PANews reported on March 16th that, according to a Financial Times article, this week will be a "super central bank week." While the interest rate decisions of these central banks are not expected to bring any surprises, the policy guidance accompanying these decisions will be closely watched given the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The four major central banks—the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, and the Bank of Japan—will announce their decisions one after another on Thursday Beijing time. In addition, interest rate setters from Australia, Brazil, China, Canada, Indonesia, Sweden, and Switzerland will also meet this week. Except for the Reserve Bank of Australia, which may be an exception, the other central banks are likely to keep their interest rates unchanged. However, the war in Iran has increased the possibility of a rate hike later this year. The interest rate market has responded hawkishly to the impending energy price shock; expectations for rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England have been erased, replaced by the possibility of a rate hike by the latter. Expectations for a rate hike by the European Central Bank this year have also increased further. Since the start of the war, the Bank of Japan's interest rate path has remained relatively unchanged.