Europe Chart Pack Recovery gathers momentum The past month has brought further signs that the euro-zone is recovering, albeit quite gradually. For a start, July and August’s increases in industrial production suggest that output in the sector... 4th November 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Export outlook brightens The recent news from the euro-zone provides further signs that the economy emerged from recession in Q3. The data from the external sector have been especially encouraging. July’s sharp rise in... 6th October 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Growing again? Q2’s modest 0.1% quarterly contraction in euro-zone economic activity was an encouraging sign that the recession is nearing its end. Admittedly, the improvement compared to Q1’s 2.5% drop was partly... 3rd September 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Consumers benefiting from falling prices Recent weeks have seen some signs of an improvement in the consumer sector. Although retail sales fell by 0.4% in Q2, the drop was not as sharp as Q1’s 0.8% fall. Together with a 12% surge in car... 5th August 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Deflation arrives Inflation fell below zero for the first time in the post-EMU period in June, probably courtesy of energy related base effects. We expect the inflation rate to remain negative for the next six months... 1st July 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Inventory correction has further to run The breakdown of Q1’s euro-zone GDP figures brought little comfort. The record 2.5% quarterly drop was driven mainly by falls in investment and inventories, while a sharp drop in exports was largely... 3rd June 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Q1 should mark the trough in the growth cycle April’s business surveys provided some tentative signs that the euro-zone economy may start to contract at a less rapid pace in Q2. But any improvement will be from a very low base. Indeed, the latest... 6th May 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Labour market downturn gathering pace The downturn in the euro-zone labour market is gathering pace. Another very sharp rise in unemployment in February took the total increase so far to over 2 million. With 1.6 million of that pick-up... 1st April 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Business surveys still paint a gloomy picture The euro-zone business and consumer surveys have recently begun to weaken at a less rapid pace, suggesting that the downturn may be beginning to bottoming out. Nonetheless, it is still too early to... 3rd March 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Industrial slump intensifies The recession in the euro-zone industrial sector has become even more severe. Production dropped by a further 1.6% m/m in November, leaving the annual growth rate at a record low of -7.7%. What’s more... 4th February 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack GDP to fall by at least 2% this year The latest economic data have been pretty awful. Output in the industrial sector is plummeting in response to weakening global demand. What’s more, there is only limited evidence so far of a boost to... 13th January 2009 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Recession spreads to services Recent data suggest that the euro-zone economic downturn is gathering pace. Not only do the latest business surveys point to further steep falls in industrial output, but they also indicate that... 3rd December 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Plunging surveys point to economic contraction The euro-zone economic outlook has gone from bad to worse. The sharpest ever drop in the previously reliable EC Economic Sentiment Indicator in October left it pointing to annual falls in GDP of... 4th November 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Financial turmoil takes centre stage The euro-zone activity outlook has weakened further, but September’s dramatic financial market and banking sector developments have obviously grabbed the limelight. With a number of euro-zone... 2nd October 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Inflation starting to fall Euro-zone consumer price inflation has finally begun to fall, slipping from 4.0% to 3.8% in August. If the oil price remains at current levels, falling energy inflation alone should knock at least 1.5... 3rd September 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Recession risks mounting The latest data from the euro-zone suggest that the economy is at risk of entering a technical recession. Leaked information revealing that the German economy contracted by around 1.0% q/q in Q2... 6th August 2008 · 1 min read