Emerging Europe Economics Update Russia’s reform agenda back in the spotlight A number of events over the course of this week have thrown Russia’s reform agenda and the 2012 presidential elections back into the spotlight. It’s still far too early to conclude whether Mr. Putin... 10th September 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Chart Pack Solid Q2 growth, but strong headwinds persist (Aug 10) Most economies in Emerging Europe posted positive quarterly growth in Q2 and some countries, notably Russia and Turkey, remain on track for an impressive rebound this year. However, a number of... 25th August 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update First signs of a drought-related slowdown in Russia July’s ‘Economic & Social Indicators Report’, released earlier this afternoon, contains the first signs that this summer’s droughts and associated wildfires have begun to hit activity in some sectors... 18th August 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russia: Solid Q2 GDP growth unlikely to last The Russian economy expanded by a solid 5.2% y/y in Q2 (up from 2.9% y/y in Q1). But given the impact of the current drought and, more notably, our view that oil prices will fall back later this year... 11th August 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russia: repeat of 2007/08 inflation surge looks unlikely Concerns that the current drought in Russia will trigger a surge in food prices and a wider pick-up in inflation are increasing. However, a number of factors suggest that a repeat of the food-driven... 3rd August 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Chart Pack Biting the fiscal bullet (Jul 10) With the notable exception of Hungary, most countries in Emerging Europe have now started to step up efforts at fiscal consolidation. In particular, the new governments in Slovakia and the Czech... 30th July 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Is Russia's privatisation plan the real deal? Details of Russia’s plans to raise up to $30bn through the sale of state assets have trickled out over the past day or so. The proposals are good news at the margin, although the renewed emphasis on... 29th July 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Chart Pack Twin-speed recovery taking shape (Jun 10) The recovery in manufacturing across Emerging Europe has for the most part been pretty impressive. With the notable exceptions of Romania and Bulgaria, industrial output is now growing at doubledigit... 26th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Moscow office rents are more likely to stabilise than recover The increase in Moscow office rental values in Q2 is likely to prove a one-off. Although the occupier market has seen a continued improvement over the past few quarters, we think that the main driving... 23rd July 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russian recovery back on track... for now Recent data suggest that the economy is back on track for a robust rebound this year. Nonetheless, we suspect that Q2 will mark the high point for annual GDP growth and the pace of recovery is likely... 20th July 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Has Russia won its battle with inflation? Despite repeated warnings from Russia’s inflation hawks, price pressures in Emerging Europe’s largest economy have continued to abate. We expect disinflationary forces to dominate for a while... 8th July 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russian reforms a small step in the right direction In a speech to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum this morning, President Medvedev unveiled a series of market-friendly reforms including changes to the capital gains tax regime and a... 18th June 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economic Outlook Euro-zone crisis adds to recovery headwinds (Q2 2010) Problems in the euro-zone’s periphery will exacerbate the twin-speed recovery already underway in Emerging Europe. No country would escape unscathed from a full-blown crisis in Western Europe, but... 16th June 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Chart Pack Q1 GDP data a mixed bag (May 10) First quarter GDP data, released by most countries over the past month or so, paint a mixed picture. The highly open economies of Central Europe – notably Slovakia – continue to rebound at a fairly... 25th May 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russian industry surges but from a low base The surge in Russian industrial production growth in April is not quite as good as it appears at first sight since it is flattered by base effects stemming from the collapse in activity last year. In... 19th May 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russia: low debt levels mask mounting fiscal risks Russia’s public finances are a picture of health compared to those economies in the euro-zone’s periphery. But if oil prices drop further, as we expect, spending may have to be cut in real terms for... 18th May 2010 · 1 min read