Global Economics Update What chance of a Trump Accord? For now, we don’t know what the US policy will be towards the dollar. If Donald Trump seriously wants a cheaper currency, the best way to achieve it might be through a multilateral agreement... 24th January 2017 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Is the dollar really “very, very strong”? The dollar has ceded ground recently amid speculation that the Trump administration will seek to bring it down. Indeed, the new president’s nomination for Secretary of the Treasury has reportedly... 24th January 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update MENA sovereigns line up dollar bond sales The recent pull-back in US Treasury yields has prompted several MENA sovereigns to push ahead with their plans to issue dollar debt. With the Fed likely to hike interest rates more aggressively in... 23rd January 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Brexit Watch: Pound welcomes May’s Brexit plans The unveiling of the Government’s broad plans for Brexit helped to drive the pound higher this week. However, this probably largely reflects a slight reduction in uncertainty, rather than optimism... 20th January 2017 · 1 min read
Global Markets Outlook How will markets deal with President Trump? We expect monetary policy in the US to be tightened by more than investors seem to be anticipating, but agree that in other major developed economies it is likely to remain very loose. With this in... 20th January 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Rising wage growth won’t worry the MPC While the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has stated that it is willing to look through a period of exchange-rate driven above-target inflation, one of its conditions is that there are no significant... 20th January 2017 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Little reaction to Mozambique’s missed bond payment Mozambique’s missed bond payment this week grabbed the headlines, but the market reaction was muted. Meanwhile, rising commodity prices have supported strong gains in South Africa’s currency and... 20th January 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economic Outlook Swiss, Swedish and Norwegian currencies set to rise Prospects for the Nordic and Swiss economies’ are fairly good, with Sweden and Iceland likely to be the best performers. But the outlook for inflation, and therefore monetary policy, varies... 20th January 2017 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Czech koruna: when will cap be lifted and how far will CZK rise? We think it is most likely that the Czech MPC will remove the koruna ceiling at its meeting on 4th May. Following this, we are forecasting that the koruna will appreciate to 25.5/€ from 27/€ at... 19th January 2017 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Decent start to 2017 Financial markets in India have made a relatively bright start to 2017. The rupee and bond yields have been stable, while equities have rallied so far in January. Looking ahead however, prospects are... 19th January 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Euro-zone back in the spotlight in 2017 The European economies have continued to fare relatively well, with euro-zone growth in particular supported by a weaker currency and low inflation. However, a temporary surge in inflation this year... 17th January 2017 · 1 min read
China Economics Update No float for the renminbi China will need to let the renminbi float at some stage if it intends to push ahead with plans to liberalise the capital account and encourage greater international use of the currency. But, recent... 17th January 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Brexit Watch: Bumpy ride for sterling The pound has suffered another bumpy ride this week, as concerns about the economic impact of a “hard Brexit” have lingered. That said, some of the positive impacts of the lower exchange rate were... 13th January 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Can the Gulf’s currency pegs withstand a stronger dollar? The appreciation of the US dollar since the end of last year has prompted renewed concerns over the sustainability of currency pegs in the Gulf, but we think these fears are overdone. Oil prices are... 13th January 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Formation of new Icelandic Government opens door for further rate cuts In the land of fire and ice, currency movements in 2016 resembled an erupting volcano rather than a creeping glacier. The appreciating króna put downward pressure on inflation, prompting the Central... 13th January 2017 · 1 min read
