Ashraf Laidi is Chief Strategist of CMC Markets, founder of AshrafLaidi.com and author of the newly published "Currency Trading & Intermarket Analysis". At CMC Markets, he oversees the analysis and forecasting functions of key currency pairs as well as decisions and trends of the major global central banks. He is also responsible for educating and informing clients on the essential dynamics underpinning FX, Commodity and Credit markets. Prior to joining CMC Markets, Mr. Laidi was chief currency analyst at MG Financial Group where he pioneered online FX analysis via the creation of Forexnews.com, an award-winning Web site dedicated to currency research and analysis. In 1998, he was a consultant to a United Nations-specialized agency, monitoring global fixed income and equity portfolios. Mr. Laidi has also worked as a currency analyst covering the major currency pairs, and served as a fixed income analyst at Reuters. His other experience included assessing sovereign and project investment risk consulting with the World Bank. Mr. Laidi provides expert commentary on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, BBC, and PBS' Nightly Business Report. His insights also appear in The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, the New York Times, CBS Marketwatch, TheStreet.com, Futures Magazine, and a host of other international publications.