Europe Economics Weekly Italy on the road to default We have long warned that Italy represents the single biggest threat to the currency union and last week, that threat loomed large. Bond yields rose to unsustainably high levels, suggesting that Italy... 14th November 2011 · 1 min read
Non-Euro Europe Commercial Property Outlook Property returns to be dented by the global slowdown Most non-euro-zone European economies will avoid a recession in 2012, but not a marked slowdown in GDP growth. Even so, the weaker outlook for occupier demand suggests that rental value growth in most... 10th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Outlook Capital values to fall back in 2012 and 2013 We expect the euro-zone to fall back into recession in 2012 and 2013. We have therefore cut our commercial property forecasts to reflect the weaker economic backdrop. Over the next two years, we... 10th November 2011 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Growing stresses in the banking system This week’s surge in Italian government bond yields has catapulted the euro-zone debt crisis into a dangerous new phase. Italy’s problems pose a far greater threat to the region’s banks than those of... 10th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will the ECB come to Italy’s rescue? With Italian bond yields rocketing and European governments struggling to agree on a plan to raise finance, some have pinned their hopes on the ECB as possible lender of the last resort. While the... 9th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Italy moves closer to the brink Recent developments in Italy, coupled with its deteriorating growth prospects and huge structural economic problems, support our view that the Italian government will eventually default. The huge... 9th November 2011 · 1 min read
Euro-zone heading back into recession The euro-zone economy will lapse back into recession next year as the impact of the fiscal crisis and weaker global growth take their toll. The prospects for economic growth are typically a little... 8th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Signs of a widespread recession The latest data have revealed that the economic downturn is deepening and spreading. October’s drop in the euro-zone composite PMI left it pointing to sharp quarterly falls in GDP of around 1.0%... 8th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Industrial Production & EZ Retail Sales (Sep.) September’s falls in German industrial production and euro-zone retail sales confirm that an underlying economic downturn is accompanying the region’s debt crisis. 7th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Papandreou shatters the illusion Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou’s extraordinary manoeuvrings last week forced euro-zone leaders to acknowledge openly for the first time that a country could leave the euro-zone. Indeed... 7th November 2011 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Kicking the Cannes down the road As expected, the G20 summit concluded today without agreeing anything of substance. Euro-zone leaders were effectively told to get their own house in order, something they have conspicuously failed to... 4th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Is the drop in occupier market sentiment a sign of things to come? The weakening in sentiment towards European property markets revealed in the latest RICS survey is unlikely to be temporary. To our minds, if anything, it highlights the downside risks to consensus... 4th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Draghi makes a dovish start, but won’t up bond purchases The ECB’s decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 1.25% suggests that it is starting to acknowledge the effects of the region’s debt crisis on the wider economy. But, for now at least... 3rd November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Greek referendum episode has let the cat out of the bag However the Greek referendum episode is ultimately concluded, the fact that euro-zone leaders have for the first time openly acknowledged that a country can leave the single currency is a potentially... 3rd November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update What next for Greece? The chances of Greece holding a referendum appear to be diminishing and a general election seems likely before long, even if the Government wins Friday’s confidence vote. But whatever the precise... 3rd November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Deepening crisis to prompt widespread recession The euro-zone debt crisis is having a severely damaging impact on the European macro-economy. Not only are the troubled peripheral economies set to remain deep in recession, but growth prospects have... 3rd November 2011 · 1 min read
