UK Economics Weekly Why is the economy struggling so much? The loss of economic momentum in the second half of the year isn't just due to the Budget but may also be due to the drag from high interest rates lasting longer and a growing restraint from weak... 13th December 2024 · 9 mins read
Commodities Outlook Weak market fundamentals; geopolitics the wildcard Most energy and industrial metals prices will fall in 2025 as structural headwinds to demand build and supply rises. Geopolitical developments remain a key uncertainty and it is easy to think of... 13th December 2024 · 23 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly ECB dovish; French politics; defence spending to rise? Investors appear to have interpreted Christine Lagarde’s comments yesterday, and the subsequent leaks to the media, as more hawkish than expected. But we remain convinced that the ECB will cut... 13th December 2024 · 5 mins read
Europe Rapid Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (October 2024) October’s euro-zone industrial production data look much worse without Ireland, where the data are notoriously volatile. The big picture is that the region’s industrial sector remains very weak and we... 13th December 2024 · 2 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK GDP (Oct. 2024) The 0.1% m/m fall in GDP in October is the second such decline in a row and means there is every chance that the economy went backwards in Q4 as a whole. Talk of a recession still feels a bit... 13th December 2024 · 3 mins read
Capital Daily ECB policy may push Bund yields back down next year Given our dovish view of ECB policy, we expect German Bund yields to fall back in 2025, and to diverge further from US Treasury yields. 12th December 2024 · 5 mins read
Europe Economics Update One step at a time for the Riksbank Next Thursday, we expect the Riksbank to reduce its policy rate from 2.75% to 2.5% as it closes in on the end of its loosening cycle. In contrast, we think Norges Bank will leave its policy rate... 12th December 2024 · 5 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russia: are financial stability risks starting to crystallise? Risks to Russia’s macroeconomic stability are mounting on the back of the recent credit boom and sharp rise in interest rates. Our EM financial risk indicators show that Russia is now at high risk of... 12th December 2024 · 4 mins read
BoE Watch Economy not weak enough to trigger consecutive rate cuts Despite the weak news on the domestic economy and the deterioration in the global outlook, we doubt the Bank of England will follow the ECB’s lead and cut interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) next... 12th December 2024 · 5 mins read
Europe Economics Update Tide gradually turning at the ECB Today’s ECB policy statement and press conference suggest that policymakers are increasingly confident of meeting their inflation goal and increasingly conscious of downside risks to the economy. We... 12th December 2024 · 3 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Outlook Rental growth the key driver of the property recovery The recovery in property values is underway. But we think it will be a weak one, even though several European central banks, including the ECB, are forecast to cut interest rates to a lower level than... 12th December 2024 · 27 mins read
Europe Rapid Response ECB Policy Announcement (December 2024) While the ECB’s decision to cut its deposit rate by 25bp was widely expected, the accompanying statement suggests that policymakers are less concerned than previously about upside risks to inflation... 12th December 2024 · 2 mins read
Europe Rapid Response Swiss National Bank Policy Meeting (Dec. 2024) This morning’s 50bp rate cut by the SNB, which brought the policy rate to 0.5%, came as a surprise to most economists though it was balanced by a revised policy statement which implies that... 12th December 2024 · 2 mins read
UK Housing Market Update RICS Residential Market Survey (Nov. 2024) November’s RICS survey provides further evidence that housing activity and prices remained resilient to the rise in mortgage rates in November. And our view that mortgage rates will start to fall... 12th December 2024 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Update Three ways the Spending Review could affect fiscal policy With pressures on public spending continuing to grow, this has raised the chances that the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, raises spending further in her 2025 Spending Review. If she raises spending and... 11th December 2024 · 3 mins read
Emerging Europe Rapid Response Russia Consumer Prices (Nov.) The renewed acceleration in Russian inflation to 8.9% y/y in November, and likelihood of further increases in the coming months, argue strongly in favour of another large interest rate hike from the... 11th December 2024 · 2 mins read
