Europe Economics Weekly GDP growth to rebound in Q4 Delays to car production appear to have had a big impact on GDP in Q3, particularly in Germany and Italy. But these effects should be temporary, so we expect growth to rebound in Q4. This suggests... 2nd November 2018 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Italy’s problems shouldn’t stop euro’s revival in 2019 Although Italy’s problems are likely to continue to weigh on the euro next year, we still think that the currency will strengthen against the dollar in response to a favourable shift in monetary... 2nd November 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Emissions testing to blame for Q3 slowdown Data on car production imply that delays related to emissions testing may have been entirely responsible for the slowdown in euro-zone GDP growth from 0.4% in Q2 to 0.2% in Q3. While the underlying... 31st October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Oct.) & Unemployment (Sep.) October’s increase in euro-zone inflation supports the ECB’s judgement that underlying price pressures are gradually building despite the slowdown in activity over recent months. 31st October 2018 · 1 min read
Global Central Bank Watch Equity sell-off unlikely to derail policy tightening Despite the recent plunge in equity prices, it looks highly likely that the Fed will raise interest rates again in December and then press ahead with two more rate hikes in the first half of 2019. But... 31st October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response EZ Q3 GDP (Prelim. Flash) & EC Survey (Oct.) While the 0.2% expansion in the euro-zone economy was disappointing, it probably in part reflects temporary factors. As a result, we expect there to be some recovery in the coming quarters. 30th October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Merkel’s step-down won’t derail the German economy The news that Angela Merkel will step down as head of the CDU has limited implications for the German economy since she will stay on as Chancellor for now and her likely successors broadly support her... 29th October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB sticks to its plans despite weaker data The ECB today reaffirmed its plans to normalise monetary policy gradually, expressing little concern about the recent run of weaker economic data or the clash between Italy and the European Commission... 25th October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Oct.) The unexpectedly sharp decline in the Composite PMI in October left it pointing to the slowest pace of quarterly euro-zone GDP growth for two and a half years. 24th October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Bank Lending Survey (Q3) The ECB’s Q3 Bank Lending Survey provided further evidence that euro-zone economic growth will continue to hold up fairly well. And, at least for now, there is little sign that the political... 23rd October 2018 · 1 min read
ECB Watch ECB to stick to the script amid mixed opinions The ECB has certainly given some mixed messages over recent weeks, with some Council members judging that the first rate hike should come during next summer while others assert that Q4 2019 is more... 18th October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Implications of an Italy-EU budget clash On its own, the inevitable clash between the EU and the Italian Government is unlikely to have much of an economic impact, at least in the near term. However, the situation could well escalate next... 16th October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (Aug.) August’s euro-zone industrial production data were pretty strong, particularly given the drag from temporary disruption in the car industry. But the big picture is that this year’s general slowdown in... 12th October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Country divergence looks set to continue Business and consumer surveys suggest that growth in the euro-zone as a whole will continue at a fairly healthy pace of around 0.4% per quarter in the near term. But there is a growing divergence by... 4th October 2018 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Another look at the threat from quantitative tightening A year after the Fed began shrinking its balance sheet, global central banks’ net asset purchases have slowed sharply, and they are set to turn negative in January. However, we doubt that this will... 3rd October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Wage growth in core and periphery set to diverge We think that faster wage growth in the core countries will drive aggregate euro-zone wage growth up over the next few years, prompting the ECB to raise interest rates. But wage growth in the... 3rd October 2018 · 1 min read