Europe Data Response Belgian GDP (Q4) Today’s Q4 GDP figures indicate that the weak Belgian recovery is gradually taking hold, but we expect growth to remain unspectacular for a while yet. 29th January 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Deflation dangers cast shadow over recovery The European economy looks set for another year of weak growth in 2014, with the euro-zone likely to do little more than stagnate. Against that background, the European Central Bank (ECB) is likely to... 15th 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 Weekly Signs of growth convergence provide little comfort Q3's meagre rise in euro-zone GDP clearly was disappointing, but there were some signs that growth within the region is converging. The slowdown was largely down to weaker growth in Germany and France... 18th November 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Belgian GDP (Q3) Belgian GDP rose for the second straight quarter in Q3, suggesting that euro-zone GDP recorded another moderate expansion too. 30th October 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Growth prospects improve, but crisis unresolved The European economy has shown further signs of recovery, with the euro-zone finally emerging from recession in the second quarter and other parts of the continent also faring better. But growth in... 8th October 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update What can we glean from regional unemployment data in the euro-zone? Unlike in Germany, regional labour market data from elsewhere in the euro-zone do not give much of a steer on the likely near-term paths of local office market vacancy rates. However, they do suggest... 6th September 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Outlook No boom, but better times to come The economic outlook for the euro-zone has brightened since our previous Analyst, prompting us to increase our forecasts for commercial property capital values and total returns. Indeed, our less... 28th August 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Could falls in Brussels office yields be sustained? The last few weeks have brought increased evidence that the Brussels office market is gaining popularity with national and international investors. For now, occupier market conditions remain pretty... 19th August 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Falls in Brussels office yields look unsustainable Preliminary data that show prime office yields in Brussels fell in Q2 are hard to square with the weak picture of underlying occupier demand. Given this, we would not be surprised if the fall in... 19th July 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update What is the outlook for Brussels retail property? The growing differential between office and retail yields in Brussels does not seem sustainable. But if, as we suspect, it primarily reflects investors’ views that retail has the best defensive... 5th June 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone GDP (Q1) Q1’s flash euro-zone GDP estimate confirmed that while the euro-zone economy performed rather better in Q1 than Q4, it remained in recession. 15th May 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Belgium: not necessarily the core's weakest link? We have previously warned that Belgium shares several characteristics with peripheral economies, such as high public debt, banking problems and falling competitiveness. But the economy also enjoys... 18th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook The crisis continues Recent events in Italy, Cyprus and Portugal have put a dent in hopes that the three-year crisis in the euro-zone is finally drawing to a close. Meanwhile, previous tentative signs that the broader... 10th April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Euro-zone recession to deepen in 2013 While the lull in the euro-zone debt crisis has continued in recent months, the news on the region’s economy has remained distinctly downbeat. Despite some improvement towards the end of last year... 9th January 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus How the core should respond to a euro break-up Sharp appreciations in the euro-zone’s core countries would threaten to damage their exports and GDP in the event of a euro-zone break-up. But there are various policies that could be implemented to... 29th November 2012 · 1 min read