Japan Economics Update Should we be worried about the negative saving rate? We are not too worried about evidence suggesting that Japanese households now have a negative saving rate. Thanks to a shrinking fiscal deficit and high corporate saving, Japan remains a net lender to... 25th February 2015 · 1 min read
Global Trade Monitor Exports from euro-zone and Japan a bit stronger The volume of world trade rebounded in December, but for the fourth quarter as a whole it rose only in line with global GDP. More recent data indicate that the gradual recovery in exports from the... 24th February 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Election worries hit Nigeria Sentiment towards Nigeria has soured following news that presidential elections scheduled for earlier this month will be postponed until 28th March due to security concerns. We expect that the naira... 24th February 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Focus Improvement in balance of payments position here to stay Eighteen months ago the rupee plunged to a record low against the US dollar as concerns over India’s external vulnerabilities made it one of the hardest-hit economies during the “taper tantrum”. Since... 24th February 2015 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update What’s behind the slowdown in Japanese FDI into China? The slowdown in Japanese FDI into China is not reflective of a general pullback in overseas investment by Japanese firms but is instead linked, we think, to political tensions between the two... 24th February 2015 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack Economy is not out of the woods yet India’s revised GDP data paint a far healthier picture of the economy over the past couple of years than had previously appeared the case. GDP growth for FY13/14 was revised up from 4.7% to 6.9%. In... 19th February 2015 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response External trade (Jan.) Once seasonal factors are accounted for, last month's trade deficit was the smallest in nearly three years. The plunge in energy prices still hasn’t been fully reflected in the cost of imported fuels... 19th February 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update Rally in coal prices likely to be short-lived The rally in coal prices this year is unlikely to be the start of a sustained turnaround in fortunes for the beleaguered market. Stronger demand from India may continue to support prices over the next... 17th February 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economic Outlook Russia’s crisis to deepen but contagion to remain limited The deepening downturn in Russia will depress aggregate growth across Emerging Europe this year but the outlook for most countries will be shaped more by developments in the euro-zone than it will by... 17th February 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Trade (Dec.) The latest euro-zone trade data revealed that exporters are still not fully benefiting from the depreciation of the euro. 16th February 2015 · 1 min read
India Data Response Trade (Jan.) India’s trade deficit narrowed in January as the sharp fall in global oil prices continued to feed through to the import bill. The smaller deficit provides the central bank with further scope to... 13th February 2015 · 1 min read
Canada Chart Pack Bank of Canada to cut interest rates again The slump in oil prices has dramatically altered the outlook for economic growth and inflation. Following the Bank of Canada's surprise move last month to cut its policy rate to 0.75%, from 1.00%... 12th February 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Gulf set for weaker growth, North Africa to outperform The fall in oil prices has led to a sharp reversal of fortunes in the Middle East and North Africa. Fears of steep falls in output in the Gulf are overdone, but growth will weaken in the coming years... 12th February 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Trade Monitor Split in EM export performance is widening The value of EM exports continued to fall in annual terms in December, with oil producers faring especially poorly. The early signs are that Asia's manufacturing-oriented economies will report weak... 12th February 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update IMF package brings Ukraine back from the brink The scale of the package of financing for Ukraine announced this morning should be adequate to cover financing needs for a couple of years and will remove an element of uncertainty surrounding the... 12th February 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Weak naira unlikely to revive Nigeria’s export sector The prospects for Nigeria’s exports are bleak. The country’s oil exports are suffering not just from lower prices but also from an apparent structural decline in demand. What’s more, despite the... 12th February 2015 · 1 min read
