UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Manufacturing (May) & FLS data (Q1) May’s CIPS/Markit report on manufacturing provided a tentative indication that the industrial sector’s recession might be drawing to a close. However, disappointing figures on the usage of the Funding... 3rd June 2013 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Fears about student loans still look overdone The latest data from the New York Fed have reignited concerns about a possible bubble in student loans. But the growth of student loans has always been faster than the growth in other types of... 3rd June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (May 13) The latest money figures suggest that the recovery is still being starved of credit and add to evidence that the Funding for Lending Scheme is having a disappointing impact on lending volumes. 31st May 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Household Borrowing Monitor (Apr. 13) April’s household borrowing figures are likely to quell some of the optimism arising from the recent run of better economic news. While the Funding for Lending Scheme has continued to drive down... 31st May 2013 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Bahrain's political upheaval to continue to drag on growth Political unrest, a fragile banking sector and a weak fiscal position are all likely to weigh on Bahrain’s economy over the next few years. As a result, we expect it to be one of the worst performers... 30th May 2013 · 1 min read
US Economics Update US lending further The FDIC’s latest banking figures show that, buoyed by falling loan default rates, the quarterly net income of US banks hit a record high of $40bn in the first quarter. The expiry of the unlimited... 29th May 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Apr.) While positive on the surface, the acceleration in money supply growth conceals several worrying dynamics, not least another fall in lending to firms. 29th May 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Iceland won’t unfreeze capital flows anytime soon Five years since they were implemented, Iceland still relies on ‘temporary’ capital controls to support its currency. And they are likely to remain in place for some time yet despite the new... 28th May 2013 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Global Monetary Indicators (May) Advanced economies remain awash with liquidity. The Japanese monetary base has been rising steeply for several months, even before the Bank of Japan’s policy shift, announced on 4th April. 21st May 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Parent bank deleveraging easing The pace at which parent banks in Western Europe have scaled back funding for subsidiaries in Eastern Europe has slowed further since the start of the year. Nonetheless, credit conditions in much of... 21st May 2013 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Apr.) There are some encouraging signs in Japan’s latest monetary aggregates but it remains too early to tell whether the Bank of Japan’s policy shift last month is feeding the hoped-for acceleration in... 16th May 2013 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Apr.) Broad money growth has remained largely unchanged over the past six months, even after the Fed restarted its quantitative easing. The annual growth rate of our M3 measure picked up slightly to 6.4% in... 14th May 2013 · 1 min read
China Data Response Lending (Apr.) Credit growth has continued to accelerate. This hasn’t had a positive impact on economic growth so far but we expect it to feed a small pick-up in activity in the months ahead. 10th May 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Update EM debt: where do the risks lie? Total debt in emerging markets (EMs) is relatively low by international standards. But the history of EMs suggests that crises often occur when credit grows rapidly for several years rather than... 9th May 2013 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Turkish banks more exposed to external shock than in 2008 In spite of the rapid build up of Turkish banks’ foreign currency assets held at the central bank, we think the country’s banking sector is still more vulnerable to an external shock now than it was... 7th May 2013 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Banks still loosening lending standards The Fed's latest Senior Loan Officer Survey indicates that commercial banks have further loosened lending standards, particularly on loans to businesses. The net percentage of banks reporting in the... 6th May 2013 · 1 min read