Europe Economics Weekly Euro heading for parity While some of the forces bearing down on the euro over recent months may now be easing, there are plenty of other reasons to expect the currency to fall further. Indeed, our forecast that the euro... 17th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Contagion concerns will surely deepen The continued turmoil of Greek financial markets reflects a growing recognition that the rescue package - even if delivered swiftly - does not address Greece’s fundamental problems. There is still a... 10th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Greece takes a step back from the brink With signs that Europe is perhaps finally getting its act together and is close to finalising a bailout package, the chances of a near term Greek Government default have greatly diminished. While... 3rd May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Recovery continues, but medium-term worries grow Last week’s euro-zone data will have added to hopes that the recovery resumed at the start of this year, following Q4’s stagnation. But concerns about the region’s medium-term prospects remain, with... 26th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Show us the money! Despite the firmer details provided on the Greek rescue package, markets have made it crystal clear that they have deep reservations about the bailout. Before even considering lending on more... 19th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Modest industrial recovery on track Last week’s further blow-out in Greek bond yields suggests that any slim chances that Greece had of muddling through its crisis on its own have all but evaporated. Some form of rescue - or at least a... 12th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Pick-up in euro-zone inflation unlikely to last March’s stronger than expected rise in CPI inflation, combined with the recent depreciation of the euro, may ignite fears that inflationary pressures in the euro-zone are beginning to build. But we... 5th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro to fall further as growth prospects weaken The latest news on the euro-zone has been mixed. March’s business surveys brought hope that the recovery has not ground completely to a halt and the agreement of a Greek rescue package was a relief... 29th March 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Few signs of hope for the euro-zone’s periphery Developments of the past week have brought very little comfort for the euro-zone’s troubled periphery. There has been only limited progress on aid for Greece and the EC has reiterated the need for... 22nd March 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Is the Greek crisis really over? Recent more positive developments in Greece have led to some suggestions that the Greek crisis is finally over. But Greece still has a number of major challenges. 15th March 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Labour market prospects still weak On the whole, last week’s news on the euro-zone economy was once again pretty disappointing. But the recent stabilisation in the unemployment rate is at least a little more encouraging. Unfortunately... 8th March 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Are things really as bad as they look? Last week’s disappointing data releases begged the question of whether the euro-zone recovery has ground completely to a halt. The second GDP release confirmed that the German economy stagnated in Q4... 1st March 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Weaker euro to offer exporters little respite The latest news from the euro-zone external sector suggests that although exports are expanding strongly, the strong euro is taking its toll on the sector. The recent weakening of the euro is... 22nd February 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Is the recovery over before it’s begun? Last week’s EU “accord” on Greece was long on vague pledges of support, but notably short on detail. For now, the markets have given the EU the benefit of the doubt. But if more meat is not put on the... 15th February 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly The spotlight turns on Portugal and Spain Last week, the noose around the Greek Government’s neck loosened slightly. But markets are still baying for blood – Portugal and Spain are their new targets. Neither Portugal nor Spain have quite the... 8th February 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Consumer outlook still cloudy A raft of data on the euro-zone consumer sector last week left the outlook still rather uncertain. The bad news was that unemployment rose further in December and wage growth looks set to drop. But... 1st February 2010 · 1 min read
