Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Sweden’s election dead heat no big deal for Riksbank Political uncertainty following Sweden’s general election last weekend is unlikely to meaningfully alter the Riksbank’s plans to start tightening policy around the turn of the year. Meanwhile, in... 14th September 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Egypt inflation, Saudi construction, Jordan tax plan August’s rise in Egyptian inflation means that the central bank will probably leave interest rates on hold at this month’s MPC meeting. But signs that core price pressures have eased means that it won... 13th September 2018 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Focus A look ahead to Brazil’s election Brazil’s presidential race is still very open, but the scale of the challenge the victor will face means that even a market-friendly president won’t be able to stabilise the public finances and boost... 11th September 2018 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Sweden’s political upheaval won’t alter fiscal outlook While Sweden looks set for a period of political uncertainty, the broad fiscal consensus among mainstream politicians suggests that, whoever takes power, the near-term economic outlook will not be... 11th September 2018 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Is austerity nearly over? The worst bit of austerity is behind us, but it is by no means over. There are powerful reasons for taking further action to reduce the public sector debt burden. So we think that the Government will... 10th September 2018 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Weekly Is Macri a busted flush? The export tax announced by Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri this week, which formed the centrepiece of an emergency fiscal austerity package, will help to narrow the budget deficit. But the fact... 7th September 2018 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Abe delaying retirement, Q2 growth strong Prime Minister Abe is set to remain in power for another three years following the LDP leadership elections. One of the few substantive reform proposals he has put forward is an increase in the... 7th September 2018 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Downgrading our forecasts for Argentina The recent turmoil in local markets means that Argentina’s recession will be even deeper than we previously anticipated. We now expect a 4% drop in GDP over 2018 as a whole (vs. -0.5% previously), and... 6th September 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Egypt sends mixed signals, Bahrain gets breathing room Egypt’s finance minister stated this week that the government will continue to prioritise bringing down its high debt-to-GDP ratio, but recent developments have raised fresh concerns that the appetite... 6th September 2018 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Could the sales tax hike be delayed again? Japan’s government has long argued that the sales tax hike scheduled for next year is needed to improve the fiscal position. With the economy performing extremely well at the moment, Mr Abe has no... 5th September 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update The implications of Catalan autonomy Greater autonomy for Catalonia would probably have a detrimental impact on Spain’s public finances. But it would reduce calls for secession, and therefore limit the risk of a renewed and potentially... 4th September 2018 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Argentina: how close is a sovereign default? The recent collapse in the Argentine peso has raised concerns about a sovereign default. As things stand, we think it’s most likely that the government will be able to service its upcoming debts. That... 4th September 2018 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Weekly Argentina relapses, Mexican peso muted on trade deal The sense of crisis that engulfed Argentina on Wednesday and Thursday seems to have eased today and, while there is a clear risk that the currency falls further in the near term, based on the real... 31st August 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Philippines to scrap rice quotas, new tax in Malaysia The Philippines looks to be on the verge of passing legislation to allow in more rice imports. If the bill passes, it should lead to a sharp drop in inflation and would reduce the pressure for further... 31st August 2018 · 1 min read
Latin America Chart Pack Argentina back in crisis The sell-off in the Argentine peso this month gathered pace after the government’s impromptu request to draw down more of its IMF bailout. Rather than soothing market tensions, this reinforced... 31st August 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly Trade war or cold war? The end of the summer in Beijing has brought with it a hardening of views on the trade dispute with the US. Increasingly, tariffs are being seen not as negotiating ploys to win run-of-the-mill... 31st August 2018 · 1 min read
