Global Economics Update Monetary aggregates gradually recovering Recent trends in corporate credit growth underline the diverging fortunes of advanced economies. In the US, bank lending is expanding at a decent pace, albeit more slowly than it was in 2012, and even... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update The implications of Egypt's new constitution The approval of Egypt’s new constitution marks a key political milestone, paving the way for fresh elections to take place in the coming months. However, these could lead to a renewed flare-up in... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Real estate equities point to period of weakness in euro-zone values The recent weakness in euro-zone real estate equity prices suggests that capital value growth in the physical property market will slow to zero over the coming quarters. Improved confidence within the... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Slowdown continuing into 2014 Today’s GDP figures confirm that China’s economy slowed last quarter, with the monthly activity data showing that momentum was still slipping in December. In particular, the infrastructure investment... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update India: Fiscal drag in first quarter as government checks deficit Fiscal policy is likely to impose a drag on India’s growth this quarter. Weak revenue growth and the government’s firm commitment to reduce this year’s fiscal deficit have left it with little choice... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Canada no longer the safe haven it was Attracted by relatively low government debt, a stronger economic recovery and its healthier banks, foreign investors took a shine to Canadian assets in the aftermath of the financial crisis. More... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Economic outlook brightening Our latest calculations indicate that fourth-quarter GDP growth was as much as 3.5%. (We have raised our estimate from 3.0% on the back of the release of December's retail sales figures and November's... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Inflation set to sink to a ten year low in 2014 Having finally fallen to the 2% target in December, there are increasingly clear signs that CPI inflation is on course to fall well below it this year. In particular, administered, food and consumer... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly “Wage surprise” more likely to be a damp squib Prime Minister Abe has promised to deliver a positive "wage surprise" this year by working closely with employers and trade unions. He has drawn inspiration from an agreement reached in the... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Is industry defying the strong euro? Not only did November's industrial production figures indicate that euro-zone GDP may have risen more strongly in Q4 than in Q3, but they also suggested that the euro's strength is not overwhelming... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Is Singapore really the next Iceland? An article in Forbes, a business journal, comparing Singapore to Iceland and claiming that it is on the brink of financial crisis, has caused a stir in the city state this week. We have ourselves... 20th January 2014 · 1 min read
US Data Response Uni. of Mich. Consumer Confidence (Jan.) Despite record high stock markets and gradually improving labour market conditions, the University of Michigan's measure of consumer confidence dropped back to 80.4 in January, from 82.5. Nevertheless... 17th January 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack 2013 ends on a reasonably positive note 2013 ended with a mixed picture for the consumer sector, with surprisingly strong official data set against some softness in the surveys and in the anecdotal evidence from the high street. Nonetheless... 17th January 2014 · 1 min read
US Data Response Industrial Production (Dec.) With both domestic and overseas demand improving, the timid increase in industrial production in December does little to alter our view that 2014 could be a stellar year for American producers. 17th January 2014 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Housing Starts (Dec.13) The drop in housing starts in December was more or less in line with expectations and is explained by the surge in housing starts in the previous month and the winter storms in December. We continue... 17th January 2014 · 1 min read
