Europe Economics Update The strong euro won’t be all bad - just mostly The rise in the euro is not unambiguously bad for the euro-zone economy. But the negatives are likely to outweigh the positives. 6th February 2013 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt's FX reserves fall below "critical" threshold The fall in Egypt’s FX reserves last month underlines the limited firepower that the authorities have to stem depreciation pressures on the pound. We think the pound could fall a further 10% or so... 5th February 2013 · 1 min read
China Economics Focus Why are China's banks stockpiling foreign exchange? With the People’s Bank determined to limit renminbi appreciation but reluctant to add to its foreign currency reserves, China’s commercial banks have taken on the role of the economy’s foreign... 4th February 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Is yen weakness a threat to emerging Asia? The yen has significantly weakened against Asian currencies in the last few months. Given the similarity of many of their exports, Korean exporters look most vulnerable to a depreciating yen. However... 4th February 2013 · 1 min read
Global Markets Outlook A see-saw year ahead for risky assets We now think risky assets will generally fare quite well in the first half of 2013, as tension in the euro-zone continues to ease and the Fed expands its balance sheet further. We expect these factors... 30th January 2013 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Middle East Markets Monitor (Jan.) The Egyptian pound has fallen sharply over the past month after the Central Bank of Egypt loosened its grip on the currency. We think the pound could fall by a further 10-15% to around 7.5/US$... 29th January 2013 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Can exporters shrug off the euro's rise? The euro’s appreciation over recent months may not necessarily prove disastrous for exporters. But with domestic demand likely to continue to contract, the strong currency reduces the chances of the... 29th January 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Peso strength and rupiah weakness to continue Despite a similarly strong economic performance last year, the currencies of Indonesia and the Philippines have gone in opposite directions, with the peso significantly outperforming the rupiah. In... 28th January 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Equities and currencies take divergent paths This is the first edition of our new monthly Africa Markets Monitor. The purpose of this publication is to analyse major developments in local markets over the past month, and to give an update on our... 25th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update A new front in the "currency war" An improvement in risk appetite since the turn of the year has supported further gains in Latin American financial markets. But with the good news has come renewed upward pressure on the region’s... 24th January 2013 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update What does the depreciation of sterling mean for prime London property? The slight drop in the value of sterling in recent months has reduced the value of prime London property held by overseas buyers. But with the euro-zone crisis only contained, rather than solved, we... 24th January 2013 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Phoney “currency wars” could still have real effects The Bank of Japan’s adoption of an explicit 2% inflation target, as called for by the new government, has revived talk of “currency wars”, especially as this new target will be backed up by “open... 23rd January 2013 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update What next for the yen? Despite the hype about “bold moves” and “unlimited easing”, the markets have been underwhelmed by the announcements made by the Bank of Japan today. This muted reaction makes sense, as there was... 22nd January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Bright start to the year as global tensions ease This is the first edition of our new monthly Latin America Markets Monitor. The purpose of this publication is to analyse the developments in local markets over the past month and give an update on... 22nd January 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Gathering momentum? Asian growth looks to have picked up late last year and is likely to fare well in the near term. However, growth in 2013-14 is unlikely to be strong due to lacklustre external demand and structural... 17th January 2013 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Sharp fall in the pound wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing Concerns are building that sterling is on the brink of a sharp fall. While certainly possible, it is not as inevitable as some appear to assume. And it might not be such a bad thing in any case. 16th January 2013 · 1 min read
