Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Mar.) March’s further rise in the euro-zone composite PMI adds to the signs that the region’s economic recovery may have picked up a bit of pace in Q1. But growth remains pretty sluggish and France is still... 24th March 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update France will struggle to meet its new fiscal targets, again While France has been given an extra two years to meet its new budget targets set by Brussels, we think that it will still struggle to achieve the necessary fiscal consolidation given France’s... 16th March 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response French & Italian Industrial Production (Jan.) January’s French industrial data support the message from the German and Spanish releases that activity was expanding slowly at the start of the year. But the fall in Italian production suggests that... 10th March 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Feb.) After consolidating their fiscal positions in 2014, the peripheral economies had a mixed start to 2015. Ireland and Italy both fared comparatively well but Portugal and Greece struggled. 3rd March 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Focus Paris offices: Gearing up for rental growth Although French employment growth is forecast to remain lethargic, the limited development pipeline and occupiers’ preference for modern, centrally-located space will drive an improvement in the... 26th February 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update French structural reform efforts welcome but insufficient The French Government’s decision yesterday to force its reform package through the lower house of Parliament showed a welcome political commitment to implement growth-boosting measures. But the bill... 18th February 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Grexit risks rising Several developments last week arguably brought Greece closer to exiting the euro-zone than it has ever been. While the Government appeared to give ground on its demands for debt restructuring, its... 6th February 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Jan.) The latest fiscal data suggest that the peripheral economies continued to strengthen their budget positions at the end of last year. But many look set to have missed their 2014 targets and Greece’s... 6th February 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Rise of populist parties unlikely to end austerity Syriza’s victory in the Greek general election may increase the influence of anti-austerity parties elsewhere in the euro-zone, most notably Podemos in Spain. But resistance from Germany seems set to... 27th January 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Crisis 2.0? The onset of deflation in the euro-zone and the recent developments in Greece have served as powerful reminders of the lasting effects of the region’s debt crisis. The ECB will seek to tackle... 20th January 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Lower oil prices unlikely to drive French retail recovery in 2015 With the outlook for French consumer spending still weak and flows of wealthy tourists unlikely to grow in the short-term, retail rents in Paris and Lyon are unlikely to experience particularly strong... 15th January 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German, French and Spanish Industrial Production (Nov.) November’s country data on industrial production and trade suggest that the euro-zone’s major economies have continued to stagnate at best, increasing the threat of a prolonged bout of deflation in... 9th January 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Outlook Further yield compression to boost capital values Further monetary easing from the ECB is unlikely to be decisive enough to put the euro-zone on a stronger growth trajectory, implying that the outlook for occupier markets is subdued. Nevertheless... 4th December 2014 · 1 min read
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 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 Data Response German & French GDP (Q3) Q3’s near stagnation of the German economy confirmed that economic weakness has spread to the core of the single currency area. While France performed marginally better, it seems that the euro-zone... 14th November 2014 · 1 min read