Global Economics Update Caution is warranted on defence-driven growth The latest IMF analysis broadly corroborates the conclusion we reached a year ago that higher defence spending will not turbocharge economic growth. The near-term boost to output will be smaller than... 16th April 2026 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Australia set to benefit from soaring EV sales While China is the key beneficiary of the recent surge in sales of electric vehicles in Australia and elsewhere, Australia will ultimately benefit from stronger demand for lithium as well. Meanwhile... 10th April 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Update Surge in EV sales won’t help Japan’s carmakers much The sales of electric vehicles by Japanese carmakers have skyrocketed in recent months but this offers little protection against the mounting competitive threat from Chinese firms. 7th April 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Focus Can critical minerals rescue Australia’s mining sector? The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has cast a spotlight on the global reliance on fossil fuels and triggered calls for a more aggressive adoption of renewable energy. For Australia, the crisis... 7th April 2026 · 15 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Last hurrah for Australian iron ore mining Resources exports rose strongly last year, driven by a jump in iron ore exports. However, the bigger picture is that global steel output is past its peak and a sustained pick-up in mining investment... 12th March 2026 · 3 mins read
Global Economics Update Scenarios for the Iran war & the macro impact This note assesses the macro and commodity‑market implications of three potential scenarios for the Iran war. In the most benign – a severe but short‑lived conflict – the effects on GDP, inflation and... 10th March 2026 · 7 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Dubai’s paradise punctured? Iran’s attacks over the past few days have struck at the heart of Dubai’s economy. The near-term hit to GDP could be larger than in other parts of the Gulf (although that will depend on the length of... 3rd March 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Japan has got 99 problems but investment isn’t one PM Takaichi is misdiagnosing what’s holding back Japan’s economy. This means that rather than boosting Japan’s long-term growth potential, her policies may instead unleash a wave of wasteful public... 24th February 2026 · 3 mins read
India Economics Weekly India’s AI summit meets the “AI scare trade” The optics of this week's AI Impact Summit in New Delhi were powerful, but the timing was awkward. India’s business consulting and software firms have been major casualties in the global equity sell... 20th February 2026 · 5 mins read
Global Economics Focus US still tops AI index, but China surges up the rankings We have updated our proprietary AI Economic Impact Index, which ranks major economies according to their ability to realise the long-run benefits of AI. The US still leads. The Asian tigers and UK... 17th February 2026 · 16 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Egypt cabinet reshuffle, Saudi Vision 2030 This week’s cabinet reshuffle in Egypt has largely kept the status quo as the government seeks to affirm to the IMF and foreign investors its commitment to macro orthodoxy, whilst changes alongside... 12th February 2026 · 6 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt’s current account deficit will continue to narrow The improvement in Egypt’s external competitiveness since the policy shift two years ago has supported a narrowing of the current account deficit and we think this has further to run, especially if... 9th February 2026 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly US-Iran talks, Qatar’s LNG push, Saudi opens up The US and Iran enter negotiations tomorrow, but relations between the two are fragile and there's a high risk that talks break down, which could result in fresh US military strikes on Iran. Elsewhere... 5th February 2026 · 7 mins read
India Economics Focus India’s corporate investment is on the cusp of a revival We think conditions for the long-awaited revival in private corporate investment in India are now largely in place. As a result, we now expect real GDP growth in India to average 6.5% per year from... 5th February 2026 · 12 mins read
Europe Economics Update Analysing public debt sustainability in the euro-zone Among the largest euro-zone countries, public debt looks most worrying in France because it is on an upward trajectory and Italy because it is likely to remain very high. Government debt is also set... 3rd February 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Focus BoJ policy rate will rise to 2.5% over coming decade We now believe that the BoJ’s policy rate will climb to 2.5% during the 2030s as inflation settles at higher levels, potential growth picks up and a shift in incentives alters the balance between... 2nd February 2026 · 13 mins read
