Europe Data Response French, Spanish & Austrian GDP (Q1) Lockdown measures to contain the coronavirus caused unprecedented quarterly contractions in GDP in France and Spain in Q1. And with the restrictions set to remained unchanged until mid-May and then be... 30th April 2020 · 2 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Update Industrials not immune from COVID-19 fallout We think that, for the industrial sector, any short-term gain from an increase in online shopping will be outweighed by the plunge in demand and subsequent collapse in global trade. 24th April 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economic Outlook Comparatively well placed to weather the carnage Low levels of government debt mean that Switzerland and the Nordic economies are comparatively well placed to withstand the acute stresses being placed on the public finances – particularly compared... 21st April 2020 · 16 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Update Is southern Europe finally embracing e-commerce? While COVID-19 has forced consumers in southern Europe to shop online, we think that e-commerce penetration will remain lower for structural reasons, which is one reason why prime retail rents in... 14th April 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Monetary policy still doing the heavy lifting Evidence has continued to mount this week that the slump in activity in much of the euro-zone has been unprecedented. Meanwhile, disagreements between finance ministers were on display again, leaving... 9th April 2020 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update ECB using balance sheet more aggressively than ever The ECB is using its balance sheet aggressively to provide cheap funding to banks and support peripheral government bond markets. But there is no guarantee that banks will maintain their volume of... 8th April 2020 · 4 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Update Pricing more vulnerable in CEE markets Although property valuations and rental prospects remain supportive, the higher risk premium associated with CEE markets means that property yields are likely to increase more in the near term and to... 8th April 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Virus crisis will cause lasting damage to banks Government loan guarantees will help to limit the damage to banks from defaults in the short term. But the banks will inevitably be weakened by the crisis, leaving them with more non-performing loans... 7th April 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Update Construction delays won’t be enough to sustain rents While COVID-19 related delays to construction might reduce supply in some markets, we think that the drop in occupier demand will far outweigh any potential benefits to rents. 7th April 2020 · 2 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Update Is co-working a further risk to the office sector? While COVID-19 will hit co-working hard, given the relative size of this subsector, we don’t think it will be large enough to impact rents in the overall office sector. 2nd April 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Update What do equity price falls imply for European property? The past relationship suggests that the recent 10% to 50% fall in real estate equity prices provide an indication of the direction values will move in the direct market, but not the likely extent of... 1st April 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Update Property is the victim not the villain this time Property has generally been at the centre of the most severe economic downturns in recent decades. But this time it is different. Although we think the commercial market is likely to experience a... 26th March 2020 · 5 mins read
Europe Economics Update Jobless rate to erase seven years of gains We think the unemployment rate in the euro-zone will surge to about 12% by the end of June, giving up seven years’ worth of gains in a matter of months. Much of this may prove temporary if the economy... 24th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Outlook COVID-19 to hit property values by at least 8% in 2020 The ever-changing economic effects of COVID-19 mean that the impact on real estate markets is highly uncertain. It is clear that the sharp contraction in economic activity and deterioration in... 20th March 2020 · 25 mins read
Europe Economics Update Additional €750bn of QE will not be ECB’s last move The ECB announced late yesterday evening a new €750bn programme of bond purchases which is intended to contain borrowing costs for southern economies. This gives it a lot more firepower which should... 19th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update ECB will be forced into more drastic action Last week’s ECB decision gave it more ammunition to combat the fallout from the coronavirus, but it will not be enough. We now think the Bank will soon make an explicit commitment to keep sovereign... 16th March 2020 · 3 mins read