Analysts evenly split on Opec decision

London

TO understand just how contentious next week's Opec meeting will be, take a look at the confusion it's created among professionals paid to predict the outcome.

The 20 analysts surveyed this week by Bloomberg are perfectly divided, with half forecasting the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will cut supply on Nov 27 in Vienna to stem a plunge in prices while the other half expects no change. In the seven years since the surveys began, it's the first time participants were evenly split. The only episode that created a similar debate was the Opec meeting in late 2007, when crude was soaring to a record.