ECB Watch ECB in danger of slipping behind The euro-zone economy as a whole might be faring better than others for now, but strains in the region’s periphery have continued to mount. The ECB will provide reassurance after its forthcoming... 30th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Ireland takes a small step back from the brink The Irish Government’s announcement on the costs of rescuing its banks appears to have provided the markets with some reassurance for now. But with the banking sector still fragile and the economy... 30th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update France and Portugal struggle to apply fiscal squeeze Recent developments in France and Portugal confirm that both are struggling to implement measures to ensure a sustained reduction in public borrowing. But market pressures will force Portugal to act... 30th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI & German Unemployment (Sep.) September’s rise in euro-zone CPI inflation probably reflected energy and food effects, while underlying price pressures remain very weak. 30th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will the euro-zone be the biggest loser in a currency war? If the world is about to engage in a currency war, the euro-zone’s arsenal looks poorly stocked. 29th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Sep.) September’s improvement in the EC business and consumer survey comes as a relief after recent weaker news on the euro-zone. But the survey still points to much slower growth in Q3 than in Q2. 29th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update EC sanctions won’t cure the euro-zone’s imbalances Proposed EC sanctions for euro-zone countries with high public debt, large current account deficits or housing market bubbles are being sold as a key step towards rebalancing and hence strengthening... 28th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Is Ireland on the brink? The recent run of disappointing news from Ireland means that public debt is looking increasingly likely to reach Greek proportions, suggesting that the Irish Government may eventually be left with... 28th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Flash CPI (Sep.) & Consumer Confidence (Oct.) September’s rise in German HICP inflation appears to have reflected temporary energy and food effects. Core inflation remains extremely subdued and we still see the headline rate coming close to zero... 28th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Sep.) The further rise in euro-zone annual broad money and credit growth is certainly an encouraging sign. But given the very low starting point and the fact that many peripheral banks are still struggling... 27th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Markets' concerns about the periphery spiral higher Last week was another rollercoaster ride for the euro-zone’s periphery. Disappointing Irish and Portuguese data provided a timely reminder of the task that both governments face to put their public... 27th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Ireland's property market is a long way from recovery Yesterday’s disappointing Q2 Irish GDP figures support our view that the economy will stagnate at best over this year and next. Although commercial property prices have already fallen by more than 70%... 24th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Ifo Survey (Sep.) September’s small rise in the German Ifo brings hope that the euro-zone’s largest economy is faring very well for now. But with export growth already slowing, we expect the index to follow the PMI... 24th September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Sep.) September’s plunge in the euro-zone PMI is the strongest sign yet that the eurozone recovery is rapidly losing momentum and that parts of the region may already have fallen back into recession. 23rd September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Ireland GDP (Q2) Ireland’s disappointing GDP figures for Q2 support our view that the economy is a long way from staging a sustained recovery and will do nothing to ease markets’ fears about the health of the Irish... 23rd September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Spain not yet out of the woods Despite the markets growing more pessimistic about the prospects for Ireland and Portugal, bond yields in Spain have remained relatively stable, suggesting that concerns about its public finances have... 22nd September 2010 · 1 min read
