Emerging Europe Economics Update Russia: energy windfall masks deeper economic issues Russia is one of the main beneficiaries of the energy shock and we expect a smaller budget deficit, a larger current account surplus and a stronger ruble than we forecast before the Iran war started... 28th May 2026 · 5 mins read
Europe Economics Update Italy growing slowly but jobs market will remain tight Italy’s unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since the mid-1970s, but recent declines have been driven by young people leaving the labour force rather than rising employment. Even if the... 28th May 2026 · 2 mins read
Europe Commercial Property Valuation Monitor Europe Commercial Property Valuation Monitor (Q2 2026) Commercial property valuations worsened in Q1 as the Iran war pushed alternative asset yields higher. Looking ahead, valuations could worsen further and property yields could come under upward... 28th May 2026 · 0 mins read
Europe Rapid Response Euro-zone EC Survey (May) Although the EC Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rose slightly in May and selling price expectations fell back a touch, the big picture is unchanged: the euro-zone has suffered a significant... 28th May 2026 · 2 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Emerging Markets Capital Flows Monitor (May 2026) Capital outflows from EMs have generally eased over the past month. Further progress in talks between the US and Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz would help outflows to decline further. But even... 26th May 2026 · 2 mins read
UK Economics Update How will the UK government raise defence spending? An increase in defence spending could represent a significant source of extra demand in the UK. But the UK’s weak fiscal position suggests higher defence spending will need to be mostly funded by tax... 26th May 2026 · 6 mins read
Emerging Europe Rapid Response Hungary Interest Rate Announcement (May 2026) Hungary’s central bank (MNB) kept the base rate at 6.25% today, but weak price pressures and the rally in the forint suggest that the door has opened to easing, with a 25bp cut a possibility at the... 26th May 2026 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Rapid Response Israel Interest Rate Announcement (May 2026) The Bank of Israel (BoI) restarted its easing cycle at today’s meeting, reducing its policy rate by 25bp, to 3.75%, and we think another cut of the same size is likely in July too. 25th May 2026 · 2 mins read
UK Commercial Property Chart Pack UK Commercial Property Chart Pack (May 26) The risks to the commercial property market from the Iran war are increasing, and the longer risk-free interest rates remain elevated the more likely that will feed through to higher property yields... 22nd May 2026 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Labour market too weak to generate big second-round effects We have been saying for some time that the current economic backdrop is much less conducive to a long-lasting bout of inflation than it was in 2022. This week’s news only adds to that feeling. As a... 22nd May 2026 · 4 mins read
Commodities Weekly “Waiving” goodbye to Russian sanctions? The US sanctions waiver permitting purchases of Russian oil has helped, at the margin, cushion the impact of lost supply from the Middle East so far. Looking ahead, given that European natural gas... 22nd May 2026 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Economic growth may stall in Q2 The downbeat set of business surveys for May which were published this week have prompted us to shave our forecast for quarterly GDP growth to zero in Q2. Further ahead, an outright recession is... 22nd May 2026 · 6 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Weekly Markets rattled in Turkey, stagflation risks in Poland The ruling by a Turkish court which removed the opposition leader from his position has sparked capital outflows and will compound strains in the balance of payments resulting from the energy shock... 22nd May 2026 · 6 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Retail Sales & Public Finances (Apr. 2026) The drop in retail sales volumes and the public borrowing overshoot in April highlights the deteriorating growth outlook and fragile fiscal backdrop that will face whoever is in 10 Downing Street. 22nd May 2026 · 3 mins read
Europe Rapid Response Euro-zone Consumer Confidence (May 2026) The drop in consumer confidence since the Iran war began, together with the weakness in the business surveys, suggests that the euro-zone economy might contract in Q2. 21st May 2026 · 2 mins read
UK Housing Market Update What would a new PM mean for the housing market? None of the three leading candidates to replace Starmer as Prime Minister advocate an increase in total housing supply, not least due to the fiscal constraints. But Rayner and Burnham may be more... 21st May 2026 · 4 mins read
