Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Mar.) March’s sharp slowdown in euro-zone inflation was partly driven by temporary factors that will reverse in April, but the big picture is that inflation is now on a downward trend. So we expect the ECB... 31st March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Can the ECB break its forward guidance? The ECB’s forward guidance about asset purchases and an extended period of low interest rates need not prevent it from starting to normalise policy should the inflation outlook so warrant. But it... 28th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Feb.) February’s euro-zone money and credit data point to steady economic growth. But they still suggest that core inflation will remain very weak. 27th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro’s rise not a threat to the recovery The euro’s rise against the US dollar over the past few weeks has probably reflected speculation of ECB tapering, as well as perceptions of diminished political risk in the currency union. We doubt... 24th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Mar.) While the euro-zone Composite PMI points to the strongest pace of GDP growth in two years in Q1, there are still fundamental reasons to expect growth to slow in 2017. As such, policymakers will not... 24th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Inflation still set to dampen real spending growth this year The annual rate of euro-zone inflation may be nearing a peak, but its effects on consumer spending growth have yet to come. With nominal wage gains unlikely to offset higher prices, we still see... 20th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Dutch ado about nothing? The next Dutch government is likely to be a centre-right coalition with a broadly similar stance towards the EU as before and a slightly looser fiscal policy. But the balance of power in the... 16th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Prod. (Jan.) & German ZEW (Mar.) January’s rise in euro-zone industrial production did not reverse December’s fall and, together with earlier retail sales data, suggests that the message from the business surveys that growth gained... 14th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Will the ECB change course if growth stays strong? ECB President Mario Draghi last week reiterated the plan to buy assets throughout this year and keep interest rates at or below current levels for an extended period. But he also explained that... 10th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB committed to loose policy despite healthy growth The ECB today reiterated its commitment to buying assets throughout this year and keeping interest rates at current or lower levels for an extended period. While the Bank believes that downside risks... 9th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Surveys point to a strong Q1 Survey data for February suggest that euro-zone GDP growth accelerated in Q1 following two healthy quarterly gains of 0.4% in the second half of last year. After February’s rise, the PMI pointed to an... 7th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone GDP Expenditure Breakdown (Q4) The final estimate of euro-zone GDP in Q4 showed that growth was driven mainly by household spending. But with rising energy inflation now weighing on households’ real income growth, we expect the... 7th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Feb.) The European Commission recently released new forecasts agreeing with our view that the peripheral economies will miss their fiscal deficit targets again this year. While bond yields dropped back in... 6th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus What if Italy left the euro-zone? If Italy left the euro-zone, we think that its new currency would depreciate by about 30% against the euro. In the year or so following its exit, the economy would probably contract sharply, but we... 3rd March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Rise in inflation expectations won’t upend ECB’s plans The recent strength of activity surveys, as well as increases in headline inflation and inflation expectations, are all good news for the ECB. But for now, we doubt that this will be enough to sway... 3rd March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Italy GDP (Q4), Euro-zone Retail Sales (Jan.) & Final PMIs (Feb.) Retail sales fell again in January and quarterly growth is likely to be weak in Q1. While Italy’s economy slowed in Q4, the PMI points to a pick-up this quarter. 3rd March 2017 · 1 min read
