Europe Economics Weekly Economy robust as election contests take shape Data released last week suggested that the euro-zone economy started 2017 on a pretty strong footing. January’s Composite PMI remains consistent with quarterly GDP growth of about 0.4%, while the rise... 27th January 2017 · 1 min read
US Employment Report Preview Base effects hold down wage growth We expect a slightly stronger 170,000 increase in non-farm payrolls in January. Base effects mean that the annual growth rate of average hourly earnings probably edged down to 2.8%, from 2.9%, but... 26th January 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Data Response Sweden (Dec.) & Norway (Nov.) Labour Market Data December’s labour market data suggest that wage pressures are building in Sweden, supporting our view that the Riksbank will tighten policy this year. But in Norway, despite November’s fall in... 26th January 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Chart Pack Q4 data point to pick-up in GDP growth On the whole, the activity data suggest that GDP growth in the Nordic and Swiss economies has picked up. Granted, Icelandic consumer confidence suggests that growth might have slowed slightly. But it... 25th January 2017 · 1 min read
Canada Chart Pack Canada will have strong hand in NAFTA negotiations US President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech, in which he pledged to always put America first, was potentially bad news for Canada. Trump has indicated that he wants to begin an almost immediate... 24th January 2017 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Flash Manufacturing PMI (Jan.) January’s manufacturing PMI suggests that Japan’s economic recovery picked up pace at the start of the year. What’s more, the weaker yen is fuelling price pressures. 24th January 2017 · 1 min read
US Chart Pack America first President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech left no one in any doubt that his administration will pursue trade protectionism aggressively. He argued for putting “America first” and that “protection... 23rd January 2017 · 1 min read
China Chart Pack Signs of strength in labour market In contrast to China’s remarkably stable GDP figures, data on the labour market corroborate evidence from elsewhere that the economy strengthened in recent quarters. China created over 13 million new... 23rd January 2017 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack Attention turns to state elections Upcoming state elections in India are likely to have an important bearing on economic policy at the local level. But perhaps more significant, the outcome of the state elections could be crucial in... 23rd January 2017 · 1 min read
Global Economic Outlook Trumped up? The world economy looks set to grow more rapidly this year than last. A substantial fiscal stimulus in the US will boost its growth rate, but will have only a limited impact on the rest of the world... 20th January 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economic Outlook Swiss, Swedish and Norwegian currencies set to rise Prospects for the Nordic and Swiss economies’ are fairly good, with Sweden and Iceland likely to be the best performers. But the outlook for inflation, and therefore monetary policy, varies... 20th January 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia Labour Market (Dec.) While the labour market improved in December from the weakness of the third quarter, it remained worryingly fragile. This is one reason to expect 2017 to be another disappointing year for the overall... 19th January 2017 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response Employment (Nov.) Despite marking a second consecutive contraction in job creation, today’s figures were not all bad for property. With part-time and self-employed jobs bearing the brunt of the falls, and forward... 18th January 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Is euro-zone wage growth set to take off? Wage growth was subdued in 2016, but the recent decline in the euro-zone unemployment rate to an 87-month low, taken in isolation, points to a strong pick-up from here. On the face of it, that... 13th January 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Steady growth ahead Most countries in Emerging Asia should continue to grow at a decent pace over the next couple of years as loose monetary policy helps support demand. The key exception is China, where growth looks set... 13th January 2017 · 1 min read
Japan Chart Pack Inflation close to bottoming out Inflation fell to fresh lows at the end of 2016, with the Bank of Japan’s favourite measure of underlying inflation turning negative in the Tokyo region on our estimates. What’s more, there are few... 12th January 2017 · 1 min read
