Emerging Markets Economics Update Thoughts on the rise of political risks in EMs From Brazil to Turkey, and Malaysia to South Africa, political risks are rising in emerging markets. The immediate triggers for unrest vary from country to country but there are some common themes –... 6th May 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Is the Philippines about to shoot itself in the foot? The Philippines has been one of the region’s few economic success stories over the past few years. But with the controversial Rodrigo Duterte riding high in the polls ahead of presidential elections... 6th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Brexit uncertainty starting to take its toll Recent data have brought more concrete signs that uncertainty ahead of the EU referendum on 23rd June is starting to weigh on the economy . GDP in Q1 grew by a modest 0.4% on the quarter and the... 5th May 2016 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Likely resignation of Turkey’s PM raises authoritarianism fears Reports that Turkey’s Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, is likely to quit his role amid growing tensions with President Erdogan will reinforce concerns about the shift towards increasingly... 5th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economic Outlook Consumers to weather Brexit uncertainty well Consumers face a tougher year than last, with Brexit uncertainty mounting, austerity increasing and inflation rising. Nonetheless, strong levels of confidence and a resilient labour market should... 4th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update How will the Inflation Report deal with Brexit risk? We doubt that the MPC will model separate ‘remain’ and ‘leave’ scenarios in its Inflation Report next week. But Brexit uncertainty will still affect its forecasts via its assumptions about the... 4th May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update What to expect on EU referendum day and shortly after The latest Markit/CIPS manufacturing survey suggested that the sector began Q2 on a poor footing and will increase fears that the economic recovery will slow further inQ2 as the EU referendum nears... 3rd May 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Brexit Watch: Slowdown not all due to Brexit fears GDP data released this week suggests that Brexit uncertainty probably weighed on growth in Q1. But other factors were at play too. And recent surveys generally indicate that the impact of Brexit... 29th April 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Putting the retail sector’s productivity problem in context The retail sector’s productivity performance has been better than it has often been given credit for. That said, with the sector particularly hard-hit by the new National Living Wage, boosting... 29th April 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly How much of Q1 slowdown is due to Brexit fears? Softening activity indicators and the moderation in quarterly GDP growth from 0.6% in Q4 to 0.4% in Q1 have fuelled a number of warnings, notably from Chancellor George Osborne and the OECD, that the... 29th April 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Spain will continue to miss its fiscal targets Political uncertainty and slowing growth imply that Spain’s budget deficit targets are too optimistic. As such, Spain looks set to breach the EU’s 3% deficit limit for at least two more years. And, in... 28th April 2016 · 1 min read
Africa Chart Pack Africa: IMF takes centre stage Events this month have underlined the continuing importance of the IMF for many economies across Africa. On 6 th April the government of Angola requested an IMF bailout to help stabilise an economy... 28th April 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Don’t get carried away with Saudi Arabia’s reform plans Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has created a buzz with his ambitious plans to transform the Kingdom’s economy, but we would caution against getting carried away. The... 28th April 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response EC Business & Consumer Survey (Apr.) April’s rise in euro-zone business and consumer confidence does not change the bigger picture that growth in the euro-zone appears to be slowing. 28th April 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Is sterling’s recent rally here to stay? Sterling’s recent rally as expectations of a Brexit have fallen suggests that the pound will rise further if the UK votes to remain in the EU. But there are reasons why the rally is unlikely to last. 28th April 2016 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Small Business Confidence (Apr.) The fall in small business confidence in April reflects seasonal patterns. Still, the survey suggests that economic activity remains sluggish. 27th April 2016 · 1 min read