Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Deleveraging in Denmark: what lessons for other Nordics? Household spending in Denmark has barely recovered since its housing bubble burst in 2007 and there appears little respite ahead for households. With rising debt now fuelling housing booms in Sweden... 25th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Ifo Survey (Apr.) April’s fall in the German Ifo business climate indicator will add to concerns that the recovery there is starting to falter. 24th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Apr.) April’s euro-zone PMI survey provided another clear sign that a sustained economic recovery in the region is still some way off. 23rd April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Italy’s problems are far from over The re-election of President Napolitano suggests that Italy could soon have a new government in place. But an end to the political deadlock will not resolve Italy’s deep economic problems. 22nd April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Fiscal figures cast further doubt on austerity policies The news that the euro-zone budget deficit shrank again last year will be hailed as evidence by some that austerity is working. But the fact that most economies’ deficits have fallen by less than... 22nd April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Focus GOEF crisis enters new phase Looming deadlines for stricken German open-ended funds to complete their liquidation processes – or hand over remaining assets to their respective custodian banks – mean that the supply of property... 22nd April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Record trade surplus not a sign of strength February’s record-breaking euro-zone trade surplus of €12bn suggests that the external sector provided the wider economy with a boost in Q1. But we doubt that the sector is about to kick start an... 22nd April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update First signs that Amsterdam retail rents will not defy gravity forever The run of dismal consumer sector data from the Netherlands helps to explain why the level of retail yields in Amsterdam is high relative to other major euro-zone retail markets. Indeed, this could be... 19th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Belgium: not necessarily the core's weakest link? We have previously warned that Belgium shares several characteristics with peripheral economies, such as high public debt, banking problems and falling competitiveness. But the economy also enjoys... 18th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Debt concerns still dominating the Riksbank’s thoughts The Swedish Riksbank’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 1.0% was no surprise given the recent run of encouraging economic data. But while the chances of an imminent cut have perhaps... 17th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Latest Portuguese fiscal plans only buy time The Portuguese Government’s proposed new spending cuts should allow it to receive the next tranche of its bail-out loan and have its previous loans extended. But while this would provide some much... 16th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German ZEW Survey (Apr.) & Euro-zone Final CPI (Mar.) April’s fall in the German ZEW index highlighted investors’ fears that the German recovery will falter amid continued concerns about the euro-zone’s periphery. 16th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Pressure on Slovenia to intensify further Recent events have underlined our view that the Slovenian government will struggle to finance itself this year despite the small size (relative to GDP) of its troubled banks and public debt. To avoid... 15th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly The BoJ can’t do the ECB’s job for it The drop in peripheral euro-zone bond yields following the Bank of Japan’s announcement that it is set to expand its quantitative easing programme dramatically has further relieved the near-term... 15th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (Feb.) The small rise in euro-zone industrial production in February suggests that the sector will avoid another steep fall in output in Q1. But there is still no sign that the sector is about to spearhead... 12th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Cyprus: The bail-out thickens The dramatic increase in the size of the proposed rescue package for Cyprus both underlines the depth of the problems facing the country and poses further questions over the likely impact of future... 11th April 2013 · 1 min read
