Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Apr.) April’s inflation figures might have eased some of the immediate pressure on the European Central Bank (ECB) to provide more policy support, but they did not alter the big picture of growing deflation... 30th April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Mar.) March’s euro-zone monetary data underlined the continued weakness of the region’s financial system and will help to maintain the pressure on the ECB to ease monetary policy further over the coming... 29th April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Apr.) The unexpected fall in the EC’s Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) in April might be a warning not to expect too much from the euro-zone recovery and further highlights the risk of deflation in the... 29th April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly The unhelpful divergence between France and Germany Data released last week suggested that the euro-zone recovery gained more traction at the start of Q2. But there remains a worrying divergence between France and Germany which risks holding back the... 28th April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Labour market still a constraint on Finland's recovery The prolonged deterioration in Finland’s labour market may finally be coming to an end, according to data published earlier this week. But we suspect that employment will pick up very slowly at best. 25th April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update What’s the outlook for Dutch industrial property? The recent slump in Dutch industrial production masks a better trend in manufacturing growth. Yet given the sustained nature of the economic downturn, the outlook for industrial occupier demand and... 25th April 2014 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Labour market still a constraint on Finland’s recovery The prolonged deterioration in Finland’s labour market may finally be coming to an end, according to data published earlier this week. But we suspect that employment will pick up very slowly at best. 25th April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Ifo Survey (Apr.) April’s Ifo survey supported the message from other recent surveys that the steady recovery in the German economy has continued into the second quarter. But a further marked acceleration seems... 24th April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Is the outperformance of Dublin’s office market coming to an end? All sectors of the Dublin property market received a boost from tightening yields during the first quarter. However, while there seems scope for further yield compression in the retail and industrial... 23rd April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Apr.) Despite the euro-zone composite PMI rising in April to its highest level in nearly three years, economic growth is not yet strong enough to diminish fears of deflation. 23rd April 2014 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update ECB’s QE unlikely to be the panacea that markets hope The ECB looks increasingly willing to implement some form of explicit quantitative easing (QE) soon. However, the market impacts may be smaller and more varied than widely hoped. 22nd April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Five key questions on QE in the euro-zone The European Central Bank (ECB) appears finally to be seriously considering the option of implementing quantitative easing (QE). While we have long argued that QE in the euro-zone was a more likely... 22nd April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Negative rates are no silver bullet on their own A negative interest rate on banks' excess reserves at the ECB might have some effect on banks' behaviour and at least prove that the ECB is prepared to follow its dovish words with action. But it must... 21st April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Italian office capital values look set to fall further The low level of confidence in the Italian service sector throughout 2013 is consistent with the underperformance of office capital values versus retail. But while services confidence has since risen... 16th April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update France’s reform effort inches forward Although France’s short-term outlook remains weak, the new French Government’s recent policy announcements provide hope that France is slowly tackling its significant competitiveness problems. 16th April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Can the ECB get the euro down? The ECB’s battle against deflation is turning into a fight to lower the euro exchange rate. But it is far from clear that the central bank will act sufficiently to bring the currency down far enough. 15th April 2014 · 1 min read