UK Data Response MPC Minutes (Mar 11) The minutes of March’s MPC meeting show that most Committee members are still reluctant to start tightening monetary policy when there is so much uncertainty about the growth and inflation outlook. A... 23rd March 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update UK Budget Checklist 2011 This checklist is intended to help clients keep track of the important measures and numbers announced during the Chancellor’s Budget speech at 12.30pm and to provide some instant context. 23rd March 2011 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response Colliers/Real Estate Capital Pricing Survey (Mar 11) The latest Colliers/Real Estate Capital survey showed that commercial property prices are still expected to fall this year, but only modestly, before mild, rent-driven increases are seen in 2012. The... 23rd March 2011 · 1 min read
China Chart Pack Households on the back foot The recent data suggest that China’s households are increasingly reluctant to spend. Real retail sales growth slumped to a five-year low in the first two months of 2011. Other measures of household... 22nd March 2011 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update How attractively valued is Japan's equity market? Japan’s equity market bounced back on Tuesday after last week’s sharp sell-off in the wake of the Tohoku earthquake. Although we remain on cautious on the outlook for global equities – our year-end... 22nd March 2011 · 1 min read
US Chart Pack Labour market slowly recovering The labour market is finally showing signs of improvement, with the unemployment rate falling sharply from 9.8% last November to 8.9% this February. That decline, however, owes more to a large exodus... 22nd March 2011 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update How will Japan's nuclear crisis affect world energy markets? Once the immediate uncertainty clears, Japan’s nuclear crisis is likely to have only a limited impact on global energy markets. The events in Fukushima will raise concerns about costs and security... 22nd March 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Can Portugal avoid another lost decade? Portugal seems very likely to become the third peripheral euro-zone country to need a bail-out. But it also faces much greater challenges if it is to overcome the deep-seated structural problems which... 22nd March 2011 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Consumer Prices & Public Finances (Feb.) February’s public finances and consumer prices numbers presented a distinctly unfavourable backdrop to tomorrow’s Budget. 22nd March 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Are office rental values more vulnerable in Madrid than Barcelona? Many of the recent occupier market signals suggest that the outlook for Madrid office markets is marginally better than in Barcelona. Yet, if Spain continues to shed jobs this year as we expect, an... 22nd March 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update The economic implications of Saudi Arabia's latest stimulus The scale of Friday’s announced fiscal boost in Saudi Arabia will have significant medium-term economic implications for the Middle East region. Admittedly, the direct beneficiaries will be Saudi... 21st March 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update New European bank stress tests still not stressful enough Details on the methodology and assumptions behind this year’s European bank stress tests provide little hope that the results will significantly ease concerns about the region’s banks. This supports... 21st March 2011 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Existing Home Sales (Feb.) The 9.6% m/m decline in existing home sales in February illustrates that, even if we allow for the possible impact of unseasonably severe weather last month, the housing market is still clearly years... 21st March 2011 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update How significant are the latest house price expectations data? The latest house price expectations surveys remain negative, but are not signalling an adjustment on anything like the scale seen in 2008-09. Nevertheless, their record in anticipating house price... 21st March 2011 · 1 min read
