Europe Chart Pack ECB likely to soften stance but refrain from action The fall in euro-zone CPI inflation to a four year low of 0.7% has raised the prospect of a bout of outright deflation in the euro-zone economy. While cost pressures are not as weak as they were when... 6th November 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Falling inflation increases scope for monetary easing The fall in euro-zone CPI inflation to 1.1% in September – its lowest rate since February 2010 – leaves it well below the ECB’s target of “below, but close to, 2%”. While falling energy inflation has... 2nd October 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Consumers leading moderate recovery The euro-zone exited its record-long recession in Q2 and recent business surveys suggest that the economy should expand again in the third quarter. An increase in household spending, the first in... 4th September 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Monetary weakness casts doubts over recovery Survey-based euro-zone activity indicators like the composite PMI have continued to strengthen in recent months, raising the prospect that the currency union’s economy may finally emerge from its near... 31st July 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Market pressures threaten fragile recovery Euro-zone activity indicators have maintained a slightly firmer tone over the last month, providing tentative signs of an upturn in the region’s economy. Nonetheless, those indicators generally... 3rd July 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Surveys still point to continued recession Some of the euro-zone business surveys have had a slightly stronger tone over the last couple of months. Nonetheless, at current levels, they remain consistent with a further contraction in activity... 5th June 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Deflationary pressures building Deflationary pressures in the euro-zone economy are continuing to intensify. While April’s drop in CPI inflation to just 1.2% was partly down to energy and Easter timing effects, underlying price... 1st May 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Recovery already losing steam Recent activity indicators suggest that the euro-zone economy had started to lose some of its momentum even before the recent escalation of the crisis in Cyprus. Admittedly, most survey indicators are... 3rd April 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Falling inflation adds to pressure on the ECB February’s drop in euro-zone CPI inflation to 1.8% brought it back below the ECB’s 2% “ceiling” for the first time since November 2010. While much of the recent drop reflects slowing energy inflation... 6th March 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Recovery still uneven The latest hard data have confirmed that the euro-zone ended 2012 on a very weak note, but survey indicators for January have brought further evidence that the pace of contraction eased at the start... 6th February 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Tentative signs of improvement Recent months have seen a small, but encouraging, improvement in some euro-zone activity indicators, particularly in the peripheral economies like Greece. However, in most cases, those indicators... 10th January 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Recession to deepen in Q4 Recent hard data have confirmed that euro-zone GDP fell for a second quarter running in Q3 and more timely indicators suggest that the recession deepened in the fourth quarter. September’s drop in... 5th December 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Mixed signals on Q3 growth The economic data has provided somewhat conflicting messages on the likely strength of the euro-zone economy during the third quarter of the year. While the hard data on industrial production and... 7th November 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Economic outlook continues to darken The unveiling of the ECB’s new bond purchase programme may have provided markets with a lift, but further declines in business and consumer sentiment suggest that the overall eurozone economic outlook... 3rd October 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Euro-zone back in recession Recent indicators have supported the view that the euro-zone is now firmly in recession. GDP fell by 0.2% in Q2 after stagnating in Q1 and falling by 0.3% in Q4. And the business surveys so far point... 4th September 2012 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Export slowdown continues Recent data from the external sector have confirmed that export growth has continued to slow. Indeed, the annual growth rate of export values fell to its lowest level in two and a half years in May... 31st July 2012 · 1 min read