BMW 2008 Annual Report Download - page 18

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19 Group Management Report
Fluctuations in reference interest rates were extreme in
. The American reference rate fell during the year from
. to a historic low (a range of to .). After ini-
tially raising its reference interest rate by . percentage
points to . in July, the European Central Bank lowered
it in stages during the second half of the year to ..
The Bank of England lowered its reference rate from .
at the beginning of  to . at the beginning of Janu-
ary . Developments were also similar in other industrial
countries and in numerous emerging market states. The
prospect of further reference rate reductions also resulted
in a sharp drop in interest rates for contracts with medium-
term maturities.
The effect of the global economic downturn has also been
reflected in a sharp drop in prices on the international used
vehicle markets. The increasing number of insolvencies,
coupled with the reluctance of consumers and dealers to
spend during a period of ongoing uncertainty, resulted in
a huge drop in demand for used cars during the second
half of .