We expect growth to slow and inflation to drop to central bank targets in major DMs in 2024. But the latest business expectations surveys on the face of it suggest that the risks to our forecasts are tilted towards activity and inflation being more …
15th November 2023
Investors seem to be banking on a “Goldilocks” US economic environment which, if sustained, might lead to bull markets for most bonds, equities, and currencies. But we think this is a bit optimistic. Financial markets are having a great time since the …
Economy overheating, central bank has more work to do The rise in Russian GDP growth to 5.5% y/y in Q3 was larger than expected and adds to evidence that the economy continued to overheat last quarter. With fiscal policy set to loosen further and …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Struggling for momentum The softer-than-expected 0.2% q/q rise in Colombian GDP in Q3, coming alongside signs that the economy was weakening towards the end of the quarter, …
Measures of cross-asset volatility and risk premia suggest that investors are increasingly discounting a fairly rosy market environment over the coming months. This leaves them at risk of disappointment if, as remains our central forecast, the US economy …
November’s IPF Consensus Survey showed that, although euro-zone office rental growth is expected to slow next year, forecasts remained unchanged on average from the May survey. In contrast, given the ongoing deterioration in office leasing and the weak …
Manufacturing and wholesale trade GDP broadly unchanged in September The slightly better-than-expected gains in manufacturing and wholesale sales in September do not change the big picture that GDP in each sector was probably largely unchanged, supporting …
Despite the indefatigable consumer, price pressures fading fast Retail sales values fell by 0.1% m/m in October, but the decline was principally due to a price-related drop back in gasoline station sales and a modest 1.0% m/m decline in motor vehicle …
The squeeze on Russia’s budget and current account positions has eased over the second half of this year, largely thanks to a rise in oil prices. Higher energy revenues next year should help to limit the impact of a surge in military spending on the …
Our forecasts for commercial real estate values remain well below consensus, even after the latest downgrade. While our sector rankings are consistent with the consensus, we are predicting a more substantial rise in cap rates by end-2025, which will see …
With the government still languishing far behind in the opinion polls and an election required before the end of January 2025, the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is under more pressure than ever to pull something out of the bag at the Autumn Statement on …
The latest Saudi GDP data paint a downbeat picture in which the recession has deepened amid oil output cuts. But the good news is that the recession looks to be coming to an end. And we think the economy will begin to recover over the coming quarters as …
Inflation quickens again, putting more pressure on the CBN to act Nigeria’s headline inflation accelerated again to 27.3% y/y in September, as the removal of fuel subsidies and the naira’s struggles continued to feed through. The central bank will need to …
Retail recovery helping to offset industrial weakness September’s activity data for South Africa suggest that the economy probably stagnated over Q3 as a whole. Some of the recent drags on the economy, such as loadshedding, are likely to ease in 2024 but …
We think that bonds in Emerging Markets (EMs) will struggle in the next couple of months. Further ahead, though, we expect their yields to fall, as both “risk-free” rates and spreads drop. The yields of EM local-currency and dollar-denominated bonds have …
This publication has been updated with additional analysis. Output to continue falling Euro-zone industrial production fell in September and is likely to continue contracting in the final quarter of the year, primarily due to weak demand. The 1.1% m/m …
This webpage has been updated with additional analysis, as well as a Chart and Table of key data. Saudi Arabia’s headline inflation rate edged down from 1.7% y/y in September to 1.6% y/y in October, the weakest pace of inflation in nearly two years, and …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Slower progress ahead after big plunge The fall in CPI inflation from 6.7% in September to 4.6% in October was a bit bigger than expected (consensus and BoE forecasts 4.8%, CE …
This page has been updated with additional analysis and charts since first publication. Note: Join our Drop-In briefing on Thursday 16th November on the Xi-Biden meeting, the fracturing of the global economy, and what this means for Saudi Arabian …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Wage growth has likely peaked Notwithstanding the acceleration in wage growth last quarter, we doubt that the Reserve Bank of Australia will tighten policy any further. The 1.3% …
GDP (Q3 2023, Preliminary) Tepid Q3 GDP outturn sets the tone for 2024 GDP growth weakened sharply in the third quarter and we expect it to remain soft next year. The 0.5% q/q contraction in Q3 GDP (-2.1% annualised) was much weaker than the analyst …
While past dips in the 10-year Treasury yield since inflation peaked proved to be short lived, we think that yield will continue to fall from here. Investors have taken the softer-than-expected US CPI data for October, published today, as confirmation …
14th November 2023
