Japan Data Response Small Business Confidence (Jan.) Conditions faced by smaller Japanese businesses appear to have stopped deteriorating but remain more difficult than the recent peaks seen in mid-2010. What’s more, the detail of the latest survey... 26th January 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Ireland's political turmoil not as disastrous as it seems Ireland’s coming general election provides hope that months of political uncertainty may be about to end. But whatever the outcome, the economy and public finances will remain in a precarious state. 24th January 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will Portugal's presidential election add fuel to the fire? Portugal has survived its first market tests of 2011 and resisted pressure to accept outside support. But with government bond yields still at very high levels, the Government’s struggle to go without... 21st January 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Ifo Survey (Jan.) January’s Ifo index echoes the upbeat tone of most of the other short-term indicators on the German economy, including the ZEW survey released earlier this week. 21st January 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Vietnam set to adjust and target lower inflation Vietnam’s National Party Congress, which closed today, is the most important set-piece meeting of the Communist Party. Comments from the top officials, to no-one’s surprise, suggest that containing... 19th January 2011 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Are small businesses missing the recovery? The unexpected dip in the NFIB gauge of small business optimism in December has reignited fears that smaller firms are missing out on the recovery. As we have pointed out before, however, the NFIB... 17th January 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Economy Watchers Survey (Dec.) The Economy Watchers Survey (EWS) suggests that the recovery may have regained some momentum in December, but the outlook component is still weaker than current conditions and both are well below the... 12th January 2011 · 1 min read
China Data Response NBS business conditions survey (Q4) Most companies in China finished 2010 confident about the future. The business environment still seems skewed in favour of large and state-owned firms, which enjoy more government support... 10th January 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Dec.) December’s EC business and consumer survey suggests that, for now at least, the improving global economic outlook is offsetting the ongoing troubles in the periphery. 6th January 2011 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan; just when you thought the situation could not worsen Political instability, which is never far away in Pakistan, has risen following this week’s assassination of the governor of Punjab province and the withdrawal of another party from the ruling... 5th January 2011 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update First thoughts on Dilma's first week Although it is still very early days, Brazil’s new president, Dilma Rousseff, has made tackling the recent pick-up in inflation an immediate priority. But with cuts in public spending now looking... 5th January 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly European policymakers still doing the bare minimum The news that EU leaders reached agreement last week on the treaty changes required to establish a “permanent crisis mechanism” in 2013 is unlikely to ease pressures in the peripheral bond markets... 20th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Ifo Survey (Dec.) & Euro-zone Trade (Oct.) December’s Ifo survey adds to the evidence that the German economy continues to expand at a rapid rate. For Germany at least, the problems in the periphery are for now being more than offset by the... 17th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update European Council meeting unlikely to mark a turning point This week’s European Council meeting provides policymakers with the chance to prove that they will do whatever is necessary to get the region’s public finances on a stable footing. But in reality... 16th December 2010 · 1 min read
China Economics Update The view from the ground - Q4 2010 China’s businesses have grown in confidence in the last quarter but banks and consumers are far less upbeat. Banks are increasingly worried about overheating and the need for policy tightening... 16th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs & Final CPI (Dec.) December’s euro-zone PMI surveys suggested that the economic recovery in the region maintained reasonable momentum towards the end of 2010. 16th December 2010 · 1 min read
