GDP

GDP figures for Q4 2010 have been revised up to 3.1% from the 2.8% forecast last month, helped by a rise in consumer spending and businesses restocking their inventories.

Irish economy contracted in the fourth quarter of 2010, shrinking 1.6% on the back of poor consumer spending, exports and investment.

Markets are starting to question whether the prospect of robust - albeit unevenly distributed - growth will be disrupted by rising inflation and increasing geo-political risk.

At this stage, it remains impossible to really judge confidently the scale of the damage from the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami that followed.

The UK's economic recovery slowed in the second half of last year and will remain 'subdued' throughout 2011, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts.

Barclays Capital's Luca Ricci and Amrita Sen believe investors who think the current short-term rise in inflation is temporary should think again…

The Monetary Policy Committee's forecasts for UK real growth are too optimistic, while concern mounts over its inaction in raising rates to stem rising inflation, says Threadneedle's Mark Burgess.

ON EMERGING MARKETS

ON EUROPE

The contraction in the UK economy in the last quarter of 2010 was slightly worse than previously estimated, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics released today.