UK Economics Chart Pack Sharing in the recovery After losing momentum in March and April, consumer spending appears to have regained some oomph as the second quarter has progressed. 21st June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Retail Sales (May) Continuing a recent run of good economic news, May’s rise in the official measure of retail sales will have partly reflected the fading drag from the unusually cold weather seen earlier in the year... 20th June 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Brazilian protests underline economy's structural flaws The protests that have spread across Brazil over the past week have so far had a limited impact on financial markets and so – in contrast to Turkey – are unlikely to have immediate implications for... 19th June 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Are oil prices set to take off due to Syria risks? Fears that Western intervention in Syria could increase the risks of a broader Middle East conflict have already put some upward pressure on the price of Brent crude. However, even if tensions do... 17th June 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Czech PM's resignation a reminder of governance concerns The financial markets have shrugged off the resignation of Czech Prime Minister, Petr Necas, this morning. However, the corruption allegations that led to his departure, as well as the recent outbreak... 17th June 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Turkey: weak Q1 GDP could add to market concerns The protests that have gripped Turkey over the past couple of weeks have come at a time when the country’s economic vulnerabilities appear to be mounting. This week, as well as the ongoing protests... 10th June 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update How important has political stability been for Turkey's economy? Although it is difficult to draw a direct link between political stability and GDP growth, it does seem that better governance has played a key role in attracting the inflows of foreign capital that... 7th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Car sales main beneficiary of looser credit conditions The recovery in new car sales continues to go from strength to strength. But it is still failing to translate into a broader pick-up in consumer spending and we remain sceptical that it will do so... 6th June 2013 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Verdict on Abe speech seems harsh Judging by the initial market reaction and media coverage, PM Abe’s “growth strategy” already appears to be a damp squib. To be fair, it was always unrealistic to expect a Prime Ministerial speech in... 5th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Is the UK turning Japanese? The UK economy is at risk of following a path that is, if anything, worse than the ‘lost decades’ Japan experienced from the early 1990s. While the UK possesses some advantages Japan lacked, in some... 4th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response BRC Retail Sales Monitor (May) Together with last week’s improvement in consumer confidence, May’s stronger growth in the BRC measure of retail sales points to building momentum in the consumer sector. But with employment and... 4th June 2013 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Business confidence falters on insufficient domestic demand The further decline in the small and medium-sized business confidence in May suggests that second-quarter GDP growth may have slowed down to less than half the estimated 2.2% annualised in the first... 30th May 2013 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Retail sales yet to take off Despite all the hype about “Abenomics” already encouraging a surge in consumer spending, the hard data on retail sales remain subdued. This makes sense given the persistent weakness of employment and... 29th May 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CBI Distributive Trades Survey (May) The fall in May’s CBI Distributive Trades Survey provides another reason to think that the retail sector has lost momentum in the second quarter. Falling employment and negative pay growth means... 29th May 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Demographics will not determine future of EMs Healthy demographics can certainly play a role in supporting growth in emerging markets. However, the future performance of places such as India, the Middle East and Africa, where demographics are... 29th May 2013 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Small business survey illustrates risks to recovery The incoming economic data are of course being overshadowed by the market volatility, but today’s Shoko Chukin survey suggests that small businesses may be losing a little faith in “Abenomics” too. 28th May 2013 · 1 min read
