Bank remains concerned that cutting rates further will undermine financial stability But coronavirus outbreak set to dampen activity and unemployment will climb further We’ve pencilled in a 25bp cut in April and July The Reserve Bank of Australia remains …
25th February 2020
Central bank action so far focused on crisis management in virus-hit countries. Likely fallout reinforces our existing dovish views on several EMs. But the temporary shock does not yet warrant a response from advanced economies. With the coronavirus …
14th February 2020
Deeper cuts not a done deal OPEC production fell sharply in January, but this was mainly the result of supply disruptions in Libya and Iraq. Otherwise, there was little indication in the latest OPEC monthly report that the group will rush to deepen output …
12th February 2020
The risk premium in oil price has fallen in recent years … … despite heightened tensions in the Middle East We expect this premium to remain low as non-OPEC production continues to rise In this Energy Watch , we look at how geopolitical tensions in the …
7th February 2020
Coronavirus will hit the New Zealand economy in the near term. But indicators point to an improvement in economic activity. So we think the RBNZ is done cutting rates. The new coronavirus will inevitably impact the New Zealand economy in the first quarter …
5th February 2020
RBI set to keep rates on hold next week as amid food inflation surge Analyst consensus expects resumption of easing cycle later this year In stark contrast, we expect modest hikes towards the end of 2020 Policy rates look set to be kept on hold at the …
29th January 2020
Falling unemployment allows Bank to keep rates unchanged in February But GDP growth set to fall short of expectations and wage growth still soft More easing will be needed to meet the inflation target The further fall in the unemployment rate in December …
After last year’s collapse, a continued decline in the price of European coal is likely Low natural gas prices and a weak economy will weigh on coal prices in the short term And decarbonisation efforts will push down prices in the long term European coal …
24th January 2020
January’s decision whether to cut rates is very close We think that the MPC will keep rates on hold as the economy appears to have turned a corner We expect the next move in interest rates to be up rather than down, albeit not until 2021 January’s …
Improving data, fading trade and global risks remove need for further rate cuts Policy unlikely to be tightened again for foreseeable future Shelton, Waller nominations a sign of things to come if Trump wins second term Signs of improvement in the …
22nd January 2020
There is no prospect of any change in policy at next week’s meeting… …but we are still forecasting more policy loosening later this year. Details of the scope and timetable of the strategy review may be revealed. At Christine Lagarde’s second meeting as …
16th January 2020
Fourth-quarter GDP probably unchanged – vs Bank’s forecast of 1.3% gain But temporary factors largely to blame and business surveys point to rebound Bank to remain on hold throughout 2020 Next week the Bank of Canada is likely to once again trim its …
15th January 2020
OPEC output to remain low OPEC production fell again in December, led once more by Saudi Arabia. We continue to think that OPEC will maintain its production restraint for the remainder of 2020 to support prices . The OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), …
Consumption hasn’t fallen too much after tax hike and labour market remains tight We still expect GDP growth to fall short of expectations this year But lingering capacity shortages will probably convince Bank to remain on hold The Bank of Japan will …
14th January 2020
Table of Key Forecasts Overview –Inflation in developed markets is likely to be stable in 2020 as a rise in energy inflation is offset by a drop in core. We forecast oil prices to rise to over $70pb in the coming years, so energy prices should now begin …
20th December 2019
Impact of sales tax hike was probably worse than Bank had anticipated But external headwinds are fading and the labour market remains very tight The Bank is unlikely to cut interest rates any further The Bank of Japan seems to have underestimated the drag …
16th December 2019
Vlieghe might join Saunders and Haskel in voting for a cut But the election result and prospect of a Brexit deal may mean the majority is content to wait Chances of a rate cut arguably higher in January If the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) wanted to cut …
13th December 2019
OPEC likely to tip oil market into deficit early next year OPEC kept output slightly below its quota in November. We expect that OPEC will produce within its new quota until it expires in March 2020, but that Saudi Arabia will do most of the heavy lifting …
11th December 2019
Today, OPEC+ announced that it will deepen its oil output cut by 0.5m bpd to 1.7m. More surprising, is that it looks as though Saudi Arabia will cut supply by a further 167,000, despite the fact that it is already producing well below quota . This could …
6th December 2019
Three months after the September policy package, no change is likely next week. The spotlight on Thursday will be on Ms Lagarde herself, and her policy review. Further ahead, we still expect more ECB easing, prompted by low inflation. With little chance …
5th December 2019
There has been mounting speculation that OPEC+ is set to agree deeper cuts at its upcoming meeting. However, we still think Saudi Arabia’s concerns about its loss of market share, and little appetite for increased cuts in Russia, will win the day. …
4th December 2019
Looser financial conditions & improving economic data mean no further cuts needed Fed will not want to repeat the mistake of raising rates prematurely With inflation set to remain low, Fed is now on prolonged hold The Fed’s less dovish language, against a …
Further slowdown in growth in Q3 would seal the deal for another rate cut MPC will look past above-target inflation resulting from supply disruptions But in contrast with consensus, we expect modest hikes towards the end of 2020 We agree with financial …
28th November 2019
Economic data have been weak but RBA will wait for Q3 GDP data before cutting Subdued growth and inflation will force the RBA to cut rates to the 0.25% floor in 2020 Governor Lowe set a higher bar for QE but we expect that bar to be reached next year The …
27th November 2019
