UK Economics Weekly UK should weather rising US interest rates well Even if the US Fed holds fire this week, US interest rates will be rising soon – and, in our view, quicker than markets expect. Turning points in UK monetary policy are often close to US ones. But... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Zambia: Problems under the hood Planned mine closures will deal a heavy blow to Zambia’s copper-dependent economy. But the country’s economic problems run deeper than the current fall in copper prices. We expect that the country... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economic Outlook Weaker currencies part of the solution, not the problem The economic outlook for Latin America remains pretty gloomy. Weaker growth in China and lower global commodity prices will depress export revenues and, as incomes fall, cause domestic demand to... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
India Data Response Industrial Production (Jul.) India’s industrial production outperformed most expectations in July but there remainsignificant headwinds to a sustained recovery. 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Restocking to galvanise US steel prices US steel prices have fallen sharply this year, despite signs of robust physical demand. Given that imports have also dropped, we expect that stocks have been drawn down. Resilient demand coupled with... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Why have exports been so weak? The slump in commodity prices accounts for most of the decline in Asian exports this year, even in countries which are not major commodity exporters. 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Peru rate hike not the start of an aggressive tightening cycle Although the timing of Peru’s decision to raise interest rates by 25bp (to 3.50%) was a surprise, we had been expecting the central bank to shift into tightening mode in the coming quarters... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response Commercial property investment (Aug) The latest drop in the value of UK commercial property investment left it at a 15-month low. But this largely reflects a return to more normal market conditions after the record breaking totals seen... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Risks to the new cocoa harvest could keep prices elevated A lack of rainfall in the key cocoa growing countries in West Africa has increased the risk of a poor harvest for the 2015/16 year, adding upside risks to the outlook for the price of cocoa. 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia to hold rates amid balancing act The decision to keep interest rates on hold today at 3.25% reflects the difficult balancing act facing the Malaysian central bank (BNM) as it continues to grapple with the problems caused by slowing... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Consumer spending to remain sluggish With poorly paid non-regular jobs accounting for the bulk of new job creation and the tight labour market not providing the hoped-for boost to wages, we think that the near-term outlook for consumer... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
China Data Response Bank Lending & Broad Credit (Aug) Today’s data for August confirm that policy easing has led to a rebound in credit growth. This turnaround will raise concerns among many that efforts to rein in debt have been shelved, but it is a... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update How much would a slump in China affect global growth? In the unlikely event that China’s growth rate collapses in the coming years, global growth would decline sharply simply because China accounts for such a large share of the world economy. But the... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Deflation Watch: “Good” deflation about to return We expect deflation to have returned in August; indeed, inflation is likely to remain below zero for most of the rest of this year. But it is not something to worry about as its main effect will be to... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Trade Monitor Fresh commodity price weakness weighs on EM exports EM exports fell sharply in July on the back of the renewed drop in global commodity prices. And the early data suggest that things are unlikely to have improved last month either. 11th September 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Financial stability risks to keep Bank of Korea on hold The Bank of Korea (BoK) kept its policy rate unchanged at a record low of 1.50% today as fears over the possible implications of Fed tightening offset worries about the recent weakness of the economy... 11th September 2015 · 1 min read