Asia Chart Pack Interest rate cuts to be exception rather than rule Expectations that the fall in oil prices will trigger a wave of interest rate cuts across Asia are probably wide of the mark. Admittedly, Pakistan, India and Singapore have each loosened monetary... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Data Response Chile Retail Sales, Ind. Prod. & Copper Prod. (Dec.) December’s activity data suggest that economic growth in Chile recovered in the fourth quarter of last year. But the bigger picture is that growth over 2014 as a whole was probably just 1.8%, the... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Ukraine’s move to curb wheat exports won’t stop prices falling Given ample global wheat supplies we don’t expect Ukraine’s announcement that it will limit wheat exports over the next six months to have much of an impact on the market. We therefore continue to... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CBI Distributive Trades Survey (Jan.) January’s CBI Distributive Trades Survey indicates that consumers are spending the windfall from lower oil prices and higher earnings and suggests that strong retail sales growth over the festive... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Jan.) January’s small rise in the EC Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) did little to change the picture of very subdued growth in the euro-zone at the start of this year. 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Rupee strength supports case for policy loosening The rupee has been among the world’s best performing currencies so far this year, due to a combination of a narrowing trade deficit and strong foreign inflows into local equities. This has given the... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update More to cheer than fear from “currency wars” The latest monetary easing in Europe and Asia has revived talk of “currency wars” and fuelled concerns about the impact of dollar strength on the US economy. But much of this talk seems unduly... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Dec.) December’s euro-zone monetary data showed that credit conditions continued to improve at the end of last year. But the recovery is still at an early stage, highlighting the need for the ECB’s latest... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Data Response Economic Sentiment Indicators (Jan.) January’s Economic Sentiment Indicators dipped across most of Central and South Eastern Europe, but they were still strong and suggest that the region has continued to weather headwinds from Western... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Nationwide (Jan.) & Land Registry (Dec.) House Prices House price growth was stable in the first month of 2015, as a fall in housing demand has been matched by limited supply. But there are signs that demand has picked-up recently, and we expect gains... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update How big a buffer do Russia’s FX reserves provide? We’re often asked about the extent to which Russia’s sizeable foreign exchange reserves provide a buffer against lower oil prices and capital flight and for how long they might last. There are lots of... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egyptian equities hit seven-year high, pound falls The Egyptian stock market has rallied in the past month, buoyed by the economy’s brightening prospects and hopes that the central bank’s decision to loosen its grip on the pound marks a shift towards... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Philippines GDP (Q4) The Philippines economy picked up strongly last quarter, largely owing to a rebound in government spending. We expect growth to remain strong in 2015, supported by recent improvements to the business... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand's central bank takes a more neutral stance The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) kept its policy rate at 3.5% today and suggested there is now far less certainty its next move will be a hike. We are not expecting any changes in 2015 or 2016. 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Retail Sales (Dec.) The drop in retail sales in December mostly reflects weaker gas prices and consumer spending likely accelerated last quarter. However, the outlook for private consumption remains mixed. 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
EM Valuations Monitor Will the surge in the EMBI+ spread be reversed? The “stripped” spread over US Treasuries of the JP Morgan EMBI+ Index of emerging market dollar-denominated government bonds has risen by a further 40bp over the past month to around 4.2%, well above... 28th January 2015 · 1 min read
