Europe Economics Update Portugal's toughest tests still lie ahead The ECB’s announcement that it would step up its bond purchase programme and extend liquidity provision to the banking sector has eased immediate pressure on Portugal. But the initial positive market... 9th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update German funds: liquidations point to downside risks for property prices For now, the recent poor health of some German open-ended property funds is unlikely to have a meaningful impact on European property investment demand. But the potential for more fund liquidations... 8th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Irish Budget fails to lift the gloom As anticipated, the first vote on the Irish 2011 Budget was passed by Parliament late last night. But while this reduces the chances of the Government being unable to tap its bail-out facility for... 8th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Industrial Production & Trade (Oct.) Germany’s impressive industrial recovery continues to support growth in its own economy and in the euro-zone as a whole. But the favourable effects on the region’s peripheral economies are likely to... 8th December 2010 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Will common euro-zone bond issuance see the light of day? The establishment of a market for euro-zone government bonds that are guaranteed by all Member States is seen by some as an important contribution to a resolution of the region’s fiscal crisis. We are... 7th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly ECB actions speak louder than words, but for how long? Any disappointment that the ECB failed last week to commit to a major stepping up of its bond purchases was offset by reports that it had nonetheless bought large amounts of peripheral bonds. But it... 6th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Do the harmonised falls in property yields in Paris and Lyon make sense? On first glance, it is striking that falls in property yields in Lyon have more or less matched those in Paris. However, with broadly similar prospects for rental value growth, at least for the retail... 2nd December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB does the bare minimum Anyone hoping that the European Central Bank would respond to the euro-zone debt crisis with “shock and awe” today will have been severely disappointed. The fact that it failed to respond more... 2nd December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Core economies shrug off debt worries The euro-zone economy has continued to recover despite the periphery’s troubles, with export growth holding up particularly well. It is too soon for the euro’s recent depreciation to have had an... 2nd December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone GDP Breakdown (Q3) The second estimate of euro-zone Q3 GDP provided some moderate encouragement that the economic recovery in the region is becoming a little more broad-based. But there are still good reasons to be... 2nd December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will the ECB ride to the rescue? Recent comments from ECB President Trichet have brought hope that the Bank might step up its bond purchases to support peripheral markets. But to make any real difference, the ECB would probably need... 1st December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Can the euro-zone really break up? There are several practical obstacles to leaving the euro-zone which mean that this is not an easy option. But if the benefits were deemed large enough, none of the obstacles would be insurmountable... 30th November 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Nov.) & Unemployment (Oct.) The latest news on the euro-zone economy suggests that the recent strength of activity in the region is doing little to raise price pressures or improve conditions in the labour market. 30th November 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Will a strong krona derail the recovery in Swedish industrial rents? The recent strength of the Swedish krona has not prevented a modest recovery in industrial rents. Yet, further appreciation looks imminent and the growth outlook in Sweden’s key export markets is weak... 29th November 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Nov.) November’s EC business and consumer survey confirmed that the sovereign debt crisis in Ireland and elsewhere is not yet standing in the way of a broader recovery in the euro-zone economy. But the... 29th November 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Irish bailout details provide markets with little comfort The further details of the Irish bailout package and the euro-zone’s permanent crisis resolution mechanism confirm that Germany and other European hardliners are in no mood to make major concessions... 29th November 2010 · 1 min read