0516 GMT - Persistently high oil prices, soaring U.S. debt, and the associated high inflation might suggest at first glance that an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve would be appropriate, says Fonds Direkt AG's Thorsten Dreilich. From an economic perspective, however, even tighter conditions could prove problematic, he says. "Given the high levels of debt--not just in the U.S. but globally--further monetary policy tightening could potentially add fuel to the fire." Fonds Direkt wouldn't be surprised if the Fed decided to maintain the status quo regarding interest rates for the time being. "Instead, the central bank might attempt to calm the bond markets by expanding its purchasing programs," he says.