Filtered by Topic: Monetary Policy Region: G10 Use setting G10 Use setting Monetary Policy
After its July policy meeting, we felt the Bank of Canada had moved closer to our view that inflation risks had diminished. The Bank devoted considerable effort explaining why it expects underlying inflation to fall soon , citing the recent appreciation …
15th August 2025
All eyes on Jackson Hole Ahead of the Fed’s annual Jackson Hole Symposium, which kicks off late next week, markets are still wholly convinced that the Fed will cut rates by 25bp at the upcoming FOMC meeting in September and follow that up with at least …
Capacity pressures remain at bay The RBA’s decision to lower its cash rate by 25bp, to 3.60%, at its meeting this Tuesday was widely anticipated. Broadly speaking, the Board’s messaging was little changed from the July meeting. However, there were …
The economy has mostly held up against US tariffs so far, thanks largely to resilient consumer spending. But exports have weakened, and investment is showing signs of slowing. With the upcoming USMCA renegotiation set to prolong trade uncertainty, both …
14th August 2025
The RBNZ is all but certain to cut rates by 25bp at its meeting ending on August 20 th . Although inflation is set to remain in the upper half of the Bank’s 1-3% target band in the near-term, we suspect the Committee will be more concerned about timely …
13th August 2025
The RBA endorsed market expectations of further easing when it lowered the cash today and we think the Bank will ultimately slash rates to 2.85%. The Bank’s decision to lower the cash rate from 3.85% to 3.6% was correctly anticipated by all 40 analysts …
12th August 2025
RBA will cut rates below 3% by mid-2026 The RBA endorsed market expectations of further easing when it lowered the cash today and we think the Bank will ultimately slash rates to 2.85%. The Bank’s decision to lower the cash rate from 3.85% to 3.6% was …
The Bank of England’s hawkish tone at its policy meeting on Thursday has inevitably led to questions about whether interest rates will be cut again this year and whether the Bank’s rate-cutting cycle will soon end. (See here .) In some ways, the Bank’s …
8th August 2025
Labour market weakness justifies September rate cut The Labour Force Survey has once again made a mockery of the economist consensus, with the surprise 83,000 surge in employment in June followed by a 40,800 slump last month. We are now a bit more …
Strong case for RBNZ to provide more stimulus The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been bemoaning the weak state of productivity growth for a while now, arguing that it is stifling the speed limit of the economy. Yet, the Bank has quietly been revising up …
Bonus payments coming back to earth The economic data released this week at the margin would support the case for keeping monetary policy unchanged for longer. For one thing, while the Bank of Japan’s consumption activity index rebounded in June, it was …
Miran a good pick for the Fed President Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Stephen Miran to replace Adriana Kugler as Fed Governor, albeit only on a temporary basis to begin with, is a welcome surprise. Miran is currently the Chair of Trump’s Council of …
7th August 2025
Although the Bank of England cut interest rates today by 25 basis points (bps), from 4.25% to 4.00%, it showed some signs that it may cut rates slower and/or not as far as our forecast of a decline to 3.00% in 2026. We are sticking to our view that …
For an updated and more detailed version of this analysis, click here . Rates cut to 4.00%, but BoE appears in no rush to cut again soon Although the Bank of England cut interest rates today by 25 basis points (bps), from 4.25% to 4.00%, it showed some …
The high-beta Antipodean currencies had been the worst victims of global trade tensions but have fared better since early April, relative to their G10 peers, as global risk appetite steadily improved. Nevertheless, we think the best days for the Aussie …
Despite the unexpected rise in CPI inflation in June, we still think the weakness in the labour market means it’s only a matter of time before wage growth and inflation slow to rates consistent with the 2% inflation target. We think the Bank of England …
6th August 2025
Weak labour market bolsters the case for further easing With New Zealand’s labour market continuing to slacken in Q2, the RBNZ is all but certain push ahead with a 25bp cut at its meeting later this month. The 0.1% q/q fall in employment last quarter was …
With inflation trending lower, RBA will cut by 25bp next week Nascent recovery and still-tight labour market will keep the Board vigilant However, as incoming data remain soft, Bank will ease further than most expect With underlying inflation within …
5th August 2025
Household consumption showing signs of life The strong pickup in household spending last quarter won’t keep the RBA from handing down a 25bp cut when it meets next Tuesday. Looking ahead, however, the data do suggest upside risks to our below-consensus …
The Bank of Canada justified its decision to keep interest rates unchanged at 2.75% this week on three factors: persistent uncertainty, signs of economic resilience, and concerns about underlying inflation. In our initial reaction during an online …
1st August 2025
Payrolls shocker The rift among the FOMC, with Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman this week voting against the decision to leave rates between 4.25% and 4.50% (see here ), will presumably have grown even wider following the July Employment …