While wage growth will continue to slow, the smaller-than-expected fall in September supports our view that the Bank of England will keep rates on hold at their current level of 5.25% until late in 2024. Wage growth eased more slowly than we and most had …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Downward pressure on core inflation resumes The softer 0.2% m/m rise in core consumer prices in October makes it even less likely that the Fed will raise rates any further, and …
A lack of appropriate regulation may be one reason why ESG bond issuance has slowed over recent years, and why the premium that investors are willing to pay for ESG bonds over conventional bonds has all but evaporated. We think that improved regulations, …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Weak economy will cool labour market from here We do not think the slight acceleration in employment growth in Q3 is a sign of things to come. With business surveys deep in …
Past the worst Q3 GDP figures out of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) showed a mixed performance across the region, but as a whole CEE economies appear to be past the worst of the downturn. With households’ real incomes rising again after last year’s …
Rise in target measure of inflation supports case for another hike The increase in the Riksbank’s target measure of inflation in October was broadly as anticipated and does not change our view that, while it will be a close call, policymakers are most …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Wage growth continues to ease, but only slowly With wage growth continuing to ease and signs that a further loosening in the labour market lies ahead, higher interest rates …
Moody’s decision to revise down its outlook for the US sovereign credit rating may add to the growing sense that market participants are becoming more worried about the fiscal outlook in the US. So, it is worth assessing to what extent such concerns are …
13th November 2023
Economists from our UK, Markets and UK Housing teams recently held a special post-Autumn statement online briefing. During this 20-minute session, Chief UK Economist Paul Dales and the team answered client questions and addressed key issues, including: …
Data over the weekend showed that Egypt’s inflation rate slowed, confirming that September marked the peak, and our baseline scenario is that it will continue to drop back as we head into 2024. The main risk to our view is that there is a disorderly …
Second month of declining loan balances and plenty more to come The second consecutive monthly decline in outstanding commercial real estate loan balances held by US banks in October means the data are starting to reflect the pullback in real estate …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Renewed food price spike the key inflation threat Headline consumer price inflation edged down to a four-month low of 4.9% y/y in October, but that’s already old news given the …
Bond markets have been on the proverbial rollercoaster over the past month, with long-dated yields shooting up over the second half of October only for both long and short-dated yields to collapse over the past week. The net result is that 10-year US …
While the official measure of rental growth is running at record highs, pay has risen even faster. So, at face value rental affordability is good by historic standards. But that doesn’t account for the fact that market rents have jumped by more than the …
Economy likely to have slowed sharply in Q3 Turkish retail sales and industrial production both fell again in m/m terms in September and GDP growth looks to have slowed sharply in the third quarter as a whole. The impact of policy tightening will take a …
Central bankers have a tough task when it comes to communicating with markets – just ask the Bank of England’s Huw Pill, who started the week hinting at rate cuts and ended it with an insistence that the current setting has to remain in place to quash …
10th November 2023
Kenya 2024 Eurobond risks fall back Kenya’s partial payment of its $2bn Eurobond will improve its chances of avoiding a sovereign default next year. Extra IMF funds and an improved balance of payment position will also help, but sticking with austerity …
Although yesterday’s poorly digested auction of 30Y Treasuries served as a reminder that the outlook for fiscal policy has the potential to undermine US long-dated government bonds, we still think their yields will end 2024 lower than they are now given …
Climbing inflation will keep pressure on the CBR The further chunky rise in Russian inflation to 6.7% y/y in October provides additional evidence that demand is outstripping supply in Russia’s economy. We think that inflation will continue to rise over …
Energy disinflation; credit conditions still tight Crude oil price slump to bolster disinflation Despite the ongoing war in the Middle East, crude oil prices have slumped – with the WTI benchmark down from a peak of more than $90 per barrel in late …
The Bank of Canada’s latest Summary of Deliberations was more hawkish than most probably expected, with some members of the Governing Council still seemingly arguing for further rate hikes. That said, the weak GDP data released since the Bank’s last …
In an otherwise quiet week, the greenback seems set to close higher against most major currencies, reversing much of its decline following the October payrolls data release . We think the dollar’s rise is largely due to the renewed rise in US Treasury …
Copom’s inflation and fiscal worries There were two key-takeaways from the minutes to last week’s Brazilian central bank meeting, which were released earlier this week. First, despite the recent falls in inflation, Copom remains concerned about …
Renewed inflation concerns The continued rise in consumers’ inflation expectations in November showed that October’s jump was not a one-off and will be of some concern to the Fed. However, the headwind from persistently weak confidence is likely to weigh …
