Welcome to the April 25 Weekly Overview

I've been attending conferences in Brussels and Bruges focussed on difficulties Europe is having with a rising narrative of fragmentation of both the Eurozone and the EU, plus loss of industrial companies to more competitive economies - including the new energy-cheap United States

Welcome to the April 25 Weekly Overview.

This is the last Thursday of the month so if you have a minute free please click here and complete our regular survey. Many thanks to past respondents.

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A full pdf copy of the Weekly Overview is loaded here.

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/WO-April-25.pdf

Video commentary to accompany the Weekly Overview is loaded here. 3.53 minutes

http://youtu.be/MRgwD4e_gjc

New subscribers can be added to the emailing list here.

http://feedback.bnz.co.nz/mail/link/_7xH9hSznqIlicETHydMEQ

This link will take you to a Radiolive interview I did last Friday morning regarding Auckland housing.

http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Why-Aucklands-property-market-is-not-in-a-bubble/tabid/506/articleID/34818/Default.aspx

Lead Article – What I learnt in Brussels

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/regular-publications/bnz-weekly-overview/weekly-overview-lead-article/what-i-learnt-in-brussels/

I attended a one day conference in Brussels organised by ten think-tanks and examining the issue of EU Federation or Fragmentation. There is an underlying and seemingly growing thread of disunity in the EU in spite of outsiders queuing up to get in. The European economy is going to be weak for many years. 1,805 words

What I learnt in Bruges

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/regular-publications/bnz-weekly-overview/weekly-overview-lead-article/what-i-learnt-in-bruges/

After Brussels I travelled to the medieval town of Bruges for a conference on innovation in Europe. A paper presented by Deloittes concluded that the primary decision behind location choice for manufacturing companies is talent-driven innovation. Europe will need a lot of it as there is a long list of factors chipping away at their global locational competitiveness. 1,001 words.

In Bruges – Waffles and tourists

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/regular-publications/bnz-weekly-overview/weekly-overview-lead-article/in-bruges/

Actually, all we received of worth this week were the REINZ monthly data covered in the housing section and March quarter inflation numbers covered in the interest rates section. So there is nothing to place here this week. 417 words

NZ Housing Market

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/regular-publications/bnz-weekly-overview/housing-market/pollution-in-china-will-push-nz-house-prices-higher/

The more polluted China gets the more upward pressure there will be on Auckland house prices. 349 words

Interest Rates

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/regular-publications/bnz-weekly-overview/interest-rates/no-ocr-change-no-surprise/

The Reserve Bank left the cash rate at 2.5% as expected but in warning about the damage from the high NZD actually sent it higher. 399 words

Offshore

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/regular-publications/bnz-weekly-overview/offshore-economies/global-outlook-edging-lower-again/

Data releases have been weak recently and new caution is sweeping the globe. Yet money printing will keep pushing asset prices higher. This is not a healthy situation. 1,180 words.

Exchange Rates

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/regular-publications/bnz-weekly-overview/exchange-rates/nzd-rising-against-the-aud/

The NZD has hit a three and a half year high against the Aussie dollar. Here is why. 496 words

Some things are best kept private - introduction to BNZ Private Bank

If you would like to speak with one of our Private Bankers to review your personal situation, feel free to contact us for a discreet obligation free discussion on 0800 477 077 or email us at privatebank@bnz.co.nz. To find out more about BNZ Private Bank, please visit www.bnzprivatebank.co.nz

Tony Alexander produces five regular publications.

The monthly Growing With China issues are here.

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/topics/china/

The monthly Brain Gain NZ can be located here.

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/topics/brain-gain-nz/

The Weekly Overviews are loaded here.

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/topics/regular-publications/bnz-weekly-overview/

The monthly BNZ-REINZ Residential Market Surveys are posted here.

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/topics/surveys/bnz-reinz-survey/

The monthly BNZ Confidence Surveys are available here.

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/topics/surveys/bnz-confidence-survey/

Other recent publications include the following.

Sources of Western Apprehension About China

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Sources-of-Western-Apprehension.pdf

Expat Experiences of NZ Hiring

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Expathiring.pdf

Advice from NZ employers to expats and migrants

http://66.147.244.100/~braingai/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Employer-Survey-March-2013.pdf

19 Reasons Why Auckland House Prices Will Keep Rising. Page 5 of

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/WONovember-1.pdf

Massey University Symposium Handout on Housing Affordability

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Massey-March-2013.pdf

Kiwi Business Locus of Control at a Distance

http://tonyalexander.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Locus-of-Control.pdf

All the best

Tony Alexander

Chief Economist

www.tonyalexander.co.nz

LinkedIn Profile

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tony-alexander/34/818/260

ENDS

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