Europe Economics Update ECB cuts rates but signals inability to do more July’s ECB interest rate cut did little to alter the euro-zone’s bleak economic outlook, particularly as the Bank indicated that it is unlikely to pursue any bolder unconventional measures for now. 5th July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update French Budget scotches growth lobby François Hollande’s supplementary budget is in stark contrast to his vow to favour growth over austerity. With market pressures and a weakening economic outlook forcing even France to pursue budget... 4th July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Is Poland a “core” property market? One of the key messages from JLL’s 2012 Global Real Estate Transparency Index was that CEE markets – especially Poland – have become more transparent relative to Western Europe. But we think that... 4th July 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Will the euro-zone crisis undermine London property values? Prices in London’s prime property markets, especially residential, look very vulnerable to a major financial market shock, or anything that might undermine investors’ desire to use London property as... 4th July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Weaker inflation to provide little relief Euro-zone activity indicators continue to point to a broad-based worsening in economic conditions. Admittedly, the prospect of further falls in CPI inflation (see Chart) following the recent plunge in... 3rd July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Could Greece finance itself after a euro-zone exit? We have long argued that it may be in the best interests of Greece to leave the euro-zone. And while some commentators have suggested that Greece would benefit from waiting until it can fully cover... 3rd July 2012 · 1 min read
DM Markets Chart Pack German Bunds start to lose their shine The yield on ten year German Bunds rose by around 30bp in June, despite the fact that the yield on ten year US Treasuries barely increased. The rise in the ten year Bund yield may have partly... 3rd July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Unemp. & Final Man. PMI (May/Jun.) The latest data on labour market conditions and the manufacturing sector in the euro-zone confirm an overall picture of economic weakness. This provides a difficult backdrop against which European... 2nd July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Which debts would be redenominated after euro break-up? The improvement in sentiment towards the euro-zone following last week’s EU summit is, in our view, likely to prove short-lived. Indeed, we still expect the resolution to the euro-zone crisis to... 2nd July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Most European office markets to suffer drop in take-up Our recent finding that the investment component of the German national accounts data is related to office take-up volumes seems also to apply in most other European office markets. Accordingly, our... 2nd July 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Sensible changes, but no big cure Against a background of low expectations, the changes agreed at the EU Summit to tackle several issues which threatened to inhibit the effectiveness of short-term support measures came as a pleasant... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What effect will Iran sanctions have on oil prices? We maintain our view that the imminent tightening of Western sanctions on Iran is unlikely to have anywhere near as large an impact on global oil prices as many had feared. Demand is weakening and... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (May) The latest monetary data confirm that the ECB’s earlier liquidity measures are not yet having the desired effect. While money supply growth is picking up, bank lending to the private sector remains... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Jun.) Euro-zone CPI inflation was unchanged in June, but this does not alter our view that it will fall sharply over the coming months and the ECB will cut interest rates at its meeting next week. 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
ECB Watch A rate cut but no more With the euro-zone’s debt crisis intensifying again and the economic downturn deepening and broadening, we think that the ECB will opt to cut interest rates by 25bps in July. But the Bank seems... 28th June 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update EC survey suggests euro-zone office rental value forecasts on track The latest snapshot of business and consumer confidence across Europe suggests that conditions in euro-zone occupier markets have deteriorated during the second quarter. However, in the short-term... 28th June 2012 · 1 min read