Africa Economics Update Nigerian rates likely to remain unchanged until after election The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) kept interest rates on hold today and we do not expect any major shifts in the stance of monetary policy in the near term. The risks to inflation are skewed to the... 19th September 2014 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update G20: good intentions from down under Few analysts will be waking up early this weekend to read the communiqué from the gathering of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Cairns. It is likely to cover a lot of familiar... 19th September 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Post-referendum relief rally falls flat The absence of a major relief rally following Scotland’s rejection of independence confirms that the markets only ever placed a very small probability on a ‘Yes’ vote. Although interest rate... 19th September 2014 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Private sector debt growth accelerates Private sector debt growth accelerated in the second quarter, as both household and business borrowing increased at a healthy pace. Nevertheless, debt growth is still running at a slower pace than... 19th September 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Scottish ‘No’ vote does not lift cloud of political uncertainty The near-term outlook for the economy on both sides of the Scottish border has brightened following Scotland’s decision to remain part of the UK. But despite the ‘No’ vote, the UK economy will... 19th September 2014 · 1 min read
China Chart Pack More targeted support for small firms Although liquidity operations by the PBOC have received the most attention this week, further measures to support small firms that were announced by the State Council on Wednesday are arguably more... 18th September 2014 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Retail Sales (Aug.) August’s retail sales figures showed that the recovery in consumer spending still has momentum despite the continued real pay squeeze and looming interest rate hikes. 18th September 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Chart Pack EM currencies suffer further loses Emerging market (EM) currencies have had a rough ride recently, adding to what was already shaping up to be a poor year. Our synthetic EM exchange rate index is down by 1.5% against the dollar in the... 16th September 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Drop in ruble strengthens case for interest rate hike The sharp fall in the ruble over the past week or so reflects a combination of factors, including the drop in oil prices, continued capital flight in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and... 16th September 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Sweden’s return to the left won’t banish stagnation fears Sweden’s general election yesterday resulted in defeat for the centre-right coalition Alliance Government after two terms in power but produced no overall majority for the centre-left opposition... 15th September 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Vote of confidence to offer limited hope for France The French Government looks set to win a vote of confidence tomorrow, allowing it to pursue long-overdue business friendly reforms. But it could take many years for the reforms to bear fruit and... 15th September 2014 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update President al-Sisi’s first 100 days better than expected In his first 100 days in office, Egypt’s President al- Sisi has made more progress in tackling the country’s economic problems than many, including ourselves, had expected. In particular, his... 15th September 2014 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Sweden’s return to the left won’t banish stagnation fears Sweden’s general election yesterday resulted in defeat for the centre-right coalition Alliance Government after two terms in power but produced no overall majority for the centre-left opposition... 15th September 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Will sterling take the low road? While the recent fall in the pound against the US dollar has been put down to the heighteneduncertainty over the Scottish referendum result, most of the drop has actually been driven by a shiftin... 12th September 2014 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Rising dollar reflects economic strength Even a further rise in the dollar above its current four-year high won’t prevent a period of higher inflation and stronger GDP growth. It would be odd to conclude that the dollar will significantly... 12th September 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Limited room for growth-friendly fiscal policies While signs of pragmatism have recently emerged in the ongoing fiscal debate in the euro-zone, we think there is currently little room for fiscal policy to play much of a role in tackling low growth... 12th September 2014 · 1 min read