Africa Economics Update Nigeria: banking sector making progress but challenges remain Almost five years after a domestic banking crisis, there are encouraging signs that Nigeria’s financial sector is slowly returning to health. But while there are reasons to be optimistic, some key... 18th June 2013 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (May) Broad money growth has remained stable since late last year, with our measure of the M3 aggregate expanding by 6.2% over the 12 months to May. 17th June 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Lower interest rates not a panacea to Russia’s problems There are signs that pressure from the Russian government on both the central bank and commercial banks to lower interest rates may be starting to have an impact on borrowing costs in the real economy... 13th June 2013 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Rebound remains elusive The key message from China’s May data is that there is no clear evidence of an economic rebound getting underway. Most of the commentary has focused on the impact on exports of more stringent controls... 10th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Is the UK turning Japanese? The UK economy is at risk of following a path that is, if anything, worse than the ‘lost decades’ Japan experienced from the early 1990s. While the UK possesses some advantages Japan lacked, in some... 4th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Manufacturing (May) & FLS data (Q1) May’s CIPS/Markit report on manufacturing provided a tentative indication that the industrial sector’s recession might be drawing to a close. However, disappointing figures on the usage of the Funding... 3rd June 2013 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Fears about student loans still look overdone The latest data from the New York Fed have reignited concerns about a possible bubble in student loans. But the growth of student loans has always been faster than the growth in other types of... 3rd June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (May 13) The latest money figures suggest that the recovery is still being starved of credit and add to evidence that the Funding for Lending Scheme is having a disappointing impact on lending volumes. 31st May 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Household Borrowing Monitor (Apr. 13) April’s household borrowing figures are likely to quell some of the optimism arising from the recent run of better economic news. While the Funding for Lending Scheme has continued to drive down... 31st May 2013 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Bahrain's political upheaval to continue to drag on growth Political unrest, a fragile banking sector and a weak fiscal position are all likely to weigh on Bahrain’s economy over the next few years. As a result, we expect it to be one of the worst performers... 30th May 2013 · 1 min read
US Economics Update US lending further The FDIC’s latest banking figures show that, buoyed by falling loan default rates, the quarterly net income of US banks hit a record high of $40bn in the first quarter. The expiry of the unlimited... 29th May 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Apr.) While positive on the surface, the acceleration in money supply growth conceals several worrying dynamics, not least another fall in lending to firms. 29th May 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Iceland won’t unfreeze capital flows anytime soon Five years since they were implemented, Iceland still relies on ‘temporary’ capital controls to support its currency. And they are likely to remain in place for some time yet despite the new... 28th May 2013 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Global Monetary Indicators (May) Advanced economies remain awash with liquidity. The Japanese monetary base has been rising steeply for several months, even before the Bank of Japan’s policy shift, announced on 4th April. 21st May 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Parent bank deleveraging easing The pace at which parent banks in Western Europe have scaled back funding for subsidiaries in Eastern Europe has slowed further since the start of the year. Nonetheless, credit conditions in much of... 21st May 2013 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Apr.) There are some encouraging signs in Japan’s latest monetary aggregates but it remains too early to tell whether the Bank of Japan’s policy shift last month is feeding the hoped-for acceleration in... 16th May 2013 · 1 min read
