Emerging Markets Economics Update Taking stock of EM financial conditions EM financial conditions have tightened a little in recent weeks, although only in Turkey does this threaten to become a significant headwind to growth. Elsewhere, conditions remain very loose but the... 29th September 2020 · 2 mins read
Africa Chart Pack Growth concerns mounting in Nigeria Nigeria is facing an uphill battle to breathe life into its economic recovery. Following a sharp 6.1% y/y fall in GDP in Q2, more recent figures suggest that activity remains muted. Admittedly, Google... 29th September 2020 · 13 mins read
UK Economics Money & Credit (Aug.) While the resurgence in the housing market continued in August, consumer credit barely rose. And the darkening clouds on the economic horizon may tempt some households to start to rein in spending in... 29th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Bankruptcy phoney war coming to an end Having instructed many firms to cease trading during the lockdowns, governments understandably pulled out all the stops to prevent them from going under. However, we expect this support to be... 28th September 2020 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Government bonds to rally in the coming years FTSE Russell yesterday announced that it will include China in its World Government Bond Index (WGBI). The resulting shift in passive funds could more than double foreign inflows into Chinese... 25th September 2020 · 5 mins read
Latin America Economics Weekly Argentina’s cepo, Brazil’s fiscal saga continues The tightening of capital controls (“ el cepo”) in Argentina will give the central bank some breathing room as it attempts to manage the peso over the coming months. But Argentina’s experience using... 18th September 2020 · 6 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Policymakers to keep their powder dry next week The three scheduled policy meetings next week are unlikely to result in any changes to policy settings. However, we would not be surprised to see the Norges Bank bring forward the projected start-date... 18th September 2020 · 4 mins read
UK Housing Market Update Rising interest rates don’t signal a credit crunch We don’t think the surge in high-LTV interest rates signals an incoming credit crunch. Rather, it probably reflects lenders prioritising demand from less risky borrowers. As the surge from pent-up... 18th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Central Bank Watch SNB to hold again; Norges Bank set for hawkish shift We expect the Swiss National Bank and the Norges Bank to both leave their policy settings unchanged next Thursday (24th September). But while the former will no doubt sound as dovish as ever... 17th September 2020 · 6 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi consumer resilience unlikely to last Consumer spending in Saudi Arabia seems to have bounced back quickly in recent months, but the steep VAT hike and the suspension of the Cost of Living Allowance means that this is unlikely to be... 16th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Central Bank Watch Riksbank to keep policy settings on hold next week After a tweak-laden last policy meeting, the Riksbank is likely to maintain the status quo next Tuesday (22nd September). While there is no burning platform for policy change, we think that the next... 15th September 2020 · 5 mins read
China Data Response Bank Lending & Broad Credit (Aug.) Broad credit growth hit its highest level in two and a half years as growth in direct financing and shadow credit picked up amid steady bank lending. We think that this acceleration has further to run... 11th September 2020 · 2 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Business investment plunging, money supply soaring Revised data show a slump in business investment in Q2 and we believe that capital spending won’t recover until next year. By contrast, the money supply is going from strength to strength. With around... 11th September 2020 · 6 mins read
India Economics Update What next for government borrowing costs? The use of traditional monetary policy tools alongside financial repression will keep government borrowing costs in India in check over the coming years. That should help to ensure that only modest... 9th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Slump in the Russian ruble has further to run The Russian ruble looks set to lose further ground over the coming months as geopolitical tensions and the threat of international sanctions ratchet up. We expect the ruble to drift towards 80/$ by... 8th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Australia - Stealth QE doesn’t let RBA off the hook Proposals by the banking regulator and the RBA that banks will need to hold more government bonds could be interpreted as financial repression. However, the surge in the outstanding stock of... 8th September 2020 · 3 mins read
