Japan Economic Outlook Growth to fall short of expectations The sales tax hike has not been as damaging as many had feared. But we remain more pessimistic about the outlook for global growth and domestic investment than most. That explains why we expect GDP to... 8th January 2020 · 22 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly BoK to cut again, Sri Lanka on slow road to recovery Minutes from the Bank of Korea’s (BoK) November rate meeting reveal that while only one of the seven members of its Monetary Policy Board voted for a cut, other members also struck a dovish tone. We... 20th December 2019 · 9 mins read
Latin America Chart Pack Mixed end to a disappointing year The last round of economic data released this year pointed to a mixed performance in Latin America. Growth seems to have remained robust in Colombia in Q4 – and to have strengthened in Brazil – but... 19th December 2019 · 13 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Tight fiscal policy in the Gulf, Saudi labour market We think that the recent rise in oil prices has further to run over the next twelve months, but this is unlikely to pave the way for fiscal loosening in the Gulf. Meanwhile, data released this week... 19th December 2019 · 6 mins read
Africa Chart Pack South Africa: A year to forget The final round of South African data released this year supported our view that the economy faltered in recent months. Output fell by 0.6% q/q saar in Q3, and the latest figures suggest that the... 18th December 2019 · 13 mins read
China Chart Pack US demanding implausibly large import ramp up China’s apparent reluctance to commit to the extra $200bn of US imports relative to 2017 levels that the US is requesting over the next two years as part of the Phase One deal is understandable... 18th December 2019 · 11 mins read
India Chart Pack Populist shift a risk for long-run outlook The citizen amendment bill – which aims to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslims from neighbouring Muslim-majority countries – has dominated the news over the past couple of weeks. This isn’t... 18th December 2019 · 9 mins read
US Economic Outlook Fed to remain on side lines as economy heats up Although trade tensions and the presidential election remain key downside risks, we expect looser financial conditions to drive an acceleration in GDP growth from the second half of next year onwards... 16th December 2019 · 24 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Chilean fiscal policy: How worried should we be? Protests in Chile will probably result in a shift towards permanently looser fiscal policy. But it would take a long time for the debt ratio to become a concern, so any corresponding rise in bond... 16th December 2019 · 3 mins read
UK Data Response IHS Markit/CIPS Flash PMIs (Dec.) & OBR Fiscal Data The weak flash PMIs for the UK are another piece of evidence that suggests growth flat-lined in Q4. And if there isn’t a pick-up in the surveys in the next few months, then the MPC may respond by... 16th December 2019 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Government remains reluctant to loosen fiscal policy Australia’s government pledged to increase spending in today’s Budget update. And its pessimistic forecasts for nominal GDP growth suggest that tax revenue may continue to surprise on the upside... 16th December 2019 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Indonesia’s fiscal rule, US-China trade truce Adopting a more flexible fiscal target would give Indonesia’s government more room to support growth during periods of weak demand without threatening the country’s fiscal position. Meanwhile, Asian... 13th December 2019 · 8 mins read
Africa Economics Update Ghana: Fiscal risks to return Given the government’s tendency to overspend in election years, we think that Ghana’s budget deficit will rise to about 8% of GDP next year. This will heighten investor concerns and put pressure on... 10th December 2019 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi 2020 budget: austerity makes a comeback Saudi Arabia’s 2020 budget makes clear that the authorities are preparing for a prolonged period of low oil prices by introducing fresh fiscal austerity. This, combined with the deeper oil production... 9th December 2019 · 3 mins read
Banking on fiscal policy There were further signs this week that the Bank of Canada has little intention of cutting interest rates. While November’s disappointing Labour Force Survey may make policymakers question their... 6th December 2019 · 4 mins read
India Economics Weekly Over to you, finance ministry While unexpectedly keeping rates on hold yesterday, the RBI put the onus on the finance ministry to do more of the heavy lifting to boost demand. So if we are right in thinking that the finance... 6th December 2019 · 5 mins read
