Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (May) & Final CPI (Jun.) May’s euro-zone industrial production data confirm that the recovery remains on track for now. But as global demand slows and domestic demand is hit by the fiscal squeeze, the revival in the wider... 14th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Greece still heavily reliant on its bailout facility On the face of it, today’s Greek treasury bill auction, the first since April’s bailout package was activated, provides some reassurance that markets’ confidence may be gradually returning. But Greece... 13th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German ZEW (Jul.) July’s fall in German investor sentiment highlights concerns that peripheral debt worries and banking sector problems might stem the recovery in the euro-zone’s largest economy before long. 13th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly ECB to support banks as stress tests bring little comfort Last week’s confirmation that stress tests of EU banks will be published on 23rd July did little to ease fears about the sector, probably because the scenarios considered will not be adverse enough... 12th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update World Cup triumph does not improve the Spanish retail outlook While it is not unreasonable to suggest the Spanish retail property market could be boosted by the national team’s World Cup success, unfortunately we think other factors will continue to provide far... 12th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Will Swedish property yields fall much further? The emerging recovery in Swedish property yields looks set to continue in the near-term. Indeed, we now think that the economic outlook in Sweden is one of the brightest in Western Europe, while... 8th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB to maintain support for banks After leaving interest rates unchanged today, the ECB confirmed that it would continue to support the banking sector with unlimited liquidity provision. And its cautious tone regarding the economic... 8th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Industrial Production & Trade (May) May’s sharp rises in German industrial production and exports add to evidence that any negative effects on the sectors from the euro-zone fiscal crisis are being more than offset by the global... 8th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update European stress tests nowhere near stressful enough The announcement that fairly detailed stress tests of EU banks will be published later this month brings only limited comfort. The adverse scenario that will be considered is nowhere near adverse... 8th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Divergences continue to widen Further falls in euro-zone business confidence in June add to evidence that the economic recovery will fade in the second half of the year. But just as importantly, there are growing signs that... 7th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Why the euro-zone needs to break up The threatened break-up of the euro-zone, which many see as a potential disaster, would actually open the door to renewed economic growth, not just for the weaker members of the zone, but for Europe... 7th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Recovery in Spanish retail rental values is a distant prospect Following the plunge in May, June’s small rise in Spanish consumer confidence does little to improve the outlook for the Spanish retail property market. Indeed, with retail sales volumes unlikely to... 6th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone break-up now more likely than not We have come to the conclusion that the balance of probabilities has swung against the euro-zone surviving in its present form. We have been brought to this point by our analysis of the problems of... 6th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Is Italy Europe’s ticking time-bomb? Perennially weak growth and a mountain of government debt mean that the Italian public finances are a potential time-bomb waiting to explode. Indeed, we think the size of the Governments debts will... 5th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Banking strains won’t ease soon On the face of it, there were some encouraging signs last week that the euro-zone banking system is becoming less reliant on the ECB for funding and is switching to borrowing from more conventional... 5th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Unemployment & Producer prices (May) May’s euro-zone unemployment figures highlight the growing divergences between the core and peripheral euro-zone economies and add to evidence that the latter group’s economic woes are far from over. 2nd July 2010 · 1 min read