Asia Economics Focus Bank of Korea to cut rates to a historic low of 1.5% High indebtedness, dysfunctional credit markets, and the prospect of a deep and prolonged global slowdown will drag Korea into its first recession since the Asian financial crisis of 1997. We expect... 31st October 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Japan still not finished cutting rates The Bank of Japan’s willingness to cut interest rates even further from already exceptionally low levels, combined with the prospect of outright declines in both economic activity and prices, suggests... 31st October 2008 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Bank of Japan still not finished cutting rates The Bank of Japan’s willingness to cut interest rates even further from already exceptionally low levels, combined with the prospect of outright declines in both economic activity and prices, suggests... 31st October 2008 · 1 min read
ECB Watch Another 50bps now and much more to come Severe strains in financial markets and a rapid deterioration in economic conditions have finally prompted a turnaround in the ECB’s previously hawkish stance. This supports our long-held view that... 30th October 2008 · 1 min read
BoE Watch A 75bps cut the next step to 1% rates With the economy plunging into recession and inflation risks rapidly receding, interest rates clearly need to fall considerably further. Accordingly, we expect the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to... 30th October 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Norges Bank cuts rates and signals further falls to come The Norges Bank today cut interest rates for the second time this month and signalled that further cuts are to come. But we continue to expect stronger economic fundamentals to ensure that rates fall... 29th October 2008 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update UK interest rates to fall to 1%. Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary actions. With the current recession likely to be deeper than that in the early 1990s and the credit crunch impairing the effectiveness of monetary... 29th October 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank cuts rates and signals further falls to come The Norges Bank today cut interest rates for the second time this month and signalled that furthercuts are to come. But we continue to expect stronger economic fundamentals to ensure that rates... 29th October 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Swiss franc’s appreciation supports case for hefty rate cuts The franc’s latest appreciation to a record high against the euro appears to reflect the weakness of the euro-zone economy more than Swiss domestic factors. But the franc’s strength is yet another... 28th October 2008 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Financial Stability Report highlights threat to bank lending The Bank of England’s latest Financial Stability Report (FSR) supports our view that the Government’s recapitalisation of the banking system is unlikely to head off a sharp slowdown in bank lending... 28th October 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swiss franc’s appreciation supports case for hefty rate cuts The franc’s latest appreciation to a record high against the euro appears to reflect the weakness of the euro-zone economy more than Swiss domestic factors. But the franc’s strength is yet another... 28th October 2008 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update India’s central bank pauses for breath, cuts to resume shortly Today’s decision by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to leave policy rates on hold was widely expected after recent actions proved successful in calming India’s money markets. Nonetheless, with... 24th October 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Swedish interest rates to fall to 3.0% by mid 2009 The decision by the Swedish Riksbank to cut interest rates to 3.75%, the second 50 basis points cut this month, clearly shows that the Bank’s full attention is now on preventing a major economic... 23rd October 2008 · 1 min read