Africa Economics Update Nigeria: Partial U-turn further muddles monetary outlook The Central Bank of Nigeria hiking its key policy rate from 11.00% to 12.00% is, in many ways, a positive sign. But this flip-flop on rates will raise yet more questions about the unpredictable and... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Hungary’s easing cycle has further to run The weak inflation outlook and prospects for slower growth mean Hungary’s easing cycle, which resumed today, has further to run – we anticipate a few more small rate reductions in the coming months... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Brazil: time to call in the IMF? Given that Brazil’s growing debt burden is denominated overwhelmingly in local currency there is little need for the foreign currency financing that an IMF bailout would provide. Instead, the main... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update What next for US equities? We have revised up our forecasts for the S&P 500 slightly and now project that it will make more headway after recouping all the ground that it lost earlier this year. Nonetheless, we don’t expect the... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus What would a Brexit mean for Scotland? This Thursday marks the date that the Scottish government had pencilled in for “independence day” if Scotland had voted to leave the UK in 2014’s independence referendum. So it seems a particularly... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Consumer Prices & Public Finances (Feb.) February’s disappointing public finances figures were yet another blow for the Chancellor by suggesting the OBR’s new forecasts published in last week’s Budget already look too optimstic . Meanwhile... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs, German Ifo & ZEW (Mar.) The euro-zone PMI and German Ifo and ZEW surveys for March suggest that the slowdown in activity seen at the start of the year has eased, but the surveys still point to only modest growth in Q1 as a... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Dutch retail rental growth rates upgraded Steady improvement in the Dutch consumer sector in the next few years will support expansionary retailer demand and drive rental growth rates above those we had previously forecast. We now expect... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Focus Africa: Solid growth, no economic transformation Hopes that African economies will repeat the economic miracles seen in Asia are, for the most part, misplaced. Rapid population growth will deliver reasonable rates of headline GDP growth, but... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update What’s behind the slowdown in capital outflows from Russia? Capital outflows from Russia have slowed markedly in recent quarters and the nature of these outflows has changed too – they are now driven by Russian companies repaying their external debts, rather... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Chart Pack Housing market running out of puff More worrying than the 0.5% q/q seasonally adjusted fall in the ABS measure of Australian house prices in the fourth quarter of last year (+0.2% q/q unadjusted) is that the subsequent rebound is... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
India Economics Update External position continues to strengthen The narrowing in India's current account deficit in Q4 2015, along with the pick-up in foreign direct investment inflows, supports our view that the country's external position will remain far less a... 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Flash Manufacturing PMI (Mar.) The renewed fall in the manufacturing PMI to a three year-low in March underlines that the recent strengthening of the exchange rate is dampening activity in the sector. 22nd March 2016 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Macri makes big strides in first 100 days but work still to do President Mauricio Macri’s first 100 days in office have seen an impressive range of measures to put Argentina’s fragile balance of payments position on a more sustainable footing. By any reasonable... 21st March 2016 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Is there a role for “helicopter money”? Helicopter money may be the next big thing as policymakers reach the limits of standard unconventional policies. In theory, it can fund an unlimited increase in both public spending and the money... 21st March 2016 · 1 min read
