Latin America Economics Update Chile to cut rates as economic activity cools A minor upturn in Chile’s November economic activity does little to alter the overall trend towards slower growth heading into 2012. With external demand set to deteriorate further over the course of... 5th January 2012 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Romania cuts rates, lessons for Hungary The National Bank of Romania (NBR) cut its benchmark interest rate today, as expected. Crucially, stable politics and an IMF backstop have provided the NBR with scope to cut rates in response to the... 5th January 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS Services Report (Dec.) & Credit Conditions Survey (Q4) December’s CIPS/Markit report on services echoed the manufacturing and construction surveys already released in suggesting that the recovery regained some momentum at the very end of last year... 5th January 2012 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update How much difference will the Fed's rate forecasts make? The US Fed’s decision to start to publish forecasts for its key official interest rate could be another useful policy tool to keep long-term interest rates low, even though that is not the stated... 4th January 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Dec.) The boost to the narrow money supply from QE2 is yet to feed through into a more meaningful pickup in the broader monetary aggregates. 4th January 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Dec.) Recent monetary data have revealed that money and credit growth remain very subdued. The ECB’s latest efforts to improve commercial banks’ liquidity seem unlikely to have a meaningful impact on... 3rd January 2012 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Turkey tightens further, adding to recession risk Over the past week, the Turkish Central Bank (CBRT) has used above-target and rising inflation to justify further measures to tighten monetary policy. However, we think the threat of a disorderly... 3rd January 2012 · 1 min read
China Chart Pack Weak start to 2012 After a run of bad data, many are now looking at prospects for 2012 with a sense of foreboding. GDP growth in Q4 may have dropped below 7% q/q in annualised terms. Monetary conditions have loosened a... 21st December 2011 · 1 min read
UK Data Response MPC Minutes (Dec.) & Public finances (Nov.) The minutes of December’s MPC meeting reiterated the Committee’s view that there is little point in trying to fine-tune policy, but nonetheless suggested that the door remains open to more... 21st December 2011 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Policy set to ease across the region in 2012 Growth concerns will increasingly dominate Latin American policymakers’ agendas as we move into 2012. With many of the world’s advanced economies headed towards recession, and China’s economy... 20th December 2011 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Monetary Indicators (Nov) The growth rate of all the monetary aggregates has remained steady recently, with our reconstructed measure of the broad M3 aggregate expanding by about 5% over the past year. 20th December 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Swedish Riksbank cuts rates and more likely to come The Swedish Riksbank’s decision to reduce interest rates is a timely reminder that even the strongest performing European economies are not immune from the effects of the euro-zone debt crisis. We... 20th December 2011 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swedish Riksbank cuts rates and more likely to come The Swedish Riksbank’s decision to reduce interest rates is a timely reminder that even the strongest performing European economies are not immune from the effects of the euro-zone debt crisis. We... 20th December 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Hungary: further tightening on the cards The National Bank of Hungary (NBH) hiked interest rates today, as expected. But with the government at loggerheads with the central bank, talks with the IMF seemingly having broken down and fresh... 20th December 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update India prepares ground for rate cuts as economy slows Although it left its repo rate unchanged at today’s meeting, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) signalled that it is preparing the ground to loosen policy earlier than previously expected. We now think... 16th December 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Inflation threat is not as big as many fear Headline inflation has picked up across much of Emerging Europe. But we don’t think this threat is as big as some commentators are suggesting since underlying inflationary pressures are subdued. With... 14th December 2011 · 1 min read