Europe Economics Weekly Growth talk is cheap Last week saw what appeared to be an encouraging outbreak of unity amongst euro-zone policymakers on the need to supplement fiscal austerity with bigger efforts to boost economic growth. But talk is... 30th April 2012 · 1 min read
ECB Watch No response to weaker growth At its forthcoming policy meeting, the ECB will resist pressure for it to take bolder action to solve the euro-zone’s problems. Despite acknowledging that the economic outlook has deteriorated... 26th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Apr.) April’s EC business and consumer survey confirmed the downbeat picture painted by other recent indicators and dashed any lingering hopes that the euro-zone economy may escape a double-dip recession. 26th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Austerity backlash brings new dangers The backlash against austerity in the euro-zone could improve the region’s growth outlook. But it brings new dangers too, not least by putting dissenting countries on a collision course with Germany. 24th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Apr.) The pace of decline within both euro-zone manufacturing and services quickened during the month. The composite euro-zone flash PMI supports our view that the region will experience recessionary... 23rd April 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China and euro-zone PMIs paint worrying picture The first estimates of the Chinese and euro-zone manufacturing PMIs for April remained below 50 and are consistent with further sharp falls in the prices of industrial metals. Most worryingly, the... 23rd April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Crisis unsolved as growth outlook darkens Hopes that the crisis in the euro-zone had been solved by Greece’s debt restructuring and the ECB’s recent liquidity injections have faded. Despite some signs of resilience in Germany, the economic... 16th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly The ECB has limited ammunition Markets last week seized on hints from the ECB that it may restart its bond purchase programme in an attempt to contain Spanish bond yields. But there are clear doubts over whether the ECB has the... 16th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update No improvement in euro-zone industrial rental value outlook February’s unexpected rise in euro-zone industrial production might raise hopes that the strength of industrial occupier demand in the single currency region has improved. But we are not convinced... 12th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (Feb.) February’s euro-zone industrial production figures were boosted by temporary factors and do not alter the bleak outlook for the overall economy. 12th April 2012 · 1 min read
Global Economics Focus What are Argentina's lessons for the euro-zone? Argentina’s experience after the collapse of the peso ten years ago supports the view that Greece, and perhaps other peripheral economies, would ultimately be better off leaving the euro-zone rather... 10th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Draghi buries the silver bullet Any lingering hopes that the European Central Bank (ECB) had either already solved the euro-zone crises or would yet come riding to the rescue with much more decisive action were surely put to bed by... 9th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB keeps the onus on governments The European Central Bank (ECB) hinted today that it might not be prepared to provide much more policy support and hence kept the onus firmly on governments to address the euro-zone crisis. 4th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Weak service sector putting the brakes on euro-zone office rent growth This morning’s PMI data suggest that business activity in the euro-zone’s service sector remains subdued. And if the past relationships between employment PMIs and office rental value growth continue... 4th April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack LTRO euphoria starting to fade Recent news on the euro-zone economy has dampened hopes that that the ECB’s longer-term refinancing operations (LTROs) in December and February had largely solved the euro-zone’s economic and fiscal... 3rd April 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Unemployment (Feb.) February’s rise in euro-zone unemployment confirmed that the resilience of the German labour market is doing little to drag up the average. With high inflation and fiscal tightening adding to the... 2nd April 2012 · 1 min read
