Europe Economics Update Are the euro-zone austerity measures working? Recent data on the public finances suggest that the euro-zone peripheral governments are broadly on track to meet their ambitious fiscal targets for 2010. But these governments still face an enormous... 25th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Jun.), Ger. & Italian Cons. Conf. (Jul./Jun.) June’s fall in the euro-zone composite PMI index is another sign that the announced austerity measures may be starting to take their toll on the economy. But for the time being at least, the index... 23rd June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro’s decline to resume before long On the face of it, the fact that the euro last week saw its strongest weekly gain in nine months might suggest that the worst is past for the single currency. The improvement could partly have... 21st June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German ZEW (Jun.), E-Z Trade (Apr.) & Employment (Q1) June’s drop in German ZEW investor confidence is a worrying sign that fears about peripheral debt are damaging sentiment towards core euro-zone economies too. 15th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (Apr.) The recovery in the euro-zone industrial sector continues apace. But it is far from clear that this will help the weakest economies in the region to cope with the coming fiscal squeeze. 14th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Recovery continues, but fiscal squeeze looms On the face of it, the latest news on the euro-zone economy has been reasonably encouraging, suggesting that the recovery has continued despite the fiscal crisis. National data point to another... 14th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB maintains a dovish stance The ECB maintained a supportive stance today, treating signs of an economic recovery with caution. While the Bank seems unlikely to resort to outright quantitative easing for now, sterilised bond... 10th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro-zone banks back in the spotlight The past week’s data have added to concerns that strains in the region’s periphery are spreading to broader economic activity. While business sentiment remains consistent with a continued recovery for... 7th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone GDP (Q1) The second euro-zone GDP release for Q1 confirms that domestic spending remains weak and with fiscal tightening set to intensify, there is little prospect of an improvement any time soon. 4th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Retail Sales (Apr.) & Final PMI (May) April’s drop in euro-zone retail sales brought more worrying evidence of the weakness of the consumer sector even before fiscal tightening really kicks in. 3rd June 2010 · 1 min read
ECB Watch Resisting full-blown QE... for now After making radical changes to unconventional policy just a few weeks ago, further alterations seem unlikely this month. The ECB will give little away about the size and type of future bond purchases... 3rd June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone PPI (Apr.)/Spanish Unemp. & Con. Conf. (May) April’s sharp rise in euro-zone producer price inflation may prompt concerns that inflationary pressures are building. But we continue to think that deflation, rather than a surge in inflation is the... 2nd June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone & German Unemployment (Apr./May) April’s further rise in euro-zone unemployment adds to evidence that domestic demand in the region looks set to remain weak. 1st June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Markets' gloom could soon hit households and firms Recent market developments, coupled with the prospect of a prolonged bout of fiscal consolidation, appear to be starting to have a damaging impact on confidence in the wider euro-zone economy. In the... 31st May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will fiscal union save the euro-zone? The recent rescue package along with rulings made by the European Commission might be steps towards euro-zone fiscal integration that could feasibly benefit the region’s economies in the long run. But... 26th May 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update How does Estonia stack up against the euro-zone? Estonia’s low level of public debt sets it apart from the heavily indebted countries on the periphery of the euro-zone. But the country has seen a much bigger erosion of its competitive position over... 25th May 2010 · 1 min read
