Global Trade Monitor Slowdown in world trade growth not as bad as it looks The sharp slowdown in trade growth since the start of the year partly reflects the weakening in the world economy in the first quarter. However, trade has also been depressed by a series of temporary... 22nd May 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update African markets shrug off weak economic news South Africa’s rand rallied over the past month, despite a string of weak economic data suggesting that growth is slowing and inflation is picking up. Nigeria’s naira held steady, but yields on the... 22nd May 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Stronger German recovery depends on export revival Last week’s data gave mixed signals about Germany. On the one hand, the second GDP release showed that Q1’s slowdown belied a strong domestic economy and May’s Ifo survey pointed to a pick-up in... 22nd May 2015 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Yen to fall to 140 against the US dollar The yen’s tentative break of 120 against the dollar in the past week has refocused attention on the currency pair after several months of stability. We continue to expect the yen to weaken... 22nd May 2015 · 1 min read
DM Valuations Monitor Will the yen remain undervalued? On several metrics, the yen appears to be the most undervalued major developed market currency: on a purchasing power parity basis and when its real effective exchange rate (REER) is compared to both... 22nd May 2015 · 1 min read
China Chart Pack Property to remain a drag despite stronger sales Growth in property sales returned to positive territory for the first time in over ayear last month, helped by lower mortgage rates and a loosening of purchasecontrols. But hopes that this marks the... 22nd May 2015 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Chart Pack Dollar divergence won’t last The recent divergence of the Australian and New Zealand dollars has been driven by swings in relative interest rate expectations, but we doubt it will be sustained. (See Chart below.) We think the... 21st May 2015 · 1 min read
Frontier Markets Wrap Low oil prices a challenge for key frontier markets Despite a recent rebound, low oil prices are posing a challenge for many frontier markets. Low oilprices were one factor that led the IMF to cut its 2015 growth forecast for Sub-Saharan Africa, andwe... 20th May 2015 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Which currencies are fundamentally misaligned? The Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) is due to publish its latest semi-annual estimates of fundamental equilibrium exchange rates (FEERs) soon. These are likely to suggest that... 20th May 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Equities retreat on domestic concerns India’s financial markets have struggled relative to their emerging market peers over the past few weeks, with the rupee weakening, bond yields edging up and the equity rally losing steam. These moves... 20th May 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Trade (Mar.) & Consumer Prices (Apr.) March’s euro-zone trade data suggest that the weakness of the euro has still had little impact on net exports, and therefore provided only modest support to the recovery. 19th May 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Two years after the taper tantrum: how does India fare now? Two years ago this month the rupee entered a prolonged plunge against the US dollar amid the “taper tantrum”, eventually falling to an all-time low. But in the event of external financing conditions... 18th May 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Greek IOUs may be the first step towards the exit With a bailout payment still not forthcoming, the Greek Government might have to resort to IOUs to pay public sector workers. While they could serve as a brief stop-gap, they would not solve Greece’s... 14th May 2015 · 1 min read
UK Markets Chart Pack Sterling vulnerable to renewed dollar weakness Sterling has rallied to a six-month high against the US dollar, reflecting relief that the UK is not mired in a period of post-election political negotiations and some slightly less dovish noises from... 14th May 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Iceland: An example for Greece to follow? Iceland’s healthy economic recovery after its financial collapse in 2008 highlights the attractions of currency depreciation, if necessary accompanied by capital controls. Such a path has its economic... 13th May 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economic Outlook Recovery stalls as Brazil suffers renewed downturn The recovery that appeared to be underway in Latin America at the end of last year has faded in recent months, with several of the region’s economies experiencing renewed downturns. The latest... 13th May 2015 · 1 min read
