UK Economics Update Easing inflation bolsters case for MPC inaction Although the economic recovery appears to be heading into the second half of this year with plenty of momentum, the continued weakening of inflationary pressures suggests that today’s decision by the... 10th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update More rate hikes in the pipeline for Malaysia Amid rising concerns over the stability of the financial sector, Malaysia’s central bank (BNM) today hiked its policy rate for the first time in three years. With the economy in good shape, we see... 10th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New president should not expect any favours from Bank Indonesia Bank Indonesia’s (BI) decision to leave interest rates on hold today never really looked in much doubt. Looking ahead, although the central bank may have some scope to cut interest rates over the next... 10th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Korea in no rush to hike interest rates Interest rates in Korea were left on hold today, and with inflation set to stay subdued we expect monetary policy to remain unchanged for the rest of the year. 10th July 2014 · 1 min read
Bank of Canada Watch Bank unlikely to be panicked by higher inflation readings We expect the Bank of Canada to retain its neutral interest rate bias in next week's policy statement. Although inflation has been firmer than the Bank had originally expected, this is partly because... 9th July 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Interest rate hikes alone won’t solve Ghana’s economic woes Slow progress in tackling the enormous twin budget and current account deficits means that today’s decision from the Bank of Ghana to hike interest rates is unlikely to curb the sharp depreciation in... 9th July 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ABS purchases will not take QE off the table The ECB’s prospective ABS purchases might ultimately help to strengthen the euro-zone financial system. But they will not stave off the immediate disinflationary pressures facing the region. 9th July 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Modest interest rate hikes in Kenya still on the cards Interest rates in Kenya were kept on hold at 8.5% today but, given the country’s large current account deficit and the fact that inflation is likely to rise above the Central Bank’s (CBK’s) target... 8th July 2014 · 1 min read
Bank of Japan Watch More easing still required as BoJ “only halfway there” Until recently, the majority of analysts had expected the Bank of Japan to announce more easing at the meeting that concludes next Tuesday (15th July). But recent upbeat communication by central bank... 8th July 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Norway set for several bouts of monetary loosening The Swedish Riksbank’s interest rate cut last week will put pressure on the Norges Bank to follow suit. We expect the Bank to cut its policy rate by the end of the year. And as spending in the energy... 8th July 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook As good as it gets? While the European economic recovery probably picked up a bit of speed in the second quarter of the year, there are growing signs that Q2 was as good as it is likely to get. Activity indicators in the... 8th July 2014 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norway set for several bouts of monetary loosening The Swedish Riksbank’s interest rate cut last week will put pressure on the Norges Bank to follow suit. We expect the Bank to cut its policy rate by the end of the year. And as spending in the energy... 8th July 2014 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update How will the US stock market handle Fed tightening? The US stock market has tended to fare quite well during previous Fed tightening cycles. Although we think its performance in the next cycle will be below average, we still expect it to creep higher. 7th July 2014 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update How will the US stock market handle Fed tightening? The US stock market has tended to fare quite well during previous Fed tightening cycles. Although we think its performance in the next cycle will be below average, we still expect it to creep higher. 7th July 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update What more can the Czech National Bank do? The Czech National Bank (CNB) struck a dovish note at last week’s MPC meeting and is clearly concerned about the threat of deflation. For now, we suspect that the Bank is unlikely to take further... 4th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Weaker credit growth to weigh on region Most countries in Emerging Asia should record reasonable growth over the next couple of years, helped by a combination of supportive monetary policy and a pick-up in demand from advanced economies... 4th July 2014 · 1 min read
