India Economics Update Is the government’s FDI policy bearing fruit? The lifting of restrictions on foreign direct investment into a number of sectors of the economy has been one of the successes of Prime Minister Modi’s reform agenda so far. FDI inflows have picked up... 17th June 2015 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response External trade (May) The trade deficit narrowed slightly in May, but should creep higher in the second half of the year as the weaker yen pushes up import costs. 17th June 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Support for iron ore prices to wane Temporary supply bottlenecks and falling stocks at Chinese ports have prompted a rally in iron ore prices since early-April. However, supply is expected to pick up strongly, at a time of only subdued... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Greece’s default options This Update takes a detailed look at the forms of debt default that Greece might employ to reduce near-term financing pressures and lower its debt burden. There are various possible options, but the... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Deterioration in Thai stocks to boost rice prices The disposal of Thailand’s remaining high-quality rice stocks should keep prices under pressure in the near-term. However, with the world market expected to tighten in 2015/16, prices should start to... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Is Cyprus a blueprint for Greece? Cyprus’ recent return to economic growth and its fairly swift liberalisation of capital controls might indicate that Greece could resolve its problems without leaving the euro-zone. However, there are... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Investors turn even more negative on PMs Over the past month, precious metal (PM) prices have dropped sharply. Gold has fared better than its peers, as lingering risks in Europe have cushioned the price from further losses. Both the... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Housing Starts (May) Despite the drop back in housing starts in May, the recent data show that homebuilders’ confidence in the housing recovery is growing. Coupled with mounting evidence of a second-quarter rebound in the... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Assessing the potential economic impact of MERS in Korea Based on the limited data available so far it looks like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has already taken a toll on Korea’s economy. In this Update, we outline our best and worse case... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Which sector offers the best short-term rental prospects? Recovering economic growth in the euro-zone will support a revival in occupier demand. But, whilst elevated availability will limit rental growth in the office and industrial sectors, the relative... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Nigeria: Cabinet delay raises policy-making concerns President Muhammadu Buhari’s long delay in appointing a new federal cabinet is detracting from his reputation as a decisive reformer and may be a sign of deep divisions within the ruling power. The... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German ZEW (Jun.) June’s sharp fall in ZEW investor sentiment suggests that the German recovery is suffering from fears about the impact of the Greek crisis. 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update A closer look at Chile’s current account improvement Chile is the only country in Latin America that has managed to reduce its current account deficit since the “Taper Tantrum” of 2013, which makes the economy less exposed to tightening external... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Consumer Prices & Producer Prices (May) May’s consumer prices figures showed that deflation lasted for just one month, but the big picture is that inflation is set to remain extremely low during the rest of 2015. 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Why there is no free lunch for Russia’s government There appears to be a great deal of confusion about how Russia can use its oil funds to finance its budget deficit, with some arguing that by drawing them down in rubles the government can both... 16th June 2015 · 1 min read
