Commodities Chart Pack Prices start to fall to more sustainable levels Commodity prices mostly declined last month, led by the industrial metals most sensitive to macroeconomic and financial conditions. The main exception was US natural gas, whose price recovered further... 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Green shoots tentatively emerge The last month has seen some tentatively encouraging news about the economy. But the good news might not last for long; the economy could contract in the last quarter of the year. 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Focus Is rapid credit growth in Asia something to be worried about? For emerging Asia as a whole, private sector credit as a share of GDP has surged over the past few years and is now at an all-time high, leading some commentators to suggest that the region could be... 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South African PMI now consistent with GDP contraction South Africa’s manufacturing PMI slumped further in October, and is now at a level consistent with an outright contraction in GDP. 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Central Europe’s manufacturing still in recession The latest PMIs show that manufacturing in the highly open economies of Central Europe remains in recession due in large part to falling external demand. By contrast, the Turkish PMI data provide... 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Manufacturing still stuck in the doldrums Today’s PMI data for Asia showed some small signs of improvement but overall conditions within the region’s manufacturing sectors are still very weak. The likelihood that global demand will remain... 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Manufacturing (Oct.) The deterioration in October’s CIPS/Markit report on manufacturing provided more evidence that the industrial sector is struggling and suggested that the rebound in the official measure of... 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
China Data Response Manufacturing PMIs (Oct.) The pick-up in China’s two manufacturing PMIs provides further signs of recovery in October, with particular strength in new orders. 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Nationwide House Prices (Oct. 12) House prices edged up in October, continuing their recent see-saw pattern. In the absence of any evidence of a sustained upturn in effective housing demand, the data do not change our view that prices... 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
Capital Daily Boost to dollar-denominated EM bonds from QE3 unlikely to last 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Banks more willing to lend, but demand faltering The Fed's latest Senior Loan Officer Survey (SLOS) shows that banks are more willing to lend, but the problem is that, with global economic growth slowing and the fiscal cliff looming, US households... 31st October 2012 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Middle East Markets Monitor (Oct.) The arrival of an IMF delegation in Egypt and hopes that a deal will soon be concluded have supported the local equity and bond markets over the past few months. Yet, this isn’t the first time that a... 31st October 2012 · 1 min read
Energy Watch Romney vs. Obama: energy policies compared The differences between the energy policies of US President Obama and his equally worthy rival Mitt Romney are largely ones of rhetoric and emphasis rather than substance. Oil prices might fall a... 31st October 2012 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response GDP by Industry (Aug.) The surprising 0.1% m/m decline in monthly GDP for August suggests the economy might have struggled to grow by even 1% annualised in the third quarter, below our previous estimate of 1.4%. Given the... 31st October 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Bank deleveraging to prompt rise in distressed property sales The results of this morning’s Q3 ECB Bank Lending Survey suggest that both occupier and investment demand for commercial property in the euro-zone is likely to weaken in the near term. And with many... 31st October 2012 · 1 min read
US Economics Focus Vehicle sales could drive faster GDP growth Favourable pricing and financing conditions mean that the pent up demand for new vehicles created during the recession could soon be released. Such a surge in new vehicle sales has the capacity to... 31st October 2012 · 1 min read
