Japan Economics Update Bank of Japan unmoved by rising yen The Bank of Japan made only small tweaks to its policy statement today and, contrary to some expectations, introduced no policy shifts in response to the rise of the yen. Its ability to make a lasting... 10th August 2010 · 1 min read
UK Markets Chart Pack Markets shrug off mixed economic data (Aug 10) Recent economic data have continued to paint a mixed picture on the health of the UK economy. While the 1.1% quarterly rise in GDP in Q2 has increased the chance that annual GDP growth will be closer... 5th August 2010 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Return of the peg In a series of statements at the end of July, the People’s Bank (PBC) laid out a comprehensive position on the role of the renminbi in China’s broader policy framework. The five articles from Vice... 4th August 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly On the yen again The Bank of Japan’s apparently relaxed attitude to the strength of the yen can largely be explained by the fact that there is very little that the central bank can do about it anyway. The currency’s... 26th July 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update New Zealand rates to rise this week but a pause is close Economic growth in New Zealand will probably fall short of what the Reserve Bank (RBNZ), and the consensus, currently expect. The cash rate is virtually certain to move up this week but the tightening... 26th July 2010 · 1 min read
UK Markets Chart Pack Fitful data on UK recovery strains markets’ nerves (Jul 10) Once again, recent market movements appear to have been partly shaped by events in the eurozone, where bouts of both optimism and nervousness surrounding the current stress tests on banks and the... 16th July 2010 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Renminbi appreciation stalls The renminbi has virtually stopped moving against the dollar over the last fortnight and is actually weaker in trade-weighted terms than it was when currency reforms were restarted just under a month... 14th July 2010 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update What next for the yen? The persistent strength of the Japanese currency despite last month’s announcement of an unimpressive fiscal plan has led us to scale back our expectations for a sharp sell-off in the second half of... 12th July 2010 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Is there a silver lining to the euro crisis? Today’s news that Hungarian industrial production grew by a massive 5.4% m/m in May could be another sign that a weaker euro is actually helping manufacturers in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). But... 7th July 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly A mid-year progress report Looking back over the first half of the year, we have been right to be relatively bullish on the strength of the economic recovery in Japan. However, the yen has remained stronger and Japanese... 5th July 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Yen strength not fatal, but clearly unwelcome We are not as worried as some about the impact of a stronger yen on the Japanese economy, but the past week saw two timely reminders of why it cannot be ignored completely. The recovery in export... 28th June 2010 · 1 min read
China Economics Update First thoughts a week into currency reform In the first week after the People’s Bank (PBC) decided to “proceed further” with exchange rate reform, the renminbi strengthened a total of 0.5% against the dollar. A little under half of those gains... 25th June 2010 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Hot inflows not likely to be a major threat With expectations for the pace of future renminbi appreciation low, speculative capital flows into China are unlikely to take off. Even if they do, the People’s Bank is capable of responding... 23rd June 2010 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Lessons from 2005 for the renminbi The renminbi came close to breaching the People’s Bank 0.5% trading band against the dollar today, however such strong gains are unlikely to be a sign of what is to come. Indeed, when currency reform... 21st June 2010 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Pace of renminbi appreciation set to disappoint The timing of China’s decision to allow greater flexibility in the renminbi has caught many others by surprise. But those now expecting a large appreciation against the dollar, and for this to boost... 21st June 2010 · 1 min read
