Europe Economics EUR/USD: The case for parity We think the euro will eventually weaken further, falling to parity against the US dollar, as the euro-zone economy falters, the terms of trade shock from higher energy prices feeds through, and the... 6th May 2022 · 5 mins read
UK Economics Weakening economy won’t do the MPC’s job The Bank of England’s prediction that the economy is on the brink of recession grabbed the headlines this week, but we suspect its GDP forecast will prove too downbeat. That’s not to say the risk of... 6th May 2022 · 7 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Schlegel gets a pay rise; new split at the Riksbank The fact that the successor to Fritz Zurbrügg as Vice-Chair of the SNB’s Governing Board, Martin Schlegel, is an SNB stalwart means the looming changes at the top are unlikely to change the decision... 6th May 2022 · 6 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update What a strong dollar means for EMs While a stronger dollar is generally regarded as a headwind for EMs, we think it will only be a minor one for most major EMs, particularly compared with the headwinds from weakness in China... 6th May 2022 · 5 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Weakness of activity won’t deter the ECB A rate hike by the ECB in July, or possibly even in June, looks increasingly likely. But policymakers seem to be in no hurry to announce a new tool to keep sovereign bond spreads contained. Meanwhile... 6th May 2022 · 5 mins read
UK Commercial Property Data Response S&P Global/CIPS Construction PMI (Apr.) The construction PMI for April showed that building activity remained solid, but that the pace of growth has slowed. An easing in new orders growth also hints at a further slowdown ahead, as the... 6th May 2022 · 2 mins read
UK Housing Market Data Response Halifax House Prices (Apr.) In contrast to Nationwide’s measure of house price inflation, there was no sign of house price growth slowing in the Halifax figures for April. But with mortgage rates only just starting to climb to... 6th May 2022 · 2 mins read
Europe Data Response German Industrial Production (March) The slump in output in March shows that the war in Ukraine is hitting manufacturers hard even before a ban on Russian energy imports has taken effect and before the ECB has raised interest rates. We... 6th May 2022 · 2 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Update CNB steps up tightening, but NBP opts for a smaller hike Central banks in Czechia and Poland caught investors by surprise today as the Czech central bank (CNB) unexpectedly re-accelerated the pace of its tightening cycle with a 75bp hike while Poland’s... 5th May 2022 · 3 mins read
Europe Chart Pack Inflation becoming more entrenched The latest data suggest that the increase in inflation is becoming more broad-based and persistent. While headline inflation only edged up in April, the core measure jumped to 3.5%. A range of... 5th May 2022 · 12 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Update Higher rates to squeeze Copenhagen office values With economic concerns worsening in the euro-zone, we expect that the Danish economy will not be immune. And we think that the shifts in the interest rate outlook in particular will have the most... 5th May 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Dovish sounding MPC may still raise rates to 3.00% The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) struck a more dovish tone today while raising interest rates from 0.75% to a 13-year high of 1.00% and saying that it won’t make a decision until after August on... 5th May 2022 · 3 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Poland well prepared for life without Russian gas Poland’s government has shown no signs of meeting President Putin’s demand to get gas flows restored, but we think the economy is relatively well placed to deal with a loss of Russian supplies. As... 5th May 2022 · 4 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Lira stability may give way to further pronounced weakness We think that the surprising stability of the Turkish lira so far this year will not last much longer and we forecast it to weaken against the dollar over the coming months, from ~14.8/$ now to 18/$... 5th May 2022 · 4 mins read
UK Commercial Property Data Response RICS Construction Market Survey (Q1) The latest RICS Construction Survey indicated that activity in Q1 remained solid, while sentiment about for the next 12 months remained optimistic. But it also showed that labour and supply shortages... 5th May 2022 · 2 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank to resume its tightening cycle in June As was widely expected, the Norges Bank left interest rates on hold at +0.75% today and all but confirmed that “the policy rate will […] be raised in June”. After June, we forecast two more rate hikes... 5th May 2022 · 3 mins read
