Maria Fiorini Ramirez, Inc. (“MFR”) was founded in 1992 to provide independent economic consulting and market analysis to financial institutions and corporations around the world. MFR is widely known for its accurate appraisals of U.S. and international economic conditions, central bank policy, political trends, and the effects of these influences on global financial markets.

In February 2010, The Wall Street Journal cited MFR’s 2009 U.S. Economic forecast as being in the top quartile in terms of accuracy of over 50 survey participants. In December 2009, Bloomberg cited MFR’s U.S. economic forecast as being the seventh most accurate of 65 participants in its monthly survey from mid-2008 through mid-2009. In February 2008, The Wall Street Journal cited MFR’s 2007 U.S. economic forecast as being the third most accurate of 60 participants in its survey. In July 2006, it cited MFR’s forecast as being the third most accurate of 56 participants in its semi-annual forecasting survey. USA Today cited MFR’s U.S. economic forecast as being one of the five most accurate in its 2005 survey and one of the ten most accurate in 2006. In December 2005, MFR’s U.S. economic forecast was recognized by Bloomberg as the most accurate of 43 participants in its monthly survey from mid-2004 to mid- 2005. MFR’s inflation forecast was recognized by The Wall Street Journal as being the most accurate from 2001-2004, and as the most accurate in the first half of 2001.

MFR’s Global Market Commentary has distinguished itself as a premier sources of objective, timely and accurate forecasts of economic activity, short term movements in the bond and money markets, longer-term trends in interest rates, and monetary & fiscal policy developments. MFR’s experienced staff of economists, market strategists and technical analysts has a proven history of producing accurate assessments of global financial markets and economic conditions. Global Market Commentary is available via e-mail, on Bloomberg (index on MRCC), and on the Internet (www.mfr.com).

Global Market Commentary includes the following features:
Daily Global Market Commentary: A summary of the day's trading activity and analysis of market-moving events (economic releases, political events, comments by Federal Reserve officials, Federal Reserve activity, etc.).

Economic & Political Calendars: Schedules of upcoming economic indicators and political events, including MFR forecasts, consensus estimates and previously released data.