Africa Chart Pack Africa: Grim news across the region Figures released over the past month added to concerns that Africa’s largest three economies stumbled in early 2019. There was, admittedly, some good news from Kenya, where judges struck down a cap on... 27th March 2019 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Italy at risk of perma-recession Over the next ten years, we think that Italy’s economy will fail to grow because productivity growth will remain weak and total employment will fall. As a consequence, the public debt ratio will... 27th March 2019 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Data Response Swedish Economic Tendency Indicator (Mar.) The decline in the Swedish Economic Tendency Indicator (ETI) in March was not as bad as we had feared given the sharp fall in the euro-zone manufacturing PMI last week. But it is still consistent with... 27th March 2019 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Focus Will the RBA have to cut interest rates? We believe that GDP growth in Australia will fall well below potential this year as the housing downturn bites. That means that unemployment will soon start to rise again and underlying inflation will... 27th March 2019 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - RBNZ will cut rates this year The RBNZ took a surprising dovish turn when it left the official cash rate on hold at 1.75% today, indicating that the next move is likely down. Given that we are more downbeat about the outlook for... 27th March 2019 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Inverted yield curve another signal of weaker growth Some have warned that the recent inversion of the US yield curve signals that a recession is coming, while others have warned against reading too much into the inversion. Our view is that the answer... 26th March 2019 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Dubai: solid growth, but debt risks linger Economic growth in Dubai should hold up well at 3.8-4.5% over the next couple of years due to a boost from the 2020 World Expo. Loan restructurings undertaken in 2014 have masked the Emirate’s debt... 26th March 2019 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Spain’s economy likely to slow after general election The Spanish economy looks set to slow slightly as the effect of last year’s fiscal stimulus fades and weak growth elsewhere in the euro-zone takes a toll. That said, it will still probably be one of... 26th March 2019 · 1 min read
RBA Watch RBA to cut rates faster and more The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will welcome the continued tightening of the labour market when it leaves rates unchanged at 1.50% at its policy meeting on Tuesday 2nd April. But we’ve become even... 26th March 2019 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Thai election result is bad news for the economy Thailand looks set for a period of political and economic uncertainty after the military and the main opposition party claimed victory in yesterday’s general election. The inconclusive result... 25th March 2019 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Ifo Survey (Mar.) The Ifo Business Climate Index for March was a little better than expected, but it does not suggest that the German economy is out of the woods. 25th March 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Weekly A pension setback in Brazil, Argentina’s recession Swings in Brazil’s equity and currency markets this week suggest that investors are coming to terms with the idea that pension reform will be diluted. But there are much greater concerns about... 22nd March 2019 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Manufacturing malaise shows no signs of abating March’s flash PMIs add to evidence that GDP growth was subdued in the three largest advanced economies in Q1, with Germany continuing to take the brunt of the global manufacturing slowdown. 22nd March 2019 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Brexit delayed, but choice of destinations remains the same The postponement of Brexit removes the risk of the UK leaving the EU without a deal next Friday. But Parliament is still facing the same four Brexit options it always has; deal, no deal, revoke... 22nd March 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Fed too late to prevent slowdown By making it clear that interest rates will not be raised this year and that quantitative tightening will start to wind down earlier than previously suggested, the Fed was even more dovish this week... 22nd March 2019 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly Fiscal front-loading, land demand, BRI obstacles While China’s incoming economic data have mostly been weak recently, two under-reported positives have helped shore up growth: a fiscal splurge by local governments and strong property construction... 22nd March 2019 · 1 min read
