China Economics Weekly On contradictions (from the NPC) There is a tension between the policy stimulus announced this week at the National People’s Congress and the government’s goal of keeping the debt ratio stable. Ultimately, we expect officials to err... 8th March 2019 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Spring Statement Preview: A holding operation The Chancellor will probably use his Spring Statement on Wednesday 13th March to show that at a time of extreme political instability and economic uncertainty the public finances are in good health... 6th March 2019 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Initial thoughts on the National People’s Congress The key takeaway from today’s policy announcements at the opening of the National People’s Congress is that the leadership are still trying to balance efforts to support growth with concerns about... 5th March 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Weekly Brazil’s pensions, new BCB governor, Mexican bonds Noises from Brazilian lawmakers this week hinted that parts of the government’s pension reform plan could be diluted. But so far, the core components of the bill do not appear to have come up against... 1st March 2019 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Growth in Hong Kong to remain weak in 2019 Hong Kong’s economy ended last year on a weak note as exports slumped and household spending softened. We think growth will remain subdued in the months ahead. The relatively expansionary budget... 27th February 2019 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Focus Egypt: improved fiscal health to support faster growth The recent improvement in Egypt’s budget position will be enough to keep the government’s debt ratio on a downward trend. Government bond yields are likely to fall and austerity looks set to come to... 27th February 2019 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Chart Pack Fiscal stimulus on its way Developments this month suggest that governments in parts of the region are embarking on fiscal stimulus to boost growth and prop up popular support. Recent policy announcements in Russia and Turkey... 27th February 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Colombia: Ecopetrol sale won’t solve fiscal problems A partial sale of Colombia’s state-owned oil company, Ecopetrol, now appears likely and should limit the scale of fiscal austerity, particularly in 2020. But Colombia is yet to fully adjust to low oil... 26th February 2019 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Italy: notes from the ground We have just returned from a day of meetings with clients and local contacts in Rome. In this Update, we summarise the key takeaways from the visit. While the banks are heading in the right direction... 25th February 2019 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Labour market resilient, sterling unmoved by political split After a worrying start to the year, the economic news this week has been a little better. This supports our view that while Brexit uncertainty is hampering growth, the economy is fundamentally sound... 22nd February 2019 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Weekly Nigeria actually goes to the polls, South Africa budget History suggests that, if Nigeria’s delayed election on Saturday passes peacefully, the stock market is likely to see a temporary bounce. But over a longer time horizon, global factors are likely to... 22nd February 2019 · 1 min read
India Economics Weekly MPC minutes, farmer handouts, Kashmir The minutes of the Reserve Bank’s 7 th February policy meeting – in which rates were cut – reveal a significant difference of opinion between MPC members on the outlook for core inflation. We share... 22nd February 2019 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Public Finances (Jan.) The last set of public finances figures released before the Spring Statement put the government on track to undershoot the OBR’s borrowing forecast of £25.5bn in the 2018-19 financial year. That gives... 21st February 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Unpacking the Pemex problem The Mexican government’s bailout for Pemex last week is unlikely to solve the company’s fundamental issues, which stem from an extremely heavy tax burden and chronically low productivity. In the... 20th February 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Brazil: pension plan ambitious, but just a starting point The Brazilian government’s pension reform plan unveiled today lives up to high hopes and is likely to sustain the rally in local markets over the coming weeks. But history suggests that the... 20th February 2019 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa: budget reflects Eskom’s problems The wider-than-expected South African fiscal deficit projections announced in today’s budget are a result of measures to deal with the financial troubles of Eskom and other struggling state-owned... 20th February 2019 · 1 min read
