US Economic Outlook Economy to avoid recession narrowly We expect the economy to avoid a recession only narrowly, as higher interest rates trigger a contraction in residential investment and weakness in consumption growth. Core inflation has been stronger... 19th July 2022 · 23 mins read
US Data Response Retail Sales (Jun.) The 1.0% m/m rise in retail sales in June isn’t as good as it looks, as it mainly reflects the boost to nominal sales values from surging prices. Real consumption appears to have been largely stagnant... 15th July 2022 · 2 mins read
US Economics Weekly Market moves may give the Fed an easier task With the June employment report suggesting fears of an imminent recession are misplaced, the Fed looks set to press ahead with aggressive rate hikes over the coming months. That said, recent sharp... 8th July 2022 · 8 mins read
US Data Response Employment Report (Jun.) The strong 372,000 gain in non-farm payrolls in June appears to make a mockery of claims the economy is heading into, let alone already in, a recession. That may be enough to solidify the case for... 8th July 2022 · 2 mins read
Commodity price declines may shape Fed’s rate-hike path, says economist “The plunge in commodity prices has been particularly notable, with fears over global demand driving oil, agricultural and industrial metals prices sharply lower over the past few weeks,” Andrew... 8th July 2022 · MarketWatch
US Data Response International Trade (May) The further narrowing in the trade deficit in May reflects the strength of exports and implies that net trade provided a decent boost to second-quarter GDP growth, which we estimate was close to 1%... 7th July 2022 · 2 mins read
US Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (May) The sharp slowdown in money growth is set to continue as the Fed’s monetary tightening ramps up, but the resilience of bank lending suggests the impact on the economy will be limited. Payrolls Drop-In... 6th July 2022 · 3 mins read
US Data Response ISM Manufacturing Index (Jun.) The fall in the ISM manufacturing index to a two-year low of 53.0 in June, from 56.1, will probably add to fears over the health of the economy. That said, for now it is still consistent on past form... 1st July 2022 · 2 mins read
US Employment Report Preview Employment growth slowing, but no sign of collapse We forecast that payroll employment growth slowed fairly sharply in June, but remained solid at 250,000. That should be enough to keep the Fed on track for another 75bp rate hike in July. Payrolls... 30th June 2022 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update Easing shortages to push down core goods inflation There has been little sign that price pressures have eased yet, but the survey evidence suggests that supply shortages continue to improve. That reinforces our view that core goods inflation will fall... 29th June 2022 · 2 mins read
US Economics Weekly Fed refuses to blink, as growth fears mount Chair Jerome Powell signalled this week that the Fed will press ahead with its planned series of aggressive interest rate hikes, even as evidence mounts that economic growth will be weak in the second... 24th June 2022 · 7 mins read
US Chart Pack Recession fears overdone The surge in interest rates, plunge in the stock market and weakness of consumer confidence have fuelled fears of an impending recession, but there is still little sign of that in the incoming... 23rd June 2022 · 8 mins read
US Data Response Industrial Production (May) The muted 0.2% m/m rise in industrial production in May adds to the evidence that the economy is slowing. But there is still little in activity data to suggest a recession is on the horizon, or to... 17th June 2022 · 2 mins read
US Data Response Retail Sales (May) The 0.3% m/m fall in retail sales in May and downward revisions to previous months’ gains suggest that surging prices might finally be taking their toll on real consumption. But with the latter still... 15th June 2022 · 2 mins read
US Fed Watch 50bp hikes to continue until inflation slows The Fed is set to hike interest rates by 50bp at its meeting next week and to signal that a similar move is coming in July. We still think a drop back in inflation will allow officials to ease the... 8th June 2022 · 8 mins read
US Economics Update Is low household saving a serious threat? We doubt that the low saving rate represents a serious threat to the economy. But with slower employment growth likely to limit gains in income later this year, it adds to our sense that the recent... 2nd June 2022 · 2 mins read
