Asia Economics Update Will Asia benefit from China’s strong rebound? China’s rapid economic recovery from the Global Financial Crisis did not play as big a role as is commonly assumed in supporting growth in the rest of Asia. We doubt a strong rebound in China from the... 24th July 2020 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Additional stimulus will be necessary before long Retail sales rose further above its pre-virus level in June. But we think overall consumption is still below its pre-virus level, and the new outbreaks should see retail sales decline in the coming... 24th July 2020 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update The future of Saudi Arabia’s oil policy Saudi Arabia has grown increasingly frustrated with other oil producers’ failure to comply with the OPEC+ oil output cuts and, while we think that the current deal will remain intact for now, the risk... 23rd July 2020 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Australia - Soaring public debt unlikely to hold back recovery Today’s fiscal update was a damp squib as the Treasurer didn’t present fiscal forecasts beyond June 2021 and didn’t unveil fresh fiscal support. While the government’s current forecasts are very close... 23rd July 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Data Response Korea GDP (Q2, Provisional) Korean GDP shrank sharply in Q2 on the back of the largest drop in exports since 1963, but output probably bottomed out in the middle of the quarter. The recovery, which is already underway, is set to... 23rd July 2020 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Brazil’s tax reform push a step in the right direction The push by Brazil’s government to change the tax system provides a welcome sign that the government’s reform agenda is still progressing, despite the political infighting caused by the handling of... 22nd July 2020 · 3 mins read
India Chart Pack Rupee could weaken even if risk appetite holds up After hitting an all-time low in April, the rupee has strengthened by 3% against the US dollar as risk appetite has returned to global financial markets. But while we think risky assets generally –... 22nd July 2020 · 9 mins read
Japan Data Response Flash PMIs (Jul.) Both the manufacturing and the services PMI only improved a little bit in July which suggests that the recovery from the pandemic will be more protracted than elsewhere. 22nd July 2020 · 2 mins read
Europe Economics Update Recovery Fund another positive step The final agreement on the Recovery Fund was a compromise reached after four days and nights of acrimonious negotiations and is less generous than first proposed. Nonetheless, it marks a historic step... 21st July 2020 · 4 mins read
Emerging Europe Data Response Poland Activity Data (Jun.) The rebound in Polish industrial production and retail sales in June suggests that the contraction in GDP in Q2 may be in the order of 4% y/y, much smaller than the 8-9% y/y we had expected. Activity... 21st July 2020 · 3 mins read
UK Data Response Public Finances (Jun.) The smaller rise in public sector borrowing in June compared to May suggests that government support is starting to wind down as the economy reopens. However, government borrowing is still... 21st July 2020 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update LPR unchanged as policy priorities shift Commercial banks left the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) on hold today. Further rate cuts seem increasingly unlikely as the focus of monetary policy appears to be shifting from stimulating activity to... 20th July 2020 · 2 mins read
Japan Data Response External Trade (Jun.) Export volumes were little changed in June but they should rebound soon as many of Japan’s trading partners are on the mend. By contrast, import volumes never fell much despite the slump in domestic... 20th July 2020 · 2 mins read
US Economics Weekly Focus on near-term and medium-term fiscal plans With the pace of infections rising across most of the country, and the economic recovery in danger of going into reverse, we suspect that Congress will, at least partially, extend the enhanced $600... 17th July 2020 · 4 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Ethiopia’s dam, South Africa’s fiscal conundrum Tensions over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have ratcheted up over the past week, raising the risk of conflict with Egypt, which would do severe damage to both the country’s near- and long-term... 17th July 2020 · 7 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly More fiscal and monetary stimulus to come We doubt that EU leaders reach a final deal on the proposed Recovery Fund at the conference which its taking place today and tomorrow in Brussels, though a deal is likely eventually. In any case, most... 17th July 2020 · 6 mins read
