Africa Chart Pack Tightening cycles have further to run The tightening cycles that began in Ghana and South Africa earlier this year continued in July and, in both cases, we think that further interest rate hikes are likely before the end of 2014. Ghana’s... 31st July 2014 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook North Africa getting back on its feet Three years on from the “Arab Spring” uprisings, the tide is turning in favour of the economies of North Africa. Admittedly, there are still many challenges, not least reining in large twin current... 31st July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Property price worries prompt rate hikes The central banks of New Zealand, the Philippines and Malaysia all tightened monetary policy last month amid signs that policymakers are becoming increasingly concerned that loose monetary policy is... 30th July 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Sanctions on Russia a further blow to Finnish economy Finland’s close economic ties with neighbouring Russia mean that the EU’s stiffer sanctions on Russia announced yesterday are likely to deal another blow to the Finnish economy. Even if the direct... 30th July 2014 · 1 min read
China Economics Update What does the anti-corruption campaign mean for the economy? China’s anti-corruption campaign has claimed its biggest scalp to date with today’s formal announcement of an investigation into former Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang. Over the past 18 months... 29th July 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update EM demographic challenge not the disaster that many expect The contribution that favourable demographics have made to emerging market growth over the past couple of decades is often overplayed. In reality, the growth of working age populations has played only... 29th July 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Small Business Confidence (Jul.) While the renewed improvement in small business confidence in July lifted the index well above its long-term average, the survey still points to sluggish industrial output. 29th July 2014 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Markets take Argentina’s debt dispute in their stride The Argentine government seems increasingly likely to default on sovereign debt repayments due at the end of this month but the reaction in both local markets and markets in the region more generally... 28th July 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Sanctions on Russia pose limited threat to Germany The likelihood that the EU will impose stiffer sanctions on Russia has raised concerns about the effecton German exports and the wider economy. But while certain companies rely strongly on trade... 28th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Fuel subsidy reform an early test for Indonesia’s Jokowi Financial markets have welcomed the election of Joko Widodo as Indonesia’s president, but there is still great uncertainty over his policy priorities and his ability to push through his own agenda. Mr... 28th July 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Surprise Russia rate hike a response to geopolitics not inflation Russia’s central bank justified its surprise decision to hike interest rates this morning on stubbornly high inflation, but it’s pretty clear that this is a pre-emptive move to limit capital outflows... 25th July 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update How competitive is Greece now? The sharp fall in wages and recent flurry of structural reforms in Greece has not yet fed intocompetitiveness gains. Greece is still not able to run the sustained external surpluses that it needs. 24th July 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update How big a threat are financial sanctions for Russia? The possibility that the EU might follow in the steps of the US and restrict access to capital markets for some Russian firms, coupled with Moscow’s decision this week to cancel another government... 24th July 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update New Belgian coalition is likely to disappoint News that the three major Flemish parties have formed a regional government raises hopes that Belgium’s federal political deadlock will be resolved soon. But the proposed national coalition looks set... 24th July 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Flash Manufacturing PMI (July) The decline in the manufacturing PMI in July suggests that the economy is recovering only slowly from the weakness caused by the consumption tax hike. 24th July 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Focus What can India's policymakers do to kick-start growth? The new government’s emphatic election victory in May has lifted some of the gloom that has hung over India’s economy in recent years. We see a number of ways in which the country’s new leaders can... 23rd July 2014 · 1 min read