Minimum wage set to rise the most on record The Bank of Japan sounded more optimistic about the outlook for inflation when it kept policy settings unchanged at its meeting this week. However, we still think that the Bank is underestimating the strength of …
Bank will cut further than most expect The Reserve Bank of Australia is likely to breathe a sigh of relief that its consternations about lingering price pressures in the economy didn’t come to pass. Indeed, as Deputy RBA Governor Andrew Hauser noted in a …
Australia’s housing market gained traction in June, and leading indicators suggest the housing rebound has further to run. But with affordability set to remain extremely stretched despite the RBA’s easing cycle, we think the incipient house-price rally …
A 25 basis point (bps) rate cut at August’s meeting, from 4.25% to 4.00%, is nailed on Risk of second-round effects means the MPC won’t speed up the pace of rate cuts But we still think rates will fall further than most expect, to 3.00% in 2026 The …
31st July 2025
While the Bank of Japan turned a touch more optimistic today, it still sees trade tensions as a major headwind. However, we still believe that policymakers are too pessimistic about the inflation outlook and expect the Bank to resume its tightening cycle …
Bank of Japan opening door for year-end rate hike The Bank of Japan sounded a bit more optimistic today and we’re sticking to our forecast that the Bank will resume its tightening cycle at its October. The Bank’s decision to leave policy settings …
Fed Chair Jerome Powell left open the possibility of a September rate cut in his comments following the FOMC’s July meeting, but put much more emphasis on the still solid labour market and stressed that “modestly restrictive” policy remains appropriate …
30th July 2025
Dissents are the best offence for Waller and Bowman The FOMC made only one major change to its policy statement this month, acknowledging that growth moderated in the first half of the year. While Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman both …
While the Bank of Canada kept interest rates unchanged at 2.75% for a third consecutive meeting today, the communications showed policymakers placing greater emphasis on the downside risks to growth from tariffs than the upside risks to inflation, which …
Rates unchanged but slower growth beginning to raise concern The Bank of Canada kept interest rates unchanged at 2.75% for a third consecutive meeting today as it awaits greater clarity over the country’s future trading terms with the US. The …
Progress on disinflation will pave the way for an August cut With underlying inflation inching closer towards the mid-point of the RBA’s 2-3% target, the Board should have no qualms about handing down a 25bp cut next month. And with activity still weak …
The latest data suggest that global industry has been resilient to tariffs so far this year. But global trade softened in May and the latest surveys point to further weakness to come. Consumer spending remains subdued in most advanced economies. And …
29th July 2025
The combination of some relatively hawkish signals from the ECB yesterday and some more soggy data out of the UK has sent the euro to its strongest level against sterling since late 2023. We think there is more to come on that front as the BoE continues …
25th July 2025
Public borrowing may have been bang in line with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast for the first three months of the 2025/26 fiscal year. (See here .) But the underlying upward trend looks worrying. Having reached a cumulative total of …
Slow and steady The minutes of the RBA’s July meeting shed more light on the Bank’s surprise decision to leave rates on hold earlier this month. A majority of the Board believed it would be premature to lower the cash rate for a third time within the span …
Japan plays its hand well in US trade negotiations A turbulent week started with the loss of the ruling LDP/Komeito coalition’s majority in the House of Councillors in Sunday’s election . PM Ishiba pledged to stay on and with the Upper House election out …
Australia’s economy is struggling to gain momentum, while the recent rebound in activity in New Zealand increasingly looks like a false start. As the lull in activity lifts spare capacity, underlying price pressures should continue to ease in both …
24th July 2025
We held an online Drop-In session yesterday (see here for a recording) to discuss the latest developments in Japan’s economy and financial markets. This Update answers several of the questions that we received . What has the economic impact of higher US …
Recent US-Japan trade deal has removed a key downside risk What’s more, inflation set to keep surpassing Board’s pessimistic forecasts We expect the Bank to hike again in October The trade deal agreed upon between the US and Japan has removed a key …
Uncertain trade outlook will discourage policy tweak Rebound in core inflation and economic resilience provide more scope to wait Bank to resume easing later this year but second rate cut may be pushed into 2026 The recent rebound in core inflation and …
23rd July 2025
While higher tariffs will cause some Asian economies to pursue slightly looser monetary policy than otherwise, domestic factors will be the key driving force behind rate decisions in most economies in the coming months. And we think that the risk of …
Early signs tariffs are pushing core inflation higher Economy remains solid notwithstanding housing weakness Fed to remain cautious, unmoved