Long abstract

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Over the past few months, prices in major financial markets have remained strong despite further oil price increases. After major equity markets had shown a soft spot around March and April, they regained their upward trend in the second quarter. Terrorist attacks in London in July and the hurricane Katrina in the United States which hit the New Orleans region at the end of August did not disrupt markets, despite the large size of human, economic and insured losses associated with the latter event.