Europe Economics Update Outlook remains bleak for the Spanish housing market The latest Spanish house price data revealed that house prices rose solidly in Q4 last year. Nonetheless, other indicators of housing market activity are much less healthy and we continue to expect... 18th January 2008 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Can rising equities offset lower house prices? Some commentators have suggested that the positive wealth effect from a possible recovery in equity markets might go a long way towards offsetting the negative impact of lower house prices. This would... 8th January 2008 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus MPC may be too sanguine about housing again With the housing market clearly slowing, the key issue is the potential impact of this on the economy and, in particular, consumer spending. During 2005’s housing slowdown, the Monetary Policy... 12th November 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus MPC may be too sanguine about housing again With the housing market clearly slowing, the key issue is the potential impact of this on the economy and, in particular, consumer spending. During 2005’s housing slowdown, the Monetary Policy... 12th November 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus The legacy of the house price boom While there are growing signs that the housing market is now slowing, the full effects, both good and bad, of the previous surge in house prices have yet to be felt. Mortgage debt will continue to... 29th October 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Resilient housing market could delay spending slowdown. So far, there have been only tentative signs that consumer spending growth is weakening in response to the rises in interest rates over the past year. But a look at the past two tightening cycles... 29th August 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Resilient housing market could delay spending slowdown. So far, there have been only tentative signs that consumer spending growth is weakening in response to the rises in interest rates over the past year. But a look at the past two tightening cycles... 29th August 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Have fixed rate mortgages changed the housing market? The popularity of fixed rate mortgages in recent years appears to have dampened the sensitivity of the housing market to rising interest rates. That is not to say that higher interest rates will not... 17th May 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Have fixed rate mortgages changed the housing market? The popularity of fixed rate mortgages in recent years appears to have dampened the sensitivity of the housing market to rising interest rates. That is not to say that higher interest rates will not... 17th May 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK sub-prime mortgage lending: living on borrowed time? Unfolding developments in the US sub-prime mortgage market make uncomfortable reading. But do developments in the US have any implications for the UK mortgage market, which has also seen strong growth... 28th March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus UK sub-prime mortgage lending: living on borrowed time? Unfolding developments in the US sub-prime mortgage market make uncomfortable reading. But do developments in the US have any implications for the UK mortgage market, which has also seen strong growth... 28th March 2007 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Focus What does the sub-prime crisis mean for the wider economy? The meltdown in the sub-prime mortgage sector will have a significant impact on the US economy because of its consequences for the housing market, even if there are no contagion effects on the rest of... 15th March 2007 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Focus Housing, inflation and the US economy: an update of our views For close to a year now we have been predicting that a sharp housing-led slowdown in US economic growth would take hold in 2007. However, two recent developments have convinced us that the slowdown... 19th September 2006 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Focus Where will the housing slowdown hit hardest? The end of the housing boom, which is apparently now underway, is arguably the biggest risk to the US economic outlook over the next couple of years . In previous Focus pieces we have argued that even... 27th February 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus MPC may be too sanguine on link between housing & spending The Monetary Policy Committee has soothed concerns over the recent slowdown in the housing market by pointing out that the link between house prices and household spending has loosened markedly in... 14th February 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus MPC may be too sanguine on link between housing & spending The Monetary Policy Committee has soothed concerns over the recent slowdown in the housing market by pointing out that the link between house prices and household spending has loosened markedly in... 14th February 2005 · 1 min read