Industrial Metals Update China Industrial Metals Demand Monitor (Nov.) China’s activity data for November painted a positive picture for metals demand. However, there are signs of a slowdown in the all-important construction sector which, coupled with official efforts to... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
OPEC Watch Angola, Libya and Nigeria push OPEC’s output higher Further increases in output from Libya and Nigeria will make it more difficult for OPEC to reach their output quota of 32.5m bpd. 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
US Data Response Retail Sales & Industrial Production (Nov.) The trivial rise in headline retail sales in November is partly some payback after the very strong gains in recent months. Nonetheless, real consumption growth is now likely to be a more modest 2.0%... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Teranet-National Bank House Prices (Nov.) The annual house price inflation rate edged up to 11.9% in November, from 11.8%, driven by a further acceleration in Toronto’s red-hot housing market. While that trend might continue in the near term... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Prime retail a bright spot among Swiss occupier markets A slowing Swiss economy doesn’t bode well for the near-term outlook for office and industrial rents in Geneva and Zurich. But with prime retail rents seemingly disconnected from the domestic economy... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
UK Markets Chart Pack Can sterling hold onto its recent gains? The continued rally in sterling over the past month or so means that it is now around 10% lower on a trade-weighted basis relative to where it stood on the eve of the EU referendum, rather than the 15... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response Commercial property investment (Nov.) Commercial property investment activity picked up in November. And, contrary to the reports from the FPC, demand from overseas investors has shown little signs of abating. 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
China Chart Pack Bond rout may have gone too far Chinese bond yields have jumped in recent weeks as strong economic activity and rising inflation have led many to anticipate monetary tightening. Yields may have risen too far. The latest surge in... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Malaysia moves to stabilise the ringgit The Malaysian central bank (BNM) has introduced a range of measures to stabilise the ringgit, which has been the region’s worst performing currency over the past month. The most significant step it... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa: More and more red lights flashing October output data suggest that, after a very weak Q3, South Africa’s economy may have contracted outright at the start of Q4. Figures released today show that retail sales fell by 0.2% y/y in... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response Employment (Oct.) The number of people in work fell slightly in October, suggesting that some of the labour market’s recent resilience may now be fading. But we doubt the weakness will escalate to an extent that puts... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (Oct.) October’s fall in euro-zone industrial production contrasts with the brighter picture painted by the business surveys. While industrial growth might pick-up slightly in the near term, it is unlikely... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Labour Market (Oct./Nov.) There are some tentative signs that the jobs market has lost some of its earlier strength. But we don’t expect any weakening to be particularly severe. 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Icelandic rate cut may not be the last The Central Bank of Iceland’s (CBI’s) decision to cut interest rates before the next phase of capital account liberalisation came as a surprise. While the strong economy calls for policy tightening in... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Reasons to remain sceptical of “major shift” in Saudi oil policy The recent agreement reached by OPEC and other oil producers to cut output has prompted speculation of a major shift in Saudi Arabia’s oil policy, but we remain cautious. After all, the Kingdom has... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
