Europe Economics Weekly Weaker euro unlikely to solve the region’s woes On the face of it, the recent weakening of the euro should provide the euro-zone’s external sector with a boost over the coming months. But given that exporters have tended previously to respond to a... 24th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs & German Ifo (May) May’s falls in the euro-zone PMI and German Ifo business surveys are slightly worrying signs, but both still point to pretty strong growth for the time being. 21st May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German ZEW Survey (May), EZ CPI (Apr.) & Trade (Mar.) May’s renewed decline in the ZEW index suggests that investors are still very worried about the effect of the periphery’s problems on the German economy. 18th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus What to make of the ECB’s bond purchases Fears that the ECBs bond purchases will stoke inflation or encourage fiscal laxity are overblown. They do not constitute full-blown quantitative easing and will not allow euro-zone economies to escape... 18th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro heading for parity While some of the forces bearing down on the euro over recent months may now be easing, there are plenty of other reasons to expect the currency to fall further. Indeed, our forecast that the euro... 17th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Chart Pack Euro-zone investment market recovery lacklustre (May 10) Despite a fall in Q1, the underlying trend in European commercial property investment volumes continued to improve gradually. Although still patchy at the city level, falls in euro-zone office and... 12th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone GDP (Q1) & Industrial Production (Mar.) Q1’s modest rise in euro-zone GDP confirms that the economic recovery in the region has failed to gain any real momentum even before the painful fiscal consolidation faced by many economies has begun. 12th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Contagion concerns will surely deepen The continued turmoil of Greek financial markets reflects a growing recognition that the rescue package - even if delivered swiftly - does not address Greece’s fundamental problems. There is still a... 10th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB trying to provide reassurance The ECB is trying to inject calm amid the fiscal turmoil, maintaining a dovish stance after leaving interest rates at 1%. Some might have been disappointed that there were no hints of further... 6th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will the ECB be forced to adopt QE? With the impending bailout failing to reduce Greek bond yields and concerns spreading to other peripheral economies, some have suggested that the ECB might yet step in and buy government bonds itself... 6th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Apr.) & Unemployment (Mar.) The euro-zone CPI and unemployment figures add to the view that the region is set for a prolonged period of weak price pressures. 30th April 2010 · 1 min read
ECB Watch Greek turmoil adds to ECB caution Any earlier suspicions that ECB interest rate hikes might have been on the horizon have surely been blown away by the Greek crisis. For now, the recovery in the broader euro-zone economy seems to have... 29th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey & German Unemployment (Apr.) April’s improvement in the EC business and consumer survey suggests that, for the time being at least, the euro-zone’s fiscal crisis is not preventing a recovery in the broader economy. 29th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Does Greece really have a silver lining? Recent falls in the euro and euro-zone bond yields, coupled with stronger economic data from the core economies, has led to suggestions that the Greek crisis might have a silver lining. But we find it... 28th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Will the euro-zone survive? The euro-zone should stay together for another few years at least. But the region’s periphery requires an excruciating competitive adjustment that might well plunge it into depression. Meanwhile... 28th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Recovery continues, but medium-term worries grow Last week’s euro-zone data will have added to hopes that the recovery resumed at the start of this year, following Q4’s stagnation. But concerns about the region’s medium-term prospects remain, with... 26th April 2010 · 1 min read