Emerging Europe Economics Update Will the fall in Putin’s popularity trigger reform? The blow to United Russia in the parliamentary elections means that Putin’s absolute control over Russian politics has weakened. The question now is whether this can act as a trigger for reform as Mr... 5th December 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Manufacturing sliding into recession November’s manufacturing PMI data brought further evidence – if any was needed – that the more open economies in Emerging Europe are following their Western European neighbours into recession. Even... 1st December 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Poland: less vulnerable, but not immune Polish growth surprised on the upside in Q3, reinforcing the view that the economy is relatively well placed to weather the storm brewing in the euro-zone. But while Poland is less vulnerable to a... 30th November 2011 · 1 min read
Non-Euro Europe Commercial Property Chart Pack European property market is running out of bright spots Led by Poland and Russia, commercial property markets in CEE have been a relatively bright spot for investment in Europe. Yet, even here, growth in quarterly investment volumes has begun to slow. And... 29th November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Hungary rate hike fails to impress the currency markets If this afternoon’s 50bps hike in Hungarian interest rates was intended to shore up the forint, the move has flopped. But in truth it was always likely that a far larger increase would be needed to... 29th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus How and when will the euro-zone break up? The continued escalation of the euro-zone debt crisis suggests that some form of break-up of the currency union is now likely to come sooner rather than later. We expect Greece to leave the euro in... 28th November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russian rates on hold despite growing squeeze on banks This morning’s decision by the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) to keep its key interest rates unchanged was expected, but the accompanying statement suggests that policymakers are becoming increasingly... 25th November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russian inflation to touch record lows We think that Russian inflation will hit a record low of 5.5% next year. Nevertheless, persistent capital outflows mean that monetary easing is off the cards for now. 24th November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Western support for CEE banks starts to wane Austria’s decision to restrict lending by its banks to subsidiaries in Emerging Europe reflects a broader shift in sentiment on the part of Western banks away from supporting units further east. This... 23rd November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Turkish tightening here to stay The Turkish central bank (CBRT) left its benchmark policy rate on hold today as expected, but the crucial point is that interest rates have already been hiked, albeit via the backdoor. Tighter... 23rd November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Chart Pack Euro crisis starts to bite Despite the deepening crisis in the euro-zone, data released over the past month showed that growth accelerated in a number of countries in Emerging Europe in the third quarter of this year. Yet while... 22nd November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Hungary: IMF fiasco highlights concerns over policy predictability It appears that Hungary’s efforts to re-engage with the IMF have run into trouble sooner than even we had anticipated. While much still remains uncertain, the government’s decision to announce it was... 18th November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update First thoughts on Hungary's move back to the IMF News that Hungary will commence talks with the IMF on a “new type of cooperation” is clearly a positive step following the turmoil seen in local markets over the past couple of weeks. The forint has... 17th November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Focus Russia's new oil tax: radical reform or damp squib? The relative stagnation in Russian oil production over the past few years has long been a concern for policymakers. However, it seems unlikely that the new, more favourable, tax regime for Russian oil... 16th November 2011 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Czech industrial market outlook darkens, but further rent falls unlikely The surge in the Czech industrial development pipeline has coincided with a marked softening in the occupier demand outlook. But we do not think that the vacancy rate will return to 2009’s highs... 15th November 2011 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Pillars of decent Q3 growth already crumbling The raft of third quarter GDP data released today contained some positive surprises – notably stronger than expected growth in Hungary and Romania. But given the speed at which the euro-crisis has... 15th November 2011 · 1 min read
