Japan Economics Focus Will Japan’s budget deficit continue to shrink? Even if the government goes ahead with the sales tax that is currently scheduled for 2017, we think it will struggle to reduce the budget deficit much further. Rather than more fiscal reforms, the... 18th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Greece’s default options This Update takes a detailed look at the forms of debt default that Greece might employ to reduce near-term financing pressures and lower its debt burden. There are various possible options, but the... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Is Cyprus a blueprint for Greece? Cyprus’ recent return to economic growth and its fairly swift liberalisation of capital controls might indicate that Greece could resolve its problems without leaving the euro-zone. However, there are... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Assessing the potential economic impact of MERS in Korea Based on the limited data available so far it looks like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has already taken a toll on Korea’s economy. In this Update, we outline our best and worse case... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Nigeria: Cabinet delay raises policy-making concerns President Muhammadu Buhari’s long delay in appointing a new federal cabinet is detracting from his reputation as a decisive reformer and may be a sign of deep divisions within the ruling power. The... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German ZEW (Jun.) June’s sharp fall in ZEW investor sentiment suggests that the German recovery is suffering from fears about the impact of the Greek crisis. 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Further big falls in EM currencies unlikely, but expect volatility The Greek crisis appears to be coming to a head, but so far at least there has been very little negative impact on emerging market currencies. Should Greece default, and especially if that entails... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Severe demographic headwinds to hold back Hong Kong Hong Kong has both the highest life expectancy and the lowest birth rate in the world. One consequence is that Hong Kong’s working age population is set to decline by more than that of any other... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Gulf countries weathering the storm, but growth to weaken The Gulf economies have weathered the storm created by low oil prices relatively well this year, with foreign exchange reserves having been drawn down to sustain spending. Large savings mean that this... 15th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will Greece finally blink? Greece’s creditors have made it clear that the ball is firmly in its court to make the concessionsneeded to reach a last-minute agreement. But even if Greece finally blinks, the stop-gap deal that... 12th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Can time save Greece? Greece’s latest proposals to its creditors reportedly include plans to cover its financing needs until March next year. But with its economic and fiscal position more likely to worsen than improve in... 11th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Can Greece leave the euro without also leaving the EU? Whether Greece exits the euro, and whether it can leave the single currency while remaining a member of the European Union (EU), will depend on economic, market and political realities rather than... 10th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update No California dreaming for Greece The repeated failure to agree on austerity measures together with threats of default and the prospect of IOUs have prompted comparisons between Greece’s situation and that in California in 2009. But... 9th June 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update After the election: what next for Turkish politics? The market’s reaction to Sunday’s inconclusive Turkish parliamentary election was overwhelming negative. In this Update, we outline three scenarios to show how the political situation might develop. 8th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Debt relief is still the key obstacle to a Greek solution Greece and its creditors appear to be inching slowly towards each other on some elements of a potential deal to complete the current bailout. But deciding on and implementing the debt relief clearly... 8th June 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Mexico elections: a glass half-full Elections in Mexico on Sunday delivered a broadly market-positive result, with the coalition led by the ruling PRI Party retaining its majority in Congress. But while this should ensure that Mexico... 8th June 2015 · 1 min read
