Europe Data Response German GDP (Q3) & French Business Confidence (Nov.) The second release of Q3 German GDP confirmed that the economy expanded by a meagre 0.1%. The breakdown offered some hope, with consumer spending and exports rising strongly, but surveys suggest that... 25th November 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Milan office vacancy rate set to rise further Italy’s weak economic outlook suggests that occupier demand in Milan will continue to be driven by companies seeking to consolidate space. As such, over the coming quarters the vacancy rate will... 20th November 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone GDP (Q3 Prov.) The small expansion in the euro-zone economy in Q3 has not diminished the need for both the European Central Bank (ECB) and national governments to respond to the persistent risk of deflation in the... 14th November 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Oct.) All peripheral economies narrowed their budget deficits in September but France and Italy submitted draft budgets that flouted EU fiscal rules. 3rd November 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Italian labour market reform won’t transform economy The Italian Prime Minister’s package of labour market reforms is a step in the right direction, but reform efforts are moving too slowly to ensure a meaningful reduction in unemployment or improvement... 31st October 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Oct.) October’s EC Business and Consumer Survey suggests that the euro-zone economy got off to a weak start in Q4, after broadly stagnating in Q3. 30th October 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Stress tests offer some relief, but not for Italy On the whole, the results of Europe’s bank stress tests were positive, implying that the heavy drag that falls in bank lending have exerted on the euro-zone economy may be set to ease. But poor... 27th October 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Stress tests to put spotlight on Italy and Greece The Comprehensive Assessment of the euro-zone’s banks published on Sunday should go some way towards restoring sentiment in the banking sector. After all, the adverse economic scenarios to which the... 24th October 2014 · 1 min read
DM Valuations Monitor Credit spreads in Italy and Spain are likely to rise further The average yield spread of 10-year Italian and Spanish sovereign bonds over German Bunds has surged by almost 20 basis points over the past month. We suspect that it may rise further. One reason for... 22nd October 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Stalled recovery adds to pressure on policymakers The European economic recovery has weakened, with the euro-zone now at risk of recession and countries outside the region feeling the effects on their exports. While the euro-zone’s peripheral... 13th October 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update What impact will weak economic growth have on Italian retail rents? The relationship between retail sales growth and prime high street rental growth in Italy has broken down in recent years as occupier demand has been driven mainly by luxury retailers. Accordingly, we... 25th September 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Looser credit standards may help Italian firms More favourable terms and conditions for loans to Italian firms point to a possible pick-up ininvestment and industrial production in the coming quarters. However, there is little evidence we willsee... 8th September 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Stalled recovery intensifies pressure on the ECB The euro-zone’s economic recovery came to a complete halt in the second quarter at what shouldhave been a very early stage. There were some temporary factors at play which suggest thatgrowth should... 18th August 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone GDP (Q2 Prov.) The stagnation of the euro-zone economy in the second quarter further underlinedthe need for the European Central Bank (ECB) to take bolder policy action to addressthe continued weakness of the... 14th August 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Italian GDP (Q2, Prov.) The second consecutive fall in GDP underlines that Italy’s crisis is not over yet. Withpublic debt still rising, market pressures on the country may yet start to build. 6th August 2014 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update What explains the weakness of Belgian and Italian investment? Belgium’s weak economic fundamentals mean it sits near the bottom of the rankings in terms of core euro-zone commercial property investment destinations. While Italy suffers from an even weaker... 22nd July 2014 · 1 min read