Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Dec.) Euro-zone lending growth remained healthy in December, and with interest rates likely to rise only very slowly as the ECB normalises policy, bank lending looks set to continue supporting economic... 26th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Patient ECB to move more slowly than markets think The ECB did not alter its forward guidance today, stressing that it will exercise patience and persistence when normalising policy and voicing concern about the strong euro. The currency’s further... 25th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Jan.) January’s jump in the euro-zone Composite PMI marked an exceptionally strong start to 2018. But while the data appear to strengthen the case for the ECB to “revisit” its forward guidance early this... 24th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Should we worry about the “Draghi put”? The ECB has effectively introduced a “put” option on peripheral bonds, pushing yields and spreads down to record lows. Given recent fiscal progress and the likelihood that the ECB normalises policy... 22nd January 2018 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Does optimism about Brexit explain the pound’s rise? With the rise in the pound to its highest level against the US dollar since the eve of the EU referendum not appearing to be justified by relative interest rate expectations, some have argued that it... 19th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly How ambitious is the grand coalition’s plan for Germany? The fiscal proposals agreed by Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz as part of their plan to renew Germany’s grand coalition amount to a headline-grabbing 1.5% of annual German GDP and include abolishing... 19th January 2018 · 1 min read
ECB Watch Change in forward guidance less hawkish than assumed While the ECB maintained all elements of its policy support last month, the recent news that it would soon “revisit” its forward guidance saw rate expectations rise and the euro strengthen. At its... 18th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Trade (Nov.) The widening of the euro-zone’s goods trade surplus in November suggests that the euro’s strength is doing little to hurt the region’s exports. With the global economy in good health and world trade... 15th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (Nov.) November’s jump in euro-zone industrial production suggests that the sector finished last year on a strong footing, adding to the evidence that overall GDP growth picked up in Q4. And the... 11th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Economy shrugging off euro’s rise At the start of January, the euro reached a three-year high against the US dollar and a three-and-a-half year high in trade-weighted terms. While the euro’s climb over the past year or so may seem... 9th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Unemployment (Nov.) The euro-zone unemployment rate fell for the fourth consecutive month in November, highlighting the continued recovery in the labour market. But this will prompt only a modest pick-up in wage growth. 9th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Would Italian politicians really pull Italy out of the euro? Italy’s general election in March looks likely to produce a fragmented government with eurosceptic tendencies. We don’t think that it will pull Italy out of the euro-zone, but it may cause yields to... 8th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response EC Business & Consumer Survey (Dec.) December’s EC Business and Consumer Survey suggests that the euro-zone economy gained yet more momentum at the end of 2017, but inflation expectations remain low. This supports the ECB’s gradual... 8th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro’s strength not yet a major concern The main news for the euro-zone economy at the year’s outset has been the further appreciation of the euro. While this might seem like a major headwind to the economy’s upturn, we remain optimistic... 5th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Dec.) With euro-zone headline inflation falling in December and core inflation still subdued, the ECB will continue to emphasise that interest rate hikes remain a long way off. 5th January 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Ifo (Dec.) & Euro-zone Labour Costs (Q3) December’s small decline in German Ifo business sentiment from a record high suggests that the outlook for next year is bright despite the uncertain political backdrop and the prospect of ECB QE... 19th December 2017 · 1 min read
