Latin America Economics Update First thoughts on Dilma's first week Although it is still very early days, Brazil’s new president, Dilma Rousseff, has made tackling the recent pick-up in inflation an immediate priority. But with cuts in public spending now looking... 5th January 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly European policymakers still doing the bare minimum The news that EU leaders reached agreement last week on the treaty changes required to establish a “permanent crisis mechanism” in 2013 is unlikely to ease pressures in the peripheral bond markets... 20th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Ifo Survey (Dec.) & Euro-zone Trade (Oct.) December’s Ifo survey adds to the evidence that the German economy continues to expand at a rapid rate. For Germany at least, the problems in the periphery are for now being more than offset by the... 17th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update European Council meeting unlikely to mark a turning point This week’s European Council meeting provides policymakers with the chance to prove that they will do whatever is necessary to get the region’s public finances on a stable footing. But in reality... 16th December 2010 · 1 min read
China Economics Update The view from the ground - Q4 2010 China’s businesses have grown in confidence in the last quarter but banks and consumers are far less upbeat. Banks are increasingly worried about overheating and the need for policy tightening... 16th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs & Final CPI (Dec.) December’s euro-zone PMI surveys suggested that the economic recovery in the region maintained reasonable momentum towards the end of 2010. 16th December 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Tankan Survey (Dec.) The Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey confirmed that the recovery is fading, with small businesses struggling and investment demand still weak. 15th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus What can euro-zone policymakers do? Euro-zone policymakers face enormous challenges to avoid a near-term financial disaster, reduce governments’ debt burdens in the medium term and foster economic growth. Given the scale of these tasks... 13th December 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Upside risks to the Tankan Japan will almost certainly top the G7 league table for GDP growth in 2010 (with Germany the likely runner-up), but this rebound has to be seen in the context of a relatively low starting point... 13th December 2010 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Businesses to the rescue? The proposed favourable change to the tax treatment of capital expenditure raises the question of whether it will actually be businesses, rather than consumers, that rescue the economy from a number... 13th December 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Economy Watchers Survey (Nov.) November's Economy Watchers Survey (EWS) suggests that conditions may not be quite as bad in the fourth quarter as some fear, although the outlook is cloudier. The weakness of machinery orders at the... 8th December 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Can the euro-zone really break up? There are several practical obstacles to leaving the euro-zone which mean that this is not an easy option. But if the benefits were deemed large enough, none of the obstacles would be insurmountable... 30th November 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Nov.) November’s EC business and consumer survey confirmed that the sovereign debt crisis in Ireland and elsewhere is not yet standing in the way of a broader recovery in the euro-zone economy. But the... 29th November 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Retail Sales (Oct.) & Small Business Conf. (Nov.) October's drop in retail sales, like that in September, was exaggerated by the expiry of government subsidies for car purchases. The trends in overall consumer spending are healthier than the... 29th November 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German Ifo Survey (Nov.) November’s German Ifo survey suggests that, while the euro-zone’s periphery remains mired in economic gloom, strong German growth is continuing to support the recovery in the region as a whole for now... 24th November 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Nov.) November’s surprise rise in the euro-zone PMI survey suggests that the economy has continued to expand amid the turmoil in the periphery. 23rd November 2010 · 1 min read
