UK Data Response Consumer Prices (May) The further fall in inflation in May was a nice surprise given that we and the consensus had expected it to hold broadly steady. We continue to expect inflation to be back below its target before the... 19th June 2012 · 1 min read
US Data Response Consumer Prices (May) & Current Account (Q1) Plummeting energy prices and favourable base effects drove headline CPI inflation below the Fed's 2.0% target in May, for the first time in 16 months. The annual rate actually fell to 1.7%, from 2.3%... 14th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indian inflation rises but Reserve Bank still likely to cut rates Despite a rise in headline inflation in May, we think the Reserve Bank of India is likely to cut the repo rate by 25bp at its rate-setting meeting on Monday. The underlying inflation rate has not... 14th June 2012 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Banks in the Gulf are well placed to weather the storm One of the main channels through which the euro-zone debt crisis could affect the oil-rich Gulf economies is via a drop in foreign capital inflows due to heightened global risk aversion. In particular... 13th June 2012 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Inflation falling in Eastern Europe Headline inflation fell pretty much everywhere in Emerging Europe in May on the back of easing food and energy inflation. Moreover, with the possible exception of Turkey, underlying price pressures... 13th June 2012 · 1 min read
Global Inflation Watch Inflation to fall further as euro-zone crisis deepens Headline inflation has dropped this year in most major economies and is likely to come down further as global growth falters, the euro-zone crisis deepens and commodity prices continue to fall. We... 12th June 2012 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt inflation down, but little chance of rate cut The fall in Egyptian inflation to a seven-month low in May is good news but does not provide sufficient grounds for the central bank to cut its benchmark interest rate on Thursday. 11th June 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Banks respond to stimulus call as economy stabilises The May data brought evidence that conditions in China’s economy stopped deteriorating last month and may have moderately improved. With its banks now pumping out loans to willing state-owned... 11th June 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Inflation Monitor (May) Consumer price inflation probably eased only slightly in May, but we expect larger falls to come in the next couple of months. This should reassure policymakers that they can continue to focus on... 8th June 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Producer Prices (May) & Inf. Attitudes Survey (Q2) May’s producer prices figures confirmed that price pressures at the start of the inflation pipeline have begun to fade again, strengthening the case for thinking that CPI inflation is on course to... 8th June 2012 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Euro crisis clouds the outlook The combination of a deep recession in the euro-zone and the Arab world’s own political turmoil will act as a drag on the region’s economies in the near term. The North African countries are likely to... 7th June 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB unwilling to do more just yet The European Central Bank (ECB) continued to indicate that it is up to national policymakers to take further actions to address the euro-zone crisis, rather than the Bank itself. 6th June 2012 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Inflation concerns subsiding in Latin America In line with our forecast, inflation has eased across most of the region in 2012 as the effects of last year’s food price shock work their way out of the annual comparison. We expect this trend to... 6th June 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack UK remains a safe haven from euro-zone turmoil The threat to the UK from the euro-zone has continued to intensify, with concerns building about the Spanish banking system in recent days. But the UK has so far retained its safe-haven status, with... 6th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Currencies and equities fall sharply, further falls likely Following a strong start to the year, most Asian currencies and equities fell sharply in May. The main reason is that renewed concerns over the euro-zone’s future brought a return in global risk... 31st May 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI & German Unemployment (May) May’s fall in euro-zone CPI inflation and the drop in the German unemployment rate were rare pieces of good news for the beleaguered euro-zone. But the recent sharp falls in measures of business... 31st May 2012 · 1 min read