China Economics Update Rehashed spending commitments don’t equal stimulus Policymakers everywhere have to be seen to respond to economic concerns. But the measures unveiled in Beijing last night are simply reheated versions of previous announcements that shouldn’t change... 3rd April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Euro-zone recovery gradually building momentum The key euro-zone surveys of activity and sentiment continued to pick up in Q1, particularly in the periphery, suggesting that GDP growth in the region as a whole may have been a bit stronger than in... 2nd April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Mar.) Recently published data show that Italy and Spain made little headway in strengthening their fiscal positions in 2013, but Portugal exceeded its targets. More encouragingly, most of the periphery... 1st April 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Cyprus: one year on Although the Cypriot economy has proven surprisingly resilient over the past year, its future still looks bleak. In common with a number of euro-zone economies, Cyprus is at risk of a prolonged period... 1st April 2014 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Fiscal consolidation continues despite “record” spending The “record” ¥95.9 trillion in budgeted expenditure for the coming fiscal year does not mean that the government has given up on fiscal consolidation. But its medium-term targets are still likely to... 24th March 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Strong growth should finance Mr Osborne's gambles It has become increasingly clear that the Chancellor’s Budget was not quite as fully-financed as it first appeared. Many of the permanent giveaways were paid for by takeaways which will provide only a... 24th March 2014 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Public Finances (Feb.) February’s public finances figures confirmed that the UK’s budget deficit is continuing to make steady but slow downward progress. But the fiscal consolidation still has a very long way to go. 21st March 2014 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Fiscal drag still easing in most advanced economies In yesterday’s Budget, the UK government pledged to press on with its austerity plan for at least five more years. But the UK is an exception. In most advanced economies the fiscal drag is easing and... 20th March 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Fiscal squeeze will intensify despite Budget giveaway The meagre giveaway to consumers in yesterday’s Budget did little to change the reality that fiscal policy will impart a moderate squeeze on households’ incomes over the next few years. Indeed, the... 20th March 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Budget 2014: Mr Osborne keeps the shackles in place This was a fiscally neutral Budget which, from a macro-economic standpoint, changes very little. With the fiscal consolidation set to continue for at least another five years, the responsibility for... 19th March 2014 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Quebec might do better with its own currency Pauline Marois, leader of the separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ), has suggested that an independent Quebec could hold a seat on the governing council of the Bank of Canada and retain the Canadian dollar... 19th March 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Will Mr Osborne try to buy credit for the recovery? The Government’s failure thus far to gain credit for the recovery might point to a sizeable net giveaway in Wednesday’s Budget. But Mr Osborne’s room for manoeuvre is limited and, with a risk that... 17th March 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Renzi's recent reforms are the easy part The measures announced by the Italian PM yesterday represent a valuable short-term stimulus to the economy. But they also raise the cost of failing to implement more difficult structural reforms later... 13th March 2014 · 1 min read
UK Economics Focus Budget 2014 Preview With not much more than a year until the next general election, the Budget on March 19th is one of the Chancellor’s last chances to boost his party’s re-election prospects. But with the fiscal... 12th March 2014 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economic Outlook Ukraine crisis clouds outlook, but Central Europe recovering The crisis in Ukraine has unsettled the markets, but the economic fallout should be contained to the two countries directly involved – Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine is by far the more fragile of the two... 12th March 2014 · 1 min read
US Economic Outlook Economy will bounce back from weather disruption The unusually severe winter has been playing havoc with the incoming economic data but, once the weather returns to seasonal norms, we expect the US economy to perform strongly this year and in 2015... 10th March 2014 · 1 min read
