On Thursday night, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke before the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and declined to take a side regarding the debate concerning whether or not a further rate cut should be implemented at their committee meeting on December 11. In his speech, he said “renewed turbulence in financial markets… has partially reversed the improvement [in the outlook for the economy] that occurred in September and October.” He suggested that he continues to be open to keep the rates as they are now or cut them even further. Asian stock markets extended gains after his brief remarks.