UK Economics Update How much should we worry about swine flu? The outbreak of swine flu in Mexico and its spread to other countries has inevitably raised questions about the broader economic and market implications. While not wanting to downplay the social costs... 27th April 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Apr.) Now that the Monetary Policy Committee has entered the uncharted waters of quantitative easing, the monetary indicators have moved to the top of the watchlist. In this UK Economics Update, which we... 22nd April 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Treat green shoots with a little caution Barely a day goes by at the moment without another newspaper story on the “green shoots” of recovery or a new forecast predicting a significant improvement in the health of the UK economy. But it is... 20th April 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update More upside for the pound, at least against the euro While some of sterling’s recent strengthening may reflect short-term factors which could be quickly reversed, there are more fundamental reasons to expect the pound to rise, at least against the euro. 16th April 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update MPC stays tight-lipped on QE With Mervyn King signalling already that interest rates were unlikely to fall again, this MPC meeting was all about the unconventional policy measures - so-called “quantitative easing” or QE -... 9th April 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Rise in consumer confidence offers tentative hope The recent rise in consumer confidence offers tentative hopes of a recovery further ahead. But we need far more evidence than this before we can conclude that an end to the recession is in sight. 31st March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Rise in consumer confidence offers tentative hope The recent rise in consumer confidence offers tentative hopes of a recovery further ahead. But we need far more evidence than this before we can conclude that an end to the recession is in sight. 31st March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Rebound in "discretionary income" will not spur spending recovery The amount of household nominal income available for discretionary spending has rebounded strongly. How much of this income will actually be spent is another matter, however. 17th March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Rebound in "discretionary income" will not spur spending recovery The amount of household nominal income available for discretionary spending has rebounded strongly. How much of this income will actually be spent is another matter, however. 17th March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Spending can recover before unemployment peaks Past experience supports the view that sharp increases in unemployment will not necessarily prevent a recovery in consumer spending and overall activity, despite their adverse impact on household... 10th March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Spending can recover before unemployment peaks Past experience supports the view that sharp increases in unemployment will not necessarily prevent a recovery in consumer spending and overall activity, despite their adverse impact on household... 10th March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update MPC takes a bold step into the unknown Today’s launch of quantitative easing (QE) marked a further significant step in the policymakers’ attempts to prevent the deep recession in the UK economy from turning into something closer to a... 5th March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update MPC takes a bold step into the unknown Today’s launch of quantitative easing (QE) marked a further significant step in the policymakers’ attempts to prevent the deep recession in the UK economy from turning into something closer to a... 5th March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Should the MPC have targets for QE? The uncertainties surrounding the likely quantity and effectiveness of Quantitative Easing (QE) in the UK have led to some suggestions that the Monetary Policy Committee should be set (or set itself)... 4th March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Just how much QE is enough? With the launch of quantitative easing (QE) apparently imminent, speculation is growing over just how much needs to be done to have a material impact on the economy. While the answer is very uncertain... 3rd March 2009 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Lending commitments may not be big enough The next stage of the Government’s support for the banking system got underway today, with the release of further details on the Government’s guarantee of bank losses on toxic assets. However, this... 26th February 2009 · 1 min read
