Europe Data Response Euro-zone GDP (Q4), Final PMIs (Feb.) & Retail Sales (Jan.) The latest batch of data on the euro-zone provided rather mixed signals for the European Central Bank ahead of its Governing Council meeting on Thursday. But we still think more policy action is... 5th March 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Does Portugal need more help? The chances of Portugal following in Ireland’s footsteps and making a “clean break” from its bailout have recently grown. Nonetheless, we think that it may still need further loans and some form of... 4th March 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Does the Ukraine crisis threaten the European recovery? While the Ukraine crisis won’t have major effects on the European economy, it is another warning to the policymakers not to rely on a very positive global environment to sustain the region’s recovery... 4th March 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Stars still aligned for more ECB support Despite last week's stronger than expected euro-zone inflation figures, the combination of still very weak price pressures, the strong euro and recent falls in liquidity in the banking sector still... 3rd March 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Feb.) & Unemployment (Jan.) February’s euro-zone consumer prices figures don’t change the picture of very weak price pressures in the currency union and hence don’t rule out further policy action from the ECB next week. 28th February 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Swedish & Danish GDP (Q4) The surge in Swedish GDP in Q4 confirms that the economy remains one of the region’s strongest performers. But while it has prompted us to revise up our GDP forecast we still think that growth will be... 28th February 2014 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Data Response Swedish & Danish GDP (Q4 13) The surge in Swedish GDP in Q4 confirms that the economy remains one of the region’s strongest performers. But while it has prompted us to revise up our GDP forecast we still think that growth will be... 28th February 2014 · 1 min read
ECB Watch Another small rate cut? While the euro-zone activity data has continued to show some improvement, the combination of very low inflation, the strong euro and falling liquidity in the banking sector has maintained pressure on... 27th February 2014 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Will Spain’s and Italy’s bond spreads continue to fall? The yield spreads of Spanish and Italian government bonds over German Bunds began to fall sharply following the announcement of the ECB’s Outright Monetary Transactions programme in the summer of 2012... 27th February 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Feb.) & Spanish GDP (Q4) The small rise in the European Commission’s Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) in February provided another indication that the economic recovery has built up a little momentum at the start of the... 27th February 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Jan.) Given hopes that the ECB’s Asset Quality Review had temporarily depressed lending last year, January’s weak euro-zone monetary data will keep pressure on the ECB to loosen policy further. 27th February 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Swiss GDP (Q4 13) While Q4’s Swiss GDP figures were a bit disappointing, they do not suggest that the economy is succumbing to the strength of the exchange rate. 27th February 2014 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Data Response Swiss GDP (Q4 13) While Q4’s Swiss GDP figures were a bit disappointing, they do not suggest that the economy is succumbing to the strength of the exchange rate. 27th February 2014 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Weaker euro should help euro-zone equities to outperform One development that is likely to cap future rises in long-term government bond yields in some of the major advanced economies is the persistence of exceptionally loose monetary policy. But this is... 26th February 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Are Stockholm retail rents poised to take-off again? Retail rental values in Stockholm ended 2013 strongly, rising by 2%q/q in Q4. This pushed the annual rate of rental growth above 2% for the first time since mid-2012. We expect rental growth to... 26th February 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Feb 14.) The smaller euro-zone peripheral economies made good fiscal progress last year, but the adjustment process is by no means over yet. Italy and Spain fared less well. As a result, this year, they may... 26th February 2014 · 1 min read
