2  Canonical models of economic decisionmaking presume individual maximization of “utility,” or well-being. They tend to focus on the consumption of goods or services and assume that more consumption is preferred to less. For example, see Andrew Mas-Colell, Michael D. Whinston, and Jerry R Green (1995), Microeconomic Theory (New York: Oxford University Press).
Recent economic and market trends Due to the global financial crisis in 2007 and 2008, there was coordinated global easing in monetary policy in an effort to boost the global economy. Given the severity of the crisis, it is probably fair to say that investors and other market participants had believed this would remain the policy stance for a protracted period.