US Economics Update AI already making a big contribution to productivity growth The further gains in GDP in the ICT industries in the third quarter, despite another fall in employment, is a clear sign to us that AI is boosting productivity. While other factors help to explain the... 5th February 2026 · 4 mins read
US Economics Update JOLTS challenges view that the jobs market has stabilised The large downside surprise in December job openings may concern Fed officials and suggest they were premature to remove language in last month’s policy statement emphasising elevated downside risks... 5th February 2026 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Update Dovish BoE supports our view that rates will be cut to 3.00% While leaving interest rates at 3.75% today, as widely expected, the Bank of England sounded more dovish than we anticipated. This this supports our long-held view that interest rates will be reduced... 5th February 2026 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response Bank of England Policy Announcement (5th Feb. 2026) While leaving interest rates at 3.75% today (as widely expected), the Bank of England sounded more dovish than we expected, which supports our long-held view that interest rates will be reduced to 3... 5th February 2026 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update How much of a buffer do government assets provide? Japan’s government holds more financial assets than governments elsewhere. While the value of the government’s domestic asset holdings could plunge during a crisis, a large share is invested overseas... 5th February 2026 · 4 mins read
Canada Economics Update Insufficient defence spending plans won’t lift GDP growth The newly-planned rise in defence expenditure marks a much-needed shift from the Trudeau era but is still too small to sufficiently lift spending above 2% of GDP or generate significant multiplier... 4th February 2026 · 6 mins read
UK Housing Market Update Higher LTI ratios to boost UK mortgage lending By allowing mortgage lenders to lend more for any given level of borrowers’ income, the relaxation of the cap on high loan-to-income lending last year suggests gross mortgage lending will rise faster... 4th February 2026 · 3 mins read
US Housing Market Rapid Response US Mortgage Applications (Jan. 2026) The large 8% rise in home purchase mortgage applications in January lifted them to their highest level in three years and is consistent with existing home sales rising to around 4.5m annualised over... 4th February 2026 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update RBA will hike rates to 4.35% The recent pick-up in economic activity and inflation suggests that the neutral rate of interest may now be closer to 4% instead of the RBA’s estimate of around 3.5%. Given that the RBA believes that... 4th February 2026 · 4 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Rapid Response New Zealand Labour Market (Q4 2025) The modest rise in New Zealand’s jobless rate in Q4 masks the fact that underlying labour market conditions have started to improve. That said, we still think policy tightening won’t be on the Bank’s... 3rd February 2026 · 2 mins read
Global Inflation Watch Global inflation to undershoot consensus forecasts Global inflation looks set to undershoot consensus forecasts, amid falling commodity prices, cooling labour markets, and an absence of inflationary spillovers from tariffs. In the US, we expect core... 3rd February 2026 · 18 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update RBA raises rates, leaves door ajar for further hikes The Reserve Bank of Australia struck an unambiguously hawkish tone when it raised rates by 25bp at its meeting today. Our base case is that the Bank will deliver only one more 25bp hike this year, but... 3rd February 2026 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Rapid Response Reserve Bank of Australia Meeting (Feb. 2026) The RBA continued to sound concerned about rising capacity pressures when it lifted its cash rate by 25bp today. There is a growing risk that rates will need to be taken above the 4.10% peak we have... 3rd February 2026 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response US ISM Manufacturing Index (Jan 2026) The surge in the ISM Manufacturing Index in January suggests that after years of malaise, perhaps the manufacturing sector might be turning a corner. While the headline index is still at a level that... 2nd February 2026 · 2 mins read
UK Economics Chart Pack UK Economics Chart Pack (Feb. 2026) The data published since the start of the year suggest economic activity and price pressures have strengthened. But we still expect annual GDP growth to slow and the weak labour market to weigh on... 2nd February 2026 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Focus BoJ policy rate will rise to 2.5% over coming decade We now believe that the BoJ’s policy rate will climb to 2.5% during the 2030s as inflation settles at higher levels, potential growth picks up and a shift in incentives alters the balance between... 2nd February 2026 · 13 mins read
