Europe Economics Update ECB to maintain support for banks After leaving interest rates unchanged today, the ECB confirmed that it would continue to support the banking sector with unlimited liquidity provision. And its cautious tone regarding the economic... 8th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus Why the euro-zone needs to break up The threatened break-up of the euro-zone, which many see as a potential disaster, would actually open the door to renewed economic growth, not just for the weaker members of the zone, but for Europe... 7th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone break-up now more likely than not We have come to the conclusion that the balance of probabilities has swung against the euro-zone surviving in its present form. We have been brought to this point by our analysis of the problems of... 6th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Banking strains won’t ease soon On the face of it, there were some encouraging signs last week that the euro-zone banking system is becoming less reliant on the ECB for funding and is switching to borrowing from more conventional... 5th July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Unemployment & Producer prices (May) May’s euro-zone unemployment figures highlight the growing divergences between the core and peripheral euro-zone economies and add to evidence that the latter group’s economic woes are far from over. 2nd July 2010 · 1 min read
ECB Watch Pledging support for troubled banks With concerns about the euro-zone banking sector growing again, markets will be hoping for reassurance that the ECB will continue to provide ample liquidity. At the same time, the ECB is likely to... 1st July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Outlook Mixed economic growth prospects point to divergent property returns (Vol 2 2010) The euro-zone commercial property market outlook has been clouded by the sovereign debt crisis, but some markets are more exposed than others. Our latest forecasts envisage a growing divergence among... 1st July 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI & German Unemployment (Jun.) June’s euro-zone CPI data confirm that price pressures are very subdued. And while the continued fall in German unemployment brings hope of a modest consumer recovery there, it will not be strong... 30th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone EC Survey (Jun.) June’s small increase in the EC measure of euro-zone economic sentiment is a relief after falls in other surveys lately. But it still points to only a modest recovery in the region as a whole, with... 29th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Jun.) May’s euro-zone money supply and bank lending figures suggest that banks remain in no mood to lend, highlighting the need for the ECB to maintain its unconventional policy support measures. 28th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro-zone divergences widening Last week’s news on the euro-zone economy was fairly downbeat and suggested that divergences within the region have continued to widen. Germany, in particular, still seems to be benefitting from the... 28th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Are the euro-zone austerity measures working? Recent data on the public finances suggest that the euro-zone peripheral governments are broadly on track to meet their ambitious fiscal targets for 2010. But these governments still face an enormous... 25th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Jun.), Ger. & Italian Cons. Conf. (Jul./Jun.) June’s fall in the euro-zone composite PMI index is another sign that the announced austerity measures may be starting to take their toll on the economy. But for the time being at least, the index... 23rd June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro’s decline to resume before long On the face of it, the fact that the euro last week saw its strongest weekly gain in nine months might suggest that the worst is past for the single currency. The improvement could partly have... 21st June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response German ZEW (Jun.), E-Z Trade (Apr.) & Employment (Q1) June’s drop in German ZEW investor confidence is a worrying sign that fears about peripheral debt are damaging sentiment towards core euro-zone economies too. 15th June 2010 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (Apr.) The recovery in the euro-zone industrial sector continues apace. But it is far from clear that this will help the weakest economies in the region to cope with the coming fiscal squeeze. 14th June 2010 · 1 min read
