondents expecting the bloc to break-up in the next 12 months, up from 24.3 percent in January.

The current poll was conducted between Feb. 26-28, 2015, and surveyed 980 mainly German-based individual and institutional investors.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/03/us-euro-investment-survey-idUSKBN0LZ0HG20150303