Europe Economics Focus French election unlikely to end economic malaise There are hopes that the Presidential election will rid France of its tag as the new “sick man of Europe”. But while the leading candidate Nicholas Sarkozy has proposed measures to tackle the problems... 16th April 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Who will a US slowdown hit hardest? The sectors of the UK economy most at threat from a major economic slowdown in the US include manufacturing, the City of London, tourism and the London housing market. But a US slowdown could be bad... 1st March 2007 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus How far can retailers widen their margins? The recent combination of rising cost pressures and subdued inflation on the high street implies that retailers’ margins have borne the brunt of the rises in energy costs. With a recovery in retail... 20th September 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus How far can retailers widen their margins? The recent combination of rising cost pressures and subdued inflation on the high street implies that retailers’ margins have borne the brunt of the rises in energy costs. With a recovery in retail... 20th September 2006 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Focus Japan after Koizumi The imminent retirement of Prime Minister Koizumi is likely to raise concerns that “reform fatigue” will start to undermine the Japanese economy and markets. In this Focus we assess the risks to... 13th September 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Is UK plc investing enough? With nominal business investment currently at an historical low as a share of GDP, the corporate sector’s investment in the capital stock and the future health of the economy appears to be woefully... 23rd August 2006 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Italian elections: Prodi probably the lesser of two evils Italian voters are facing a choice between two pre-determined coalitions in the general election on 9th-10th April - the centre-left Union coalition under Romano Prodi, currently leading by 3-5% in... 5th April 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Outlook still weak for household goods sales Sales of household goods have suffered particularly badly over the last year, as both the housing market and overall consumer spending have slowed. But there are now tentative signs that the sector... 16th March 2006 · 1 min read
US Economics Focus Demographics and the coming budget crisis - a contrarian view 13th March 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Corporate recovery at threat from pension fund deficits The gaping hole in corporate pension funds has been exacerbated by the recent drop in UK long bond yields, which are used to discount the value of future pension liabilities. In order to eliminate... 22nd February 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Strong demand for retail floorspace unlikely to persist The continued enthusiasm of retailers to take on extra retail space over the last year or so has been somewhat surprising in the face of their recent rise in costs and the slowdown in retail sales... 20th February 2006 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus No free lunch in corporate tax hikes Speculation that taxes will need to rise in the UK has largely assumed that households will bear the brunt of any increases. And yet the recent weakness of household spending and the contrasting... 28th November 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economic Outlook Companies to the rescue? Assessing whether the corporate sector will offset the consumer slowdown (Q4 05) With consumers and the government no longer able to bear the burden of driving forward economic growth, it is the corporate sector that will come under the spotlight over the next year or two. Firms... 27th September 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economic Outlook Getting Older - the economic consequences of an ageing population (Q3 05) Changes in the growth and make-up of the UK population are set to have major consequences for the economy over the next few decades. 27th June 2005 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus EU Constitution: How Will Markets React To The Referendums? Recent opinion polls suggest that the French referendum on 29th May is likely to be extremely close, whilst the Dutch referendum (1st June) seems more likely to reject the constitution. In this Focus... 25th May 2005 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Profits set to disappoint the stockmarket The UK corporate sector has a lot to live up to over the next year or two. The optimism regarding future stockmarket earnings implies that the recent pick-up in corporate profits is expected to become... 10th May 2005 · 1 min read
