Africa Economics Update Nigeria’s rates on hold ahead of general election The upcoming general election may have influenced the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) decision to leave interest rates unchanged today. We suspect that once the election is out of the way, monetary... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Drop in gasoline prices will help drive vehicle sales The drop in gasoline prices is adding to the already-favourable outlook for vehicle sales, which we expect to hit all-time highs soon. 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Turkish MPC cuts rates, but monetary conditions to stay tight Today’s 50bp cut in the Turkish one-week repo rate, to 7.75%, doesn’t necessarily mark an easing of monetary conditions. It’s much more important to look at interbank interest rates, and these have... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German ZEW & Euro-zone Bank Lending Survey (Jan.) January’s rise in ZEW investor sentiment showed that confidence in the German economy was holding up well despite fears for Greece. But investors may take a dimmer view following this week’s Greek... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa GDP Tracker points to acceleration in Q4 GDP growth in South Africa seems to have picked up in Q4 2014, but this acceleration is unlikely to last into 2015. Growth was flattered by base effects and we expect that lasting structural... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia’s new fiscal and growth targets are achievable Most economies in Emerging Asia will benefit from falling oil prices. The big exception is Malaysia, where the government today revised its 2015 forecasts for the budget deficit, GDP growth and the... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Markets buoyed by RBI’s early rate cut Having already made a good start to 2015, India’s financial markets have rallied further following the RBI’s decision to cut interest rates at an unscheduled meeting last week. Bond yields have... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Where do we stand relative to the consensus? We have revised down many of our forecasts in recent weeks and, on the whole, expect GDP growth and inflation in Latin America to be lower than the consensus forecasts this year. As a result... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update How will the Swiss franc’s appreciation affect property? Last week’s substantial Swiss franc appreciation has significantly dented the outlook for economic growth and occupier demand. It has also made Swiss property look even more expensive, especially to... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Has the Fed driven down the term premium on US Treasuries? We think the Fed has been instrumental in the collapse of term premiums on long-dated Treasuries and that the effect of its actions will not be unwound soon. If we are right, and other depressing... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
China Data Response Q4 GDP & December Activity Data Today's data suggest that although slowing investment, particularly in the property sector, continues to put downward pressure on growth, this was offset last quarter by a pick-up in consumption and... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egyptian pound to fall further as central bank loosens its grip The small fall in the Egyptian pound in the past couple of days is significant given that the central bank had kept a tight grip on the currency since last summer and we think that the pound’s... 19th January 2015 · 1 min read
China Economics Update How much does today’s slide in Shanghai matter? There had been signs even before today’s share price slide that China’s equity markets were coming off the boil. The direct impact of any sustained slump in equity prices would be small, both in China... 19th January 2015 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Update Few signs of a slowdown in the London office market Today’s CBI/PWC financial services sector survey appears to contain mixed messages for the Central London office markets. But any adverse impact on occupier demand from the drop in employment and... 19th January 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update The implications of ECB QE for Eastern Europe The ECB looks almost certain to launch a programme of quantitative easing this week but, unless it surprises in the scale and breadth of its asset purchases, the impact on the financial markets in... 19th January 2015 · 1 min read
