Latin America Data Response Brazil & Mexico Manufacturing PMIs (Feb.) The sharp drop in Brazil’s manufacturing PMI for February is particularly disappointing given that it follows a general improvement in the survey data for January, and has dealt a blow to hopes that... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Could savings on EU contributions boost the economy? One of the advantages of a vote to leave the EU would be the savings the UK could potentially make on its EU contributions. This money could in theory be used to give a boost to the economy, but there... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response GDP (Q4 2015) It underlines how bad things have become in Canada that the 0.8% annualised increase in fourth-quarter GDP, above the consensus forecast for no change, will be celebrated as some sort of economic... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Feb.) The latest fiscal data suggest that the euro-zone’s peripheral economies improved their budgetary positions at the start of 2016. Further consolidation is likely this year but political pressures may... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Unemployment (Jan.) & Manufacturing PMI (Feb.) January’s fall in euro-zone unemployment was encouraging, but the rate remains too high to boost wage growth. And survey evidence suggests that the labour market recovery is starting to slow. 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Energy Update Higher Japanese coal demand won't stop prices falling The restart of Japan's nuclear power plants is likely to reduce the country's demand for oil and gas while also allowing a rebalancing of the remaining consumption of fossil fuels towards coal... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Update February PMI data sound a note of caution For the most part, industrial commodity prices have stabilised or, in many cases, been rising recently. However, today’s manufacturing PMI data for February suggest that activity was subdued in China... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Markit/CIPS Report on Manuf. (Feb.) The February UK Markit/CIPS manufacturing survey showed that the sector doesn’t appear to be doing any better so far in 2016 than it did in 2015. But the manufacturing sector’s prospects should... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa GDP (Q4) Weaker-than-expected Q4 GDP data from South Africa underline the economy’s sluggish growth prospects. At the margin, we suspect that these data make it less likely that the Reserve Bank will follow up... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Data Response Manufacturing PMIs (Feb.) Last month’s batch of manufacturing PMIs from Emerging Europe was a mixed bag, but overall the surveys suggest that growth in Central Europe continued to hold up well at the start of this year. 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
India Data Response Manufacturing PMI (Feb.) India's manufacturing PMI remained unchanged at a low level in February. The big picture is that local industry continues to face significant structural constraints. 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update RBA inching towards reducing rates again The Reserve Bank of Australia today once again decided to leave interest rates at 2.0%, but we don’t think it will be long before a weakening in the economic outlook and a further fall in underlying... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Data Response Manufacturing PMIs (Feb.) Emerging Asia’s PMIs fell back in February, offering no signs that the woes of the region’s manufacturing sectors are over. 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
China Data Response PMIs (Feb.) Today's PMIs suggest the economy lost some momentum last month but monetary policy easing by the People's Bank helps to limit the downside risks going forward. 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Capital Expenditure (Q4) Today’s capital spending figures suggest that investment spending was a touch weaker last quarter than initially estimated, but revised GDP data due on Monday should confirm that output shrank by 0.4%... 1st March 2016 · 1 min read
