US Economics Update Fading optimism dragging investment growth lower The latest NFIB survey suggests that a combination of rising interest rates and weaker business optimism is beginning to weigh more heavily on investment growth. 12th February 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update US government debt unlikely to lose its appeal The news that China’s share of US Treasury holdings has fallen to a 12-year low, alongside the surging Federal budget deficit, has prompted the usual warnings that the US will struggle to find buyers... 11th February 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Dec.) The acceleration in broad money growth to a six-year high in December should put to rest any lingering concerns about the impact of the Fed’s balance sheet run-down on the economy. 5th February 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Fed’s new-found dovishness won’t prevent slowdown Even if the Fed has stopped hiking interest rates sooner than we originally envisaged, we doubt that will prevent a marked economic slowdown this year. After all, that dovishness was partly prompted... 5th February 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Tighter lending standards point to further slowdown The Fed’s latest Senior Loan Officer Survey suggests the slowdown in business equipment investment and rate-sensitive consumer spending growth will worsen in the coming months. Loan demand has... 4th February 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update "Patient" Fed will be cutting rates next year The dovish tone of the policy statement and press conference following today’s FOMC decision will reinforce expectations that the Fed is almost done raising interest rates. We think a sharp economic... 30th January 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Composition of the Fed’s balance sheet matters too With the “patient” Fed set to leave interest rates unchanged, attention has shifted to its plans for balance sheet normalisation. But focusing on the terminal size of the balance sheet misses an... 29th January 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Rising prime-age participation not all good news The increase in participation of those aged 25-54 is partly due to a structural decline in disability rates, but the more recent drop in fertility rates also appears to be playing a key role. That... 28th January 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Fed will need to cut rates again before long The Fed’s promise to be “patient” is why we now forecast just one additional rate hike in the first half of this year, with the fed funds rate peaking at 2.50-2.75%. But we are increasingly confident... 18th January 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Global slowdown adds to domestic headwinds Weaker global growth and the stronger dollar will cause a marked slowdown in US export growth this year. Alongside the domestic headwinds from the fading fiscal stimulus and tighter monetary policy... 16th January 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Too soon to assume Fed will repeat 2016 climb-down There is a clear possibility that, as in early 2016, slowing global growth and further weakness in financial markets will prompt the Fed to abandon its plans to continue hiking interest rates. With... 9th January 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Nov.) The slowdown in narrow money growth to a 10-year low in November is nothing to fear because it mainly reflects a shift in the portfolio demand for money. With broad money and bank loans expanding at a... 9th January 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Borrowing costs an increasing drag on investment The latest NFIB and JOLT surveys suggest that labour market conditions remain exceptionally tight, although higher interest rates are restraining business investment. 8th January 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Trump, Powell and Mnuchin Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell, even if President Donald Trump actually had the power to do so, would do little in practical terms to change the future course of monetary policy. Arguably the bigger... 8th January 2019 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Fed hikes, but less confident about future tightening The Fed hiked the fed funds target range by 25bp today, to between 2.25% and 2.50%, as most still expected, but tempered the move by slightly revising down Fed officials' projections for additional... 19th December 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Budget dispute raises risk of debt ceiling crisis in 2019 A partial government shutdown this Friday would probably have only a modest impact on the economy. With the current gridlock only likely to intensify once the Democrats assume control of the House... 19th December 2018 · 1 min read
