Canada Economics Update Bank of Canada isn't targeting lower dollar Governor Stephen Poloz's reminder today that the Bank of Canada has no desire to use monetary policy to target a weaker currency doesn't mean that the Canadian dollar won't continue to depreciate over... 16th September 2014 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Colombia: Slower GDP growth points to interest rate hold Today’s weaker-than-expected Colombian GDP data, which showed that the economy grew by 4.3% y/y in Q2 (from 6.4% y/y in Q1), are likely to tip the balance in favour of interest rates being left on... 16th September 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Drop in ruble strengthens case for interest rate hike The sharp fall in the ruble over the past week or so reflects a combination of factors, including the drop in oil prices, continued capital flight in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and... 16th September 2014 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Argentine peso has further to fall The Argentine government has introduced various measures in recent weeks to increase the availability of foreign currency in a bid to stem the depreciation of the peso in both official and unofficial... 15th September 2014 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Rising dollar reflects economic strength Even a further rise in the dollar above its current four-year high won’t prevent a period of higher inflation and stronger GDP growth. It would be odd to conclude that the dollar will significantly... 12th September 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Limited room for growth-friendly fiscal policies While signs of pragmatism have recently emerged in the ongoing fiscal debate in the euro-zone, we think there is currently little room for fiscal policy to play much of a role in tackling low growth... 12th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Strong jobs figure does not alter the picture for Australia Data released last week showed that Australia added more jobs in August than in any other month on record. But the jump does not change the broader picture of labour market weakness, and it does not... 12th September 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russia keeps interest rates on hold, but hikes still on the cards The Russian central bank left interest rates unchanged today, having raised rates by 250bps over the firstsix months of the year. But with inflation set to rise further over the coming months and... 12th September 2014 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update A period of low interest rates for Chile and Peru Interest rates were cut by 25bp in both Chile and Peru last night and policymakers have room to reduce rates further if growth continues to slow. With little chance of a significant rebound in growth... 12th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Korea set to raise rates next year Interest rates in Korea, which were left on hold today, are likely to rise from next year as economic growth picks up. However, with inflation likely to remain fairly subdued, the pace of tightening... 12th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Indonesian rates to remain high despite falling inflation Despite recent sharp falls in inflation and worries about the slowing economy, Bank Indonesia (BI) today left interest rates on hold amid concerns about the current account position. We expect... 11th September 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Euro-zone more to blame for Q2 slowdown than Ukraine The slowdown in Central and South Eastern Europe in the second quarter has raised concerns about the region’s exposure to the crisis in Ukraine. In this Watch, we dig deeper into the GDP data to see... 11th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Further tightening likely in the Philippines The central bank in the Philippines (BSP) today hiked two key policy rates against a backdrop of increasing risks in the financial sector and rising inflationary pressures. We expect to see further... 11th September 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand rate pause unlikely to last for long The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its policy rate at 3.5% at its meeting today, pausing a hiking cycle that began in March. The RBNZ will wait to see the effects of previous hikes, but we... 11th September 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Aug.) Loan growth has remained stable in recent months though banks were predicting a sharp slowdown in lending following the sales tax hike. Nonetheless, we still think that borrowing will slow in the not... 11th September 2014 · 1 min read
US Fed Watch Fed's forward guidance could change again The Fed will continue to trim its asset purchases at the upcoming FOMC meeting, which concludes on the 17 th September. There is the possibility that it could also tweak its forward guidance and/or... 10th September 2014 · 1 min read