Europe Chart Pack Deflationary pressures still building Recent euro-zone inflation data have provided firmer signs that CPI inflation will remain well below the ECB’s 2% stability ceiling for longer than the Bank itself expects. Admittedly, headline CPI... 8th January 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Unemployment (Nov.) & Retail Sales (Nov.) November’s euro-zone unemployment and retail sales data provided fresh evidence that the outlook for consumers is improving, but only slowly. 8th January 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Dec.), PPI (Nov.) & Ger. Unemp. (Dec.) December's fall in euro-zone CPI inflation will add to concerns that the region could suffer from a bout of deflation and increase the pressure on the ECB to take more action to support the economy. 7th January 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly The pitfalls in the euro-zone’s road to recovery Although our forecast for euro-zone GDP growth in 2014 of 0.5% is now only a little more downbeat than the consensus estimate, there remain plenty of risks that could yet derail the region's recovery... 6th January 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Nov 13.) The fall in euro-zone bank lending accelerated in November, suggesting that the banking sector will remain a significant drag on the region’s recovery. 3rd January 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Dec 13.) The latest headline fiscal figures show that Italy and Spain, the periphery's two largest economies, may have struggled to make inroads into their budget deficits in 2013. 2nd January 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Disaster averted for another year, but crisis unresolved Our fears that the euro-zone crisis would re-escalate in 2013 proved to be unfounded, thanks in part to the continued calming influence of the ECB’s OMT backstop. But the region’s fundamental problems... 23rd December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus How strong can the euro-zone recovery get? Although the euro-zone has tentatively emerged from its long and damaging recession, we remain sceptical that it will expand at a fast enough pace to reduce unemployment significantly, lower the... 17th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Trade (Oct.) The latest euro-zone trade data highlight that the external sector remains too weak to singlehandedly power an economic recovery. 16th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Dec.) December’s small rise in the euro-zone composite PMI came as a bit of a relief after the previous two monthly falls. But the index still suggests that GDP growth in the region is likely to have been... 16th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Banking Union progress offers little near-term relief Last week, euro-zone policy-makers moved closer to an agreement on the Single Resolution Mechanism responsible for handling failed banks. But while this is certainly a positive step, it will leave the... 16th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Employment (Q3) Q3’s employment data add to evidence that the euro-zone’s labour market is finally stabilising. But a burst of strong job growth is probably a distant prospect. 13th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (Oct.) October’s sharp fall in euro-zone industrial production suggests that industry will make another negative contribution to GDP growth in the fourth quarter. 12th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB can’t count on Fed tapering to weaken the euro The ECB cannot rely on the commencement of asset purchase tapering by the US Federal Reserve to bring the euro down from its potentially damaging levels. 10th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Is the ECB being complacent about deflation? For now at least, the ECB appears happy to leave its “powerful artillery” in the arsenal due to its fairly sanguine outlook for inflation. But rather than start to rise gently in line with the ECB’s... 9th December 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Pressure on the ECB to take further action set to grow President Draghi emphasised at December’s interest rate press conference that the ECB has a “powerful artillery of instruments available”. And the pressure on it to use these instruments looks set to... 5th December 2013 · 1 min read
