Shock victory for far-right candidate raises risks for Romania The surprise lead for an independent far-right candidate, Călin Georgescu, in the first round of Romania’s presidential election raises the risk of an abrupt shift towards more populist …
25th November 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. German economy still in the doldrums The fall in the Ifo Business Climate Index (BCI) in November left it even deeper into recessionary territory and is consistent with our view …
Consumption outlook improving fast The strong increase in retail sales volumes in September confirms that they grew by around 5% annualised last quarter, suggesting that household consumption growth picked up strongly. The October preliminary estimate …
22nd November 2024
Fall in inflation leaves door open for December cut The larger-than-expected fall in Mexican inflation in the first half of November, to 4.6% y/y, alongside easing core price pressures and the relative resilience in the peso mean that Banxico is likely to …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Budget and Trump may have triggered slowdown in activity At face value, the fall in the composite PMI from 51.8 in October to 49.9 in November suggests that real GDP growth is …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Economy stalling again The slump in the euro-zone Composite PMI in November suggests that the economy is losing momentum in Q4 and supports our below-consensus growth forecast, …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Slow start to the golden quarter, but the outlook is improving The bigger-than-expected 0.7% m/m fall in retail sales in October (consensus forecast -0.3% m/m) suggests that …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Flash PMI points to continued rebound in activity The renewed rise in the composite PMI supports our view that activity will continue to expand at a robust pace in the remainder …
Pick-up in underlying inflation will prompt rate hike next month The slowdown in headline inflation in October was due to base effects from utilities prices. With underlying inflation climbing further above the Bank’s 2% target, the case for another rate …
21st November 2024
Modest rise in homes sales does not mark the start of the recovery The modest rise in existing home sales in October reflects the earlier drop in mortgage rates over the summer and is unlikely to be repeated, as borrowing costs have since rebounded to 7%. …
Interest rate cuts still a few months away (at least) The communications accompanying the decision by the Turkish central bank (CBRT) to leave its policy rate unchanged again today, at 50.00%, suggest that analysts’ expectations for an easing cycle to …
We have updated this page with additional analysis since first publication. Disappointing borrowing figures highlight Chancellor’s lack of wiggle room October’s disappointing public finances figures underline the fiscal challenge that the Chancellor still …
Sharp drop in inflation sets the stage for 25bp cut tomorrow The drop in South Africa’s headline inflation, to 2.8% y/y, in October, will make it harder for the SARB to strike a hawkish tone regarding inflation pressures at its monetary policy committee …
20th November 2024
Policy easing to resume in the second half of next year Bank Indonesia today left interest rates on hold at 6.00%, and we don’t think it will be until the second half of next year that the central bank resumes its easing cycle. The decision was broadly …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Surprisingly big rebound suggests BoE will leave rates at 4.75% in December October’s surprisingly large rebound in CPI inflation from 1.7% to 2.3% (CE 2.1%, consensus & BoE …
Starts hit by hurricanes The decline in housing starts in October was exactly as we had expected given the hit to construction in the South from recent hurricanes and should partially reverse in November. Beyond this, we think the recent rebound in new …
19th November 2024
Upside surprise not only due to property tax update With headline inflation still at target and given the Bank’s recent emphasis on the need to ensure that GDP growth and the labour market pick up again, the upside surprise to core inflation in October …
Recession not enough for MNB to resume easing The Hungarian central bank (MNB) left its base rate on hold again today, at 6.50%, despite the economy having just fallen back into recession. We think that the easing cycle will remain on pause over the next …
RBA still in “wait and watch” mode With the RBA maintaining its neutral stance, we’re sticking to our view that the Bank won’t begin cutting rates before Q2 2025. The minutes of the RBA’s November meeting confirmed that the decision to leaves interest …
Economic growth in Thailand accelerated in Q3 and we think the boost from loose fiscal policy will support growth in the coming quarters and help offset a slowdown in the tourism sector. The 1.2% q/q rise in Q3 GDP, following the 0.8% increase in Q2, was …
18th November 2024
Temporary disruptions weigh on production again The fall in manufacturing output in October was driven mainly by temporary disruptions which should soon reverse. Excluding these disruptions, industrial production would have remained unchanged, suggesting …
15th November 2024
Manufacturing sales weak, but tentative signs of a recovery Despite the 0.4% m/m decline in manufacturing sales volumes in September, the data still appear consistent with the flash estimate that GDP rose by 0.3% that month. Although manufacturing has …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Underlying sales growth slowing to a more sustainable pace While October’s retail sales data showed underlying weakness and were accompanied by sizable revisions to previous …
Inflation jump to prompt 100bp hike from CBN this month Nigeria’s headline inflation picked up for a second consecutive month, to 33.9% y/y in October, largely due to the impact of rising petrol prices. The CBN now appears to have little choice but …
Swiss economy slows sharply, but will pick up in the coming quarters Economic growth was surprisingly slow in the third quarter as sporting event-adjusted GDP increased by just 0.2% q/q, a sharp slowdown from the 0.5% recorded in Q2. This will further …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Q3 GDP growth muted, Q4 will be better The 0.1% m/m contraction in GDP in September meant that the economy still grew by 0.1% q/q in Q3 (consensus and CE forecasts 0.2% q/q), but …
