Japan Economics Update Cautious Bank of Japan leaves door open for further easing The Bank of Japan pushed back the timing for reaching its 2% inflation target today and sees downside risks to economic activity. With underlying inflation likely to stall soon, we expect policymakers... 30th October 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Taiwan GDP (Q3) Taiwan’s GDP contracted in the third quarter, due mainly to weakness in exports. Looking ahead, we expect growth to recover soon. Exports should pick up off the back of a recovery in global demand... 30th October 2015 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - RBNZ has more work to do Today's decision by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) to leave interest rates at 2.75% is just a pause in a loosening cycle that we believe will end with rates falling to 2.00%. And the news that... 29th October 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update EM rates to follow divergent paths The shift towards looser monetary policy in the emerging world earlier this year is over and, with the first rate hike in the US inching nearer, we think that many EMs are likely to tighten policy... 29th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Central Bank of Egypt holds rates as external concerns return A renewed focus on Egypt’s external position appears to have been the main reason why the central bank kept the benchmark overnight deposit rate unchanged at 8.75% today, rather than lower rates. The... 29th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Saudi Arabia begins to tighten its belt The past month has brought the clearest signs yet that a fiscal squeeze in Saudi Arabia is looming. According to leaked memos, the Ministry of Finance has ordered government entities to halt new... 29th October 2015 · 1 min read
BoE Watch Inflation Report could warn markets have gone too far We expect mixed messages from this month’s Inflation Report. On the one hand, a lower profile for inflation over the next few months is likely to confirm that interest rates will not rise until well... 29th October 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Nigeria’s fiscal woes: Looking beyond the deficit Despite the steep fall in oil prices and a very weak economic growth, we expect that Nigeria’s budget deficit will remain relatively contained in 2015 and 2016. As we explain in this Watch, however... 29th October 2015 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Fed leaves door open to December rate hike The post-FOMC meeting statement released today certainly leaves open the possibility that the Fed will hike interest rates at the next meeting in December. Nevertheless, we still think that the Fed is... 28th October 2015 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Money aggregates growing steadily Monetary conditions remain highly accommodative in most advanced economies, notwithstanding the rise in corporate bond yields since the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, broad monetary aggregates are... 28th October 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Can the ECB really cut rates even further? While we have argued for some time that the ECB will expand its asset purchases in December, we now expect it to cut its deposit rate further into negative territory too. This seems unlikely to have... 28th October 2015 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update What might strong US GDP data mean for equities? With the FOMC almost certain to leave interest rates on hold later today, the event which is perhaps more likely to move US markets this week could be the advance (first) estimate for Q3 GDP... 28th October 2015 · 1 min read
Global Central Bank Watch A lot more easing to come The US Fed now looks likely to leave interest rates unchanged until next March before tightening policy more rapidly than the markets anticipate. Many other major central banks, meanwhile, are still... 28th October 2015 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Fed to hike more than expected, but global fallout to be limited While the FOMC meeting will surely conclude today with no change in policy, we continue to expect US interest rates to be raised more than the markets anticipate in 2016 and beyond. Nonetheless, this... 28th October 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Sweden’s Riksbank loosens policy but still more needed The decision by Sweden’s Riksbank to increase the size of its government bond-buying programme was clearly a response to the growing anticipation of more stimulus from the ECB. We think that these... 28th October 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Weak inflation expectations add to pressure on ECB The dovish stance taken by the ECB in recent weeks has partly reflected its fear that inflation expectations have become unanchored from the near-2% target. Such concerns are justified, supporting... 28th October 2015 · 1 min read
