Europe Commercial Property Update Is southern Europe finally embracing e-commerce? While COVID-19 has forced consumers in southern Europe to shop online, we think that e-commerce penetration will remain lower for structural reasons, which is one reason why prime retail rents in... 14th April 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Portugal’s economy to slow but remain a bright spot Portugal’s economy has been a relative bright spot in the euro-zone in recent years and we think it will fare better than average again this year. Nonetheless, quarterly GDP growth looks set to slow... 25th February 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Economic Outlook ECB to keep pushing on a string We expect economic growth to remain sluggish this year as external demand picks up only slowly and domestic demand softens. Employment growth is slowing, which will cause household incomes and... 21st January 2020 · 30 mins read
Global Markets Update Portugal/Spain spread won’t fall further in our view The yield of 10-year government bonds in Portugal has fallen below that of their counterparts in Spain this week after Portugal’s Socialist Party retained power in Sunday’s legislative elections... 11th October 2019 · 3 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Update Improved outlook for Lisbon offices We have upgraded our forecasts for Portugal’s economy and now expect growth to be above trend in 2019 and 2020. Along with a halving in the size of the Lisbon office development pipeline in the next... 29th July 2019 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Portugal’s outlook still bright, but debt worryingly high Portugal recovered well from the euro-zone crisis and its economy is set to record above-trend growth for the rest of this year and next. But its high public and private debt levels suggest that it is... 27th June 2019 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Eight quick points about the European elections Projections of the results of the European elections confirm that pro-European parties will continue to have a clear majority in the European Parliament (EP) itself, so little will change at EU level... 27th May 2019 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Divergence in E-Z peripheral bonds likely to continue The yield of 10-year government bonds in Italy has moved in the opposite direction to the yields of 10-year government bonds in Spain and Portugal recently. While we don’t expect that to continue, we... 23rd May 2019 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Office rental growth in Lisbon to stall in 2020 After two strong years for Lisbon office rents, a rise in development activity, alongside fading occupier demand, is set to curb rental growth in 2020. What’s more, rents could potentially fall in... 19th February 2019 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Missing the global tightening cycle The euro-zone should regain some momentum in the coming months, at least compared to its dire performance at the end of last year. But we think the economy will expand by just 1% in 2019 as a whole... 18th January 2019 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update What to expect from elections in Europe this year In a busy election calendar this year, the focus will be on the rise of populist and euro-sceptic parties. Elections for the European Parliament in May are the most high profile event, but there will... 17th January 2019 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Modest slowdown masks large divergences Prospects for Europe have deteriorated somewhat as slowing global demand has begun to affect exports and a sharp rise in bond yields has darkened the outlook for Italy. Some of the major players... 17th October 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Lisbon retail tailwinds fading Lisbon was one of the best performing retail markets last year, as high street rents rose by 14%, reflecting healthy retailer activity. But with the strength of key drivers fading, we expect rental... 24th September 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Portugal’s banks to support investment-led growth Portugal’s banks have strengthened their balance sheets significantly and look set to support economic growth over the coming years. However, the already-high level of private sector debt is a concern... 15th August 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus TARGET2 imbalances highlight euro-zone’s continued problems The large imbalances in the euro-zone’s TARGET2 payments system indicate that all is still not quite right in the region. There are some good reasons to expect the imbalances to narrow again over the... 2nd March 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Can the rise in Lisbon office rents continue? Last year, prime office rents in Lisbon recorded their strongest gain since the financial crisis. While occupier conditions are set to stay landlord friendly, slower employment growth and higher... 15th February 2018 · 1 min read