Economy set to cool further The second estimate of Q3 GDP confirmed that growth in Malaysia remained above trend again. Looking ahead we think GDP growth will drop back close to trend if, as we expect, a jump in inflation driven by the removal of food and …
Economy regains momentum as consumers step up China’s economy improved further at the start of Q4, thanks to stronger-than-expected consumer spending. We think faster fiscal spending will support a continued cyclical pickup in activity overing the coming …
GDP growth set to remain sluggish The economy lost momentum in the third quarter and we think that GDP growth will remain around trend over the coming quarters. According to today’s preliminary estimate, GDP growth slowed from a downward-revised 0.5% q/q …
Banxico cuts, scope for further easing rests on the peso Mexico’s central bank delivered another 25bp interest rate cut at today’s meeting, to 10.25%, and it left the door open to further easing over the coming months, although a lot will depend on moves …
14th November 2024
PPI points to another above-target-consistent rise in core PCE The price data released this week suggest that inflationary pressures are proving stronger than the Fed anticipated. Based on the combined CPI and PPI data, we calculate that the Fed’s …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Faster GDP growth looks temporary The pick-up in euro-zone GDP growth to 0.4% q/q in Q3 is unlikely to be sustained. Timelier business and consumer surveys suggest that growth …
Poland’s economy stumbles in Q3 The 0.2% q/q contraction in Polish GDP in Q3 partly reflects the impact of flooding in September, the impact of which will reverse this quarter. Even so, we have become a bit more concerned about underlying weakness in the …
Inflation rises at fastest pace in over a year This response has been updated with additional analysis since first published Saudi Arabia’s headline inflation rate accelerated from 1.7% y/y in September to 1.9% y/y in October, a fourth consecutive rise …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Resilient labour market heightens risk that policy easing will be delayed With the labour market still on sturdy ground, there is a growing risk to our forecast that the RBA will …
Growth slowing, but inflation pressures still strong The slowdown in Russian GDP growth in Q3, to 3.1% y/y, is likely to be followed by a further loss of momentum in growth over the coming quarters. But, alongside CPI data which show that inflationary …
13th November 2024
CPI points to target-consistent gain in core PCE The third consecutive 0.3% m/m gain in the core CPI in October is somewhat concerning, with our preliminary calculations pointing to another above-target-consistent 0.22 m/m gain in core PCE prices, …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Slowdown in wage growth has further to run Wage growth eased markedly in Q3, as workers in the awards system received much smaller pay hikes than last year. Although wage growth …
Inflation jump scuppers December rate cut hopes Another bigger-than-expected jump in headline consumer price inflation last month will be enough to convince a majority of MPC members that conditions are not yet right to begin easing policy. We now think …
12th November 2024
Stimulus too small to turn around credit growth Both bank lending and broad credit growth hit fresh lows in October in a sign that monetary easing hasn’t done enough to drive a substantial turnaround in private credit demand. And after last week’s …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. BoE will look through rebound in pay growth Even though the rise in pay growth in September will probably be followed by a bigger gain in October, as the new 5-6% public sector …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Deflationary pressures ease slightly but still pose a risk Headline CPI and PPI inflation both fell further in October. But core inflation edged up and factory gate prices fell …
11th November 2024
Confidence buoyed by lower inflation expectations The rise in the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, despite uncertainty ahead of the US election, shows that economic developments remain the key driver of confidence in the aggregate. While …
8th November 2024
Muted job gain even worse that it seems The muted rise in employment in October was even weaker than it seems, as, like in September, it was propped up by strong gains in youth employment. While the unchanged unemployment rate will reassure the Bank that …
Easing cycle on pause, waiting for more clarity on fiscal policy The National Bank of Romania (NBR) left its policy rate on hold again today, at 6.50%, against a backdrop of stubborn above-target inflation and concerns about the loose fiscal stance ahead …
Inflation rises, more rate hikes on the cards The further rise in Brazil’s headline inflation rate to 4.8% y/y in October means that the central bank is almost certain to deliver additional interest rate hikes at its upcoming meetings. The risks are …
Unless there’s more to come later this evening, today’s fiscal announcement is another disappointment for those expecting substantial stimulus. The key measure announced at a press conference earlier is a refinancing of local government debt. Local …
Fed slows pace of rate cuts As expected, after a run of stronger activity and inflation data since it started its rate cutting cycle with a 50bp reduction in mid-September, the Fed opted for a more modest 25bp cut at the conclusion of its two-day FOMC …
7th November 2024
Surge in ULC illustrates upside risks to services inflation The BLS finally incorporated the upward revisions to its labour compensation estimates into the productivity and unit labour costs data, and the results are likely to trigger some inflation …
Easing cycle to continue, but risk of slower pace of cuts The Czech National Bank (CNB) cut its policy rate by 25bp again today, to 4.00%, and we still think that the conditions will be in place for the policy rate to be lowered to its estimated neutral …