Some signs that economic weakness is spreading to service sector But Bank will be increasingly concerned by resurgent housing market Unchanged policy now the most likely outcome for the next few quarters The labour market is starting to show cracks and …
26th November 2019
OPEC+ has complied with its output quota so far … … but there is a high chance that it won’t comply in the coming months We think that this makes deeper output cuts less likely There is a high risk that a ramp-up in production in Russia pushes OPEC+ …
25th November 2019
Loose financial conditions make a recession unlikely The risk of a recession occurring within the next year appears to have faded – with the yield curve un-inverting, financial conditions loosening and the incoming economic data still comfortably above …
20th November 2019
OPEC turns a bit more positive on 2020 OPEC’s November Report, and recent comments by the organisation’s secretary general, suggest OPEC is becoming more optimistic about the prospects for demand for its crude in 2020. This may be an indication that …
14th November 2019
While the Fed seems to have pressed pause, we wouldn’t rule out a December cut. Policy will be loosened further in the euro-zone, Australia and several EMs. But the impact will be modest, particularly in advanced economies. Following a wholesale shift …
11th November 2019
Economic data has been in line with RBNZ forecasts… …so we think the Bank will hold for now. But sustained economic weakness means rates will be cut to 0.5% next year. The economic data have been better than the Bank anticipated in their last set of …
6th November 2019
The economy may be on a path that would eventually prompt the MPC to cut rates… …but the chance of a Brexit deal in January will keep the toolbox in the closet for now Unless the headwinds of weak global growth and Brexit uncertainty fade, the next move …
31st October 2019
Despite rebound in house prices, GDP growth set to remain subdued Rising unemployment will push underlying inflation further below 2% We now expect the Bank to cut rates to 0.25% and launch quantitative easing next year Falling unemployment and steady …
30th October 2019
Bank to remain on the side-lines next week But latest surveys point to below-potential GDP growth and lower inflation Markets underestimating the chance of a December rate cut There is little reason to expect the Bank to alter its policy rate next week …
24th October 2019
Outlook for both domestic and external demand has worsened a little But financial stability concerns still stand in the way of interest rate cuts Bank will probably focus its efforts on steepening the yield curve via its bond purchases The economic data …
Officials have not pushed back on expectations for a 25bp cut this meeting Further slowdown in economic growth will prompt one final 25bp cut in December Rates would end up back at zero in a recession, but few signs one is imminent With the markets still …
23rd October 2019
Riksbank and Norges Bank set to leave policy on hold this week. SNB to push the boundaries of policy easing in early 2020. Central bank of Iceland to continue its easing cycle over the coming months. We expect the Riksbank and the Norges Bank to leave …
22nd October 2019
Clashes on Governing Council will cast a shadow over Draghi’s farewell party. No chance of policy action next week, but we think policy will be loosened next year. Forthcoming review to change inflation target and possibly communication strategy. Mario …
17th October 2019
Low production still not enough to lift prices OPEC’s September production data were distorted by the attacks on Saudi oil facilities, but overall output remained subdued. Deeper supply cuts are likely to be discussed at OPEC’s December meeting, but we …
10th October 2019
Strikes at South African mines would hit global supply of platinum and palladium hard But given stronger demand growth and lower stocks in the palladium market … … strikes would give much more of a boost to the price of palladium There is a significant …
4th October 2019
With interest rates near the lower bound, central banks are experimenting with tiers. But they reduce the impact of rate cuts and do little to support banks’ profitability. Such efforts add to signs that monetary policy is near its limits. Recent weeks …
26th September 2019
Another rate cut next week looks a done deal… …but MPC may opt for more traditional 25bp rate cut rather than 35bp In contrast to markets, we expect modest hikes next year The key question ahead of the MPC meeting that concludes on Friday 4 th October is …
Demand should start to recover next year With subdued growth in supply, the market is likely to move into deficit But stocks are high, which will act as a lid on prices In this Commodities Watch , we are initiating coverage of natural rubber . As it …
25th September 2019
Labour market still set to ease further But outlook for GDP growth has improved as house prices have started to rebound Forceful policy response lowers likelihood of unconventional policy being deployed The continued rise in the unemployment rate will …
24th September 2019
Recession risk still elevated Our composite model suggests that the risk of a recession in 12-months’ time has fallen slightly to 17.9%, from above 20% a few weeks ago, as the rebound in the 10-year Treasury yield has reduced the inversion of the yield …
23rd September 2019
Table of Key Forecasts Overview – Inflation has fallen in most economies, due partly to lower energy inflation. Our forecast that oil prices will stabilise in the months ahead is subject to upside risks from tensions in the Middle East. But against the …
20th September 2019
Economic activity in Q2 was in line with RBNZ forecasts… …so we think the Bank will hold for now. But sustained economic weakness means rates will be cut to 0.75% by early next year. Following the dramatic 50 basis point cut in August, we suspect the …
19th September 2019
MPC may be a bit less concerned about a no deal Brexit… …but will still hold off on raising rates It seems almost certain that the MPC will keep interest rates at 0.75% at its next meeting on Thursday 19 th September. The minutes may be slightly more …
12th September 2019
GDP growth has held up and the labour market remains extremely tight Leading indicators suggest that the economy has turned for the worse But concerns over financial stability still stand in the way of interest rate cuts There are mounting signs that the …
Fed to deliver widely-expected 25bp cut; data still too strong to justify 50bp We expect a further economic slowdown to prompt a final 25bp cut in December Further significant loosening unlikely in the absence of a recession The Fed looks set for another …
11th September 2019
