Nordic & Swiss Economics Update How will macro-prudential tools influence monetary policy? Central banks in Switzerland, Sweden and Norway have all voiced concerns about overheating in their housing markets. In Switzerland, macro-prudential policies have already served to cool house price... 5th April 2017 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Tankan (Q1) While today’s Tankan survey showed that business conditions for large manufacturers did not improve as much as most had anticipated, the survey suggests that growth will remain strong for now. What’s... 3rd April 2017 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Repo rise signals growing concern over credit risks China’s interbank repo rates have fallen back slightly after the headline-grabbing spike last week that took them to their highest in more than two years. But the bigger picture is that the PBOC has... 31st March 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Are consumers’ finances healthy as Brexit begins? Last week’s historic triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty marks the beginning of a lengthy and complex process of leaving the EU. The extent to which this event has a near-term impact on the... 31st March 2017 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Should we be worried by the slump in bank lending? The sudden post-election weakness in bank lending is a concern. The three-month-on-three-month annualised growth rate has fallen from 8% in mid-2016 to less than 2% this February. However, the... 31st March 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Consumer spending relying on less saving While the latest Quarterly National Accounts raised further questions about the sustainability of consumer spending growth, we don’t think that a dramatic slowdown is in prospect. Household spending... 31st March 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update Tighter mortgage lending rules raise chances of more rate cuts Today’s announcement that the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has introduced tighter mortgage lending rules will go some way to addressing the RBA’s concerns about the overheating housing... 31st March 2017 · 2 mins read
Europe Economics Update Will the banks help or hinder Portugal’s recovery? There are some positive signs for Portugal’s banks, suggesting that they have become less of a risk to the public finances. But a meaningful recovery in lending over the next few years seems unlikely... 29th March 2017 · 1 min read
UK Commercial Property Data Response Lending to commercial property (Feb.) Net lending to property contracted for the second consecutive month in February. This is likely to reflect liquidity issues in the investment market rather than a shortfall in demand. What’s more... 29th March 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Household Borrowing Monitor (Feb.) February’s money and credit figures suggest that households’ appetite for debt has taken a bit of a hit, after holding up well following the EU referendum. But we don’t think that borrowing growth... 29th March 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Feb.) February’s euro-zone money and credit data point to steady economic growth. But they still suggest that core inflation will remain very weak. 27th March 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Banks and their net interest margins Although Australian banks will probably soon be hit by more stringent mortgage lending rules, they can take some comfort from an interest rate environment that will probably be fairly favourable over... 24th March 2017 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack Demonetisation impact wearing off The latest economic data for India suggest that the most acute impact from the government’s demonetisation measures has now passed. Both the manufacturing and services PMI readings for February came... 23rd March 2017 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack South Korea elections: key names to watch Political campaigning in South Korea ahead of presidential elections due on 9th May is now well underway. Given the extent of public anger against ousted former president Park Geun-hye and her ruling... 21st March 2017 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Feb.) Aggregate private sector debt rose the most on record in Q4 on the back of plunging funding costs. While household and corporate debt are rising again relative to output, the level of indebtedness... 20th March 2017 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Dollar debt risks building in Argentina Argentina’s dollar debt burden as a share of GDP is now one of the largest in the EM world. What’s more, it is concentrated largely in the public sector. This leaves the government vulnerable to... 16th March 2017 · 1 min read
