Inflation rises again, more rate cuts on the cards The further rise in Brazil’s headline inflation rate to 5.3% y/y in the first half of March means that, with Copom shrugging off the weakness of the latest activity data and inflation likely to rise …
27th March 2025
Data released this morning showed that euro-zone money and lending growth continued to accelerate in February, supporting the case of those at the ECB who would prefer to pause interest rate cuts in April. The narrow M1 measure of the money supply – which …
With GDP growth set to struggle and inflation to remain low, central banks are likely to continue to cut interest rates over the coming months. Overall, we expect most central banks to cut rates by 50bps-200bps between now and the end of the year. US …
This morning’s decision by Norges Bank not to follow through with the rate cut that it signalled in January was no surprise. The Bank also revised its interest rate projection up. We forecast two interest rate cuts this year, taking the policy rate down …
Norges Bank to cut very cautiously, if at all This morning’s decision by Norges Bank not to follow through with the rate cut that it signalled in January was no surprise. The Bank also revised its interest rate projection up. We forecast two interest rate …
Trump imposes 25% tariff on auto imports Following media reports at the start of this week that product-specific tariffs would be deferred, President Donald Trump has changed tack once again and announced that all finished motor vehicle imports will be …
26th March 2025
Table of Key Forecasts Overview – EM GDP growth picked up towards the end of last year, but the outlook is increasingly challenging – and not just because of US import tariffs. Weaker capital inflows, lower commodity prices and tight policy will all drag …
Despite saying the “world is changing”, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, today just tinkered with fiscal policy. This left the impression that bigger changes lie ahead. Indeed, the pressure to raise both defence and other public spending is only likely to …
The protectionist shift in the US will weigh heavily on Mexico’s economy, which at best might just eke out positive growth this year. The rest of the region is less exposed to tariffs, but tight policy and worsening terms of trade will weigh on growth, …
Overview – Increased US tariffs will exacerbate a broader slowdown in exports. China’s economy will also face continued drags from the property downturn and wider deflationary dynamics. A sizeable fiscal loosening will provide a partial offset but won’t …
Easing cycle paused, and space for additional rate cuts narrows The Czech National Bank (CNB) left its policy rate on hold today, at 3.75%, and we think that the scope for further interest rate cuts this year has become more limited. We had previously …
Physical retail demand has not only been shaped by online shopping, but also by shifting working patterns which have redistributed where we spend our money since COVID-19. Nevertheless, we expect a more even retail performance with the worst-hit …
For updated and more detailed analysis see here . Markets may be concerned about unfinished fiscal business Despite saying the “world is changing”, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, today just tinkered with fiscal policy. This left the impression that bigger …
Tariff effects help lift core orders Stronger orders for primary metals and fabricated metal products in February suggest that tariff effects helped to drive up core durable goods orders last month, while transportation orders also did better than we …
We think China’s tech stocks could rally a bit further yet, and perhaps outperform those globally for a while. The breakneck rally in China’s tech stocks has come to a shuddering halt lately. Thanks to a couple of sharp falls they’ve now made no ground …
The outlook for EM GDP growth appears increasingly challenging and our growth forecasts for this year generally sit below the consensus. Monetary easing will continue although, outside Asia, high inflation means that interest rate cuts will be smaller …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Temporary dip in inflation may not help the BoE or Chancellor much The dip in CPI inflation from 3.0% in January to 2.8% in February (CE & consensus 2.9%, BoE 2.8%) is a bit of a …
The Reserve Bank of Australia will leave policy settings unchanged at its upcoming meeting that ends on 1 st April and will probably still sound hawkish. However, with inflation set to soften a touch faster than the Bank had anticipated, we still expect …
Weakness in Australia’s underlying inflation points to May rate cut The weakness in underlying inflation means that the RBA will probably cut rates again 25bp in May and creates some downside risks to our forecast that the Bank will only cut rates to …
While the drop and partial rebound in the US stock market over recent weeks has in many ways followed a familiar pattern, it has also seen some relatively unusual characteristics that point to the potential for a wider and sustained reset in financial …
25th March 2025
The divergence between the struggling western metros and the better-performing southern metros remains the key story in office markets. That expectation is underpinned by both higher office utilization rates in southern metros and by their better …
Overview – We expect economic growth across the region to remain subdued, with most economies set to record below-trend and below-consensus growth this year. While lower interest rates will provide some support to growth, this boost is likely to be offset …
We think markets are too optimistic about Fed rate cuts this year, meaning the recent dip in mortgage rates is just a temporary respite. We expect rates to rebound to 7% and hover around that level throughout the rest of the year. There is still room for …
Environmental, Social and Governance, or ESG, investing has come under renewed pressure due to pushback from the new US president. Despite that, we think that demand for ESG investments is here to stay and that their performance won’t buckle much in the …
While US equity outperformance could reassert itself in the near term if concerns about US growth waned and enthusiasm about AI returned, we suspect that the longer-run story is brighter for equities elsewhere. US equity exceptionalism is under pressure. …
