Europe Economics Update Pressure on the ECB to take further action set to grow President Draghi emphasised at December’s interest rate press conference that the ECB has a “powerful artillery of instruments available”. And the pressure on it to use these instruments looks set to... 5th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Norwegian interest rates on hold until at least mid-2015 The weakening Norwegian economy prompted the Norges Bank to push back its tightening cycle today. With the Bank revising down its economic forecasts closer to our own, we agree with its new projection... 5th December 2013 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norwegian interest rates on hold until at least mid-2015 The weakening Norwegian economy prompted the Norges Bank to push back its tightening cycle today. With the Bank revising down its economic forecasts closer to our own, we agree with its new projection... 5th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Further falls likely in Amsterdam's structurally high vacancy rate Amsterdam’s “Action Programme to Tackle Vacant Offices” appears to be bearing fruit. The total office stock has shrunk over the past year and, despite weak occupier demand, the vacancy rate has fallen... 4th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Weak growth & strong euro keep pressure on ECB Having slowed almost to a halt in Q3, early indications suggest that the euro-zone’s economic recovery is unlikely to have regained much momentum – if any – in the final quarter of the year. Meanwhile... 4th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone GDP (Q3 13), Final PMIs (Nov.13) & Retail Sales (Oct.13) The breakdown of Q3 GDP and more timely news on retail sales and the final PMIs further underlined the weakness of the euro-zone’s recovery. 4th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Focus What is the outlook for commercial property in Spain and Italy? The economic problems facing Italy mean that, in our view, it is too soon to call the floor for capital values in office and industrial markets. By contrast, we do expect the next big move in Spanish... 2nd December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Rating changes don't confirm convergence Last week’s rating changes by S&P, which stripped the Netherlands of its triple A status and moved Spain from negative watch to stable, appeared to re-affirm the recent message from the economic data... 2nd December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Nov.) & Unemployment (Oct.) The latest news on euro-zone inflation and unemployment will do little to relieve the pressure on the ECB to take more action to support the fragile economic recovery and head off a potentially... 29th November 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Swedish & Danish GDP (Q3) Sweden’s much weaker than anticipated rise in GDP in Q3 increases the pressure on the Riksbank to soften its monetary policy stance. 29th November 2013 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Data Response Swedish & Danish GDP (Q3 13) Sweden’s much weaker than anticipated rise in GDP in Q3 increases the pressure on the Riksbank to soften its monetary policy stance. 29th November 2013 · 1 min read
ECB Watch Time to talk about the euro? Last month's cut in interest rates has not lifted the pressure on the ECB to provide more support for the fragile economic recovery. Accordingly, President Draghi may make a more concerted effort to... 28th November 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update A second bail-out still looms for Portugal Portugal is unlikely to follow in Ireland’s footsteps and achieve a “clean exit” from its existing rescue package. We think that the most likely scenario is that Portugal seeks a second full-blown... 28th November 2013 · 1 min read
Non-Euro Europe Commercial Property Outlook Stronger occupier markets to cushion blow of rising bond yields For European commercial property markets outside of the currency union, occupier conditions appear to be strengthening gradually, while investment markets have cooled. We expect these trends to... 28th November 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Outlook 2014: A year of stability for euro-zone property The latest economic and property market data from the single currency region sit comfortably with our forecasts that commercial property in the euro-zone faces a further year of stability in rental... 28th November 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey, German Unemp. (Nov.) & Spa. GDP (Q3) November’s rise in the EC’s euro-zone Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) is a comforting sign given the recent falls in other indicators, like the composite PMI, but we still expect the recovery to... 28th November 2013 · 1 min read
