UK Economics Update The policies of the 12 trying to get into Number 10 While the 12 candidates for the leadership of the Conservative party are divided over the best approach to Brexit, they seem reasonably united in calling for looser fiscal policy. That could give the... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack Risk aversion looks here to stay After plunging in May, we expect the prices of most energy and industrial commodities to remain subdued in 2019 on the back of slower global growth and a rise in investor risk aversion. Grains may be... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Would Labour’s policy proposals make a difference? Recent housing proposals from Labour, if enacted, could have major consequences for the housing market. On the plus side, abolishing stamp duty could help to unclog housing transactions. But proposals... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Data Response Brazil Industrial Production (Apr.) The weakness of Brazilian industrial production, which expanded by just 0.3% m/m in April, was in part a result of a fall in output in the mining sector, which should unwind in the coming months. Even... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egyptian pound’s rally unlikely to last The Egyptian pound has been the best performing EM currency this year, but we think that it will give up all of its gains over the coming months. We forecast the pound to depreciate by around 7% to 18... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update US corporate credit spreads likely to rise much further We think that corporate credit spreads in the US will continue to climb this year, as the economy there slows. Our forecast is for the spreads of speculative-grade bonds to rise by well over 100bp, on... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Global Economics Focus Is it time to give central banks new objectives? The Fed’s conference this week on monetary policy strategy has put central banks’ frameworks back in the spotlight. But even the more radical options being discussed, such as price level targets, are... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Update London office completions to reduce Although the rise in office space under construction reported by the summer London Crane Survey highlighted that developers continue to have confidence in the market, other surveys of construction and... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash HICP (May) & Unemployment (Apr.) The drop in the euro-zone’s headline inflation rate in May was largely due to lower energy inflation and a reversal of Easter timing effects. But with wage growth likely to have peaked, we expect core... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa: 2019 set to be even worse than 2018 The surprisingly-sharp 3.2% q/q saar fall in output in Q1 has led us to cut our 2019 full-year growth forecast to a below-consensus 0.5%. Given downbeat survey data for Q2, it is possible that the... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Hungary’s current account deficit to widen further Weak export growth has caused Hungary’s current account balance to swing from a large surplus in 2016 to a small deficit, which is set to widen further. One consequence is that the forint is likely to... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Just how weak is the Swedish krona? Swedish policymakers are increasingly vocal about their concerns that the sharp sell-off in the krona this year has gone too far. But we find little evidence to support the idea that the currency has... 4th June 2019 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Trade war doesn’t account for much of the global slowdown The direct effects of the trade war on global GDP have so far probably been negligible. The indirect impact, via weaker confidence and investment, has been bigger. But we estimate that even this... 3rd June 2019 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update EM manufacturing slowdown continues in Q2 The fall in the headline EM manufacturing PMI in May provides further evidence that EM GDP growth weakened in Q2. On a more a positive note, the surveys indicate that inflation is easing. 3rd June 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update US importers switching suppliers to avoid tariffs In response to the tariffs imposed on China, US importers are switching to alternative suppliers in Asia, which could explain why custom duties revenues have fallen back in the past couple of months... 3rd June 2019 · 1 min read
