Asia Economics Update Korea leads the way on capital controls Curbs on capital flows recently announced in Korea are designed to reduce extreme swings in the won and are not an attempt to influence where the currency will move over the long run. Korea is a... 15th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro-zone banks back in the spotlight The past week’s data have added to concerns that strains in the region’s periphery are spreading to broader economic activity. While business sentiment remains consistent with a continued recovery for... 7th June 2010 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (May) The broad money supply has finally started to grow at the rates the MPC was aiming for when it began its policy of quantitative easing (QE). However, we are yet to see a decent pick-up in bank lending... 2nd June 2010 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Mortgage Lending (Apr.) The latest rise in mortgage approvals for house purchase cannot disguise the bigger picture of a lending market that is depressed. The subdued picture for net lending might also mean that anyone... 2nd June 2010 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Mortgage Lending (Apr.) The latest rise in mortgage approvals for house purchase cannot disguise the bigger picture of a lending market that is depressed. The subdued picture for net lending might also mean that anyone... 2nd June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Bank levy squabbles don’t bode well for fiscal union A bank levy along the lines of that recently proposed by the European Commission seems unlikely to alter banks’ behaviour or the state of European public finances dramatically. But the difficulty in... 27th May 2010 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Weaker euro-zone to stem Swiss recovery Switzerland’s low levels of public and private sector debt suggest that it will continue to out-grow the euro-zone over the next couple of years. But it will suffer from strong trade links with the... 19th May 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Economy Watchers Survey & Bank Lending (Apr.) The surge in the main balances of Japan’s Economy Watchers Survey (EWS) in April is further evidence of a strong and increasingly broad-based recovery, consistent with our well-above consensus GDP... 13th May 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update What's really behind the weakness in bank lending? Claims that the current weakness of bank lending is due to the poaching of deposits by Japan Post make no sense. The real reason is the lack of demand for this type of credit. 11th May 2010 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Apr.) There are finally tentative signs that the Bank of England’s programme of quantitative easing (QE) is boosting the broad money supply. However, bank lending, particularly to businesses, remains weak. 4th May 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Is Greece the next Lehmans? The crisis in Greece could pose as big a risk to the global economy and financial markets as the collapse of Lehman Brothers did in September 2008. In some respects the wider fall-out might even be... 28th April 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Could a banking crisis add to Greek woes? Greek bond yields have continued to surge as doubts remain over whether the euro-zone will actually be able to provide financial support to Greece. But a growing worry is that the ongoing crisis... 15th April 2010 · 1 min read