Small rebound in sales shows new home market still in good health After a large partly weather-driven fall in January, last month’s small rebound in new home sales was a little underwhelming but still illustrates that the market for new homes is in decent …
It is becoming clear that President Trump’s actions are driven by both his fixation on reducing the US trade deficit and his transactional approach to dealing with other countries. So, even though the Trump administration’s ideas to transform the entire …
House price inflation rises to five-month high The solid 0.5% m/m rise in house prices in January and accompanying pick-up in house price inflation to 4.7%, from 4.6%, confirms that the market has stopped cooling for now. While we still expect house price …
As expected, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveiled a slew of new spending measures in today’s pre-election Budget. However, we don’t believe the scope of fiscal expansion is large enough to keep the RBA from cutting rates a bit further this year. In …
MNB on hold, high inflation to tie new governors hands The Hungarian central bank (MNB) left its base rate unchanged today, at 6.50%, and we think its easing cycle will remain on pause throughout 2025 as inflation remains stuck above target. Analysts have …
Following President Trump’s threats of secondary tariffs on buyers of Venezuelan crude, the upside risks to oil prices from his foreign policy are crystallising. That said, OPEC+’s spare capacity and apparent willingness to raise output blunt some of the …
The protests that have swept several EMs in recent weeks are likely to have a longer-lasting economic impact in countries with weak balance sheets and/or where they lead to a major shift in policy. It’s too early to conclude that any of the affected EMs …
A combination of stronger oil output and a thriving non-oil economy will support stronger growth in the UAE’s economy this year, helping it to retain its crown as the fastest growing economy in the Gulf. The UAE has continued to abide by OPEC+ policy, in …
Because the concept of ‘reciprocal tariffs’ is merely a cover for the White House to impose whatever tariffs it likes, they pose a potentially considerable threat to world trade. This Update provides answers to ten questions regarding what we know, as …
This publication has been updated with additional analysis. Sentiment improving but activity still weak still weak The Ifo Business Climate Index (BCI) and other surveys for March confirm that the prospect of fiscal stimulus is boosting sentiment in …
Overview – Both Antipodean economies seem to have turned a corner at the end of last year, and we expect the recoveries to gather momentum in the coming quarters. Given the tight labour market and elevated public demand, we believe the RBA will only …
Our China Activity Proxy suggests that China’s economy slowed over January and February, driven by a sharp slowdown in services sector growth. Fiscal expenditure is set to pick up over the coming months, but that will largely be offset by the drag from US …
24th March 2025
Over the past month or so, economic data have generally surprised to the downside in the US, whereas they have done the opposite in the euro-zone. This may be one reason for the intervening shift in the performance of their stock markets. Admittedly, much …
The latest flash PMIs suggest that while economic activity may have picked up a bit in advanced economies towards the end of Q1, the outlook remains fairly bleak. And while inflation seems to finally be receding in the euro-zone, price pressures remain …
Overview – While tariffs and geopolitics complicate the near-term outlook for many commodities, the backdrop generally remains one of weak fundamentals; our end-2026 price forecasts for energy and industrial metals are well below consensus. Gold is a …
The further easing of core services inflation in Mexico in the first half of March combined with recent weak activity data paves the way for Banxico to deliver another 50bp cut at its meeting on Thursday. The headline rate was unchanged from the first …
How to fix the global economy? I explained last week why global trade imbalances matter and outlined a framework for thinking about a ‘grand bargain’ to reform the global trade system. The core challenge is reducing trade imbalances while keeping the …
Residential has been the Netherlands’ strongest performing commercial property sector since the GFC, with bumper rent growth a key contributor to that outperformance. Looking ahead, slower wage growth and inflation will bring an end to the recent boom in …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Stubbornly high UK price pressures will add to BoE’s worries With the downside risks on activity shrinking and high price pressures being sustained, the Bank of England is …
Weak data to bolster calls for monetary easing The weaker-than-expected February retail sales data out of Poland suggests that the economy may have slowed a bit more sharply than we had been anticipating this quarter. While this won’t prompt the central …
This publication has been updated with additional analysis. Germany recovering but euro-zone still weak February’s Flash Composite PMI provides more evidence that, after expanding by only 0.1% in Q4, the euro-zone economy remains all but stagnant in Q1. …
While Korea’s productivity growth has slowed, this has been offset by faster employment growth as more women and elderly have entered the labour market. If that trend continues and productivity growth picks up a bit in response to the AI revolution, …
Could a ‘Mar-a-Lago Accord’ fix what ails the US balance of payments? Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing is on the show this week to tackle the various ideas around what the Trump administration could do to address long-standing global imbalances. He …
21st March 2025
The dollar is ending the week broadly flat on net, continuing its stabilisation after February’s sell-off. With the latest round of central bank policy announcements in the rear view mirror (having brought no major surprises) and the Trump …
The prospect of looser fiscal policy in Germany isn’t the only significant reason MSCI’s Europe Index has outperformed its USA Index since Donald Trump returned to the White House. The ‘big-tech’ sectors’ fall from grace in the US has also been very …
