Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swedish Riksbank continues to strike an upbeat tone The Swedish Riksbank’s decision to raise interest rates for a second meeting running reflects concerns that domestic imbalances may be building. Further hikes seem likely in the near term, but the... 2nd September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB more upbeat, but maintains policy support While the ECB struck a slightly more upbeat tone towards the economy at today’s press conference, it nonetheless maintained its support for the region’s banking sector and remains a long way from... 2nd September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Swedish Riksbank continues to strike an upbeat tone The Swedish Riksbank’s decision to raise interest rates for a second meeting running reflects concerns that domestic imbalances may be building. Further hikes seem likely in the near term, but the... 2nd September 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Aug.) The latest money figures add to evidence that annual credit growth is picking up. But with credit conditions still tight and many peripheral banks still looking vulnerable, the ECB will need to... 26th August 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Does the euro-zone cycle lag behind that in the US? The euro-zone’s relative resilience has prompted some optimism lately, but note that the region’s business cycle typically lags behind that of the US. Euro-zone growth will almost certainly follow... 24th August 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Two-speed euro-zone still on shaky ground Q2’s GDP figures highlighted huge divergences within the euro-zone. We have revised up our growth forecast for this year, but this is entirely down to a better performance by Germany. And with... 17th August 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Greek fiscal squeeze taking its toll on the economy Recent news has confirmed that the Greek central government is meeting its ambitious deficit reduction goals, adding to evidence that it will receive its second tranche of euro-zone and IMF funds in... 12th August 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Rise in German imports is not as good as it seems The recent surge in German imports has brought hope that the recovery there is starting to benefit the rest of the world. But Germany is still running a very large trade surplus and the persistent... 10th August 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Political turmoil unlikely to threaten Italy's public finances Since Italy has already put in place measures to reduce its budget deficit over the next couple of years, the current political uncertainties do not pose a major risk to the near-term outlook for the... 9th August 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Cautious ECB to maintain policy support The ECB maintained a cautious stance towards the economic outlook at August’s press conference, despite recent surprisingly positive news. With the pick-up in growth likely to prove temporary, policy... 5th August 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Jul.) The EU bank stress tests have provided some encouraging signs that parts of the euro-zone banking system may be in better health than feared. But as yet there is little sign that banks are becoming... 27th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Bank stress tests leave unanswered questions The EU bank stress tests may have helped to reduce uncertainties around the health of Europe’s largest banks’ balance sheets. But concerns remain over the way the tests were constructed and we are... 26th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Germany to the rescue? Germany’s export-led recovery appears to be going from strength to strength. But while this is clearly good news, a domestic revival would be required to ensure a strong and sustained pick-up in the... 22nd July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Greece still heavily reliant on its bailout facility On the face of it, today’s Greek treasury bill auction, the first since April’s bailout package was activated, provides some reassurance that markets’ confidence may be gradually returning. But Greece... 13th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB to maintain support for banks After leaving interest rates unchanged today, the ECB confirmed that it would continue to support the banking sector with unlimited liquidity provision. And its cautious tone regarding the economic... 8th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update European stress tests nowhere near stressful enough The announcement that fairly detailed stress tests of EU banks will be published later this month brings only limited comfort. The adverse scenario that will be considered is nowhere near adverse... 8th July 2010 · 1 min read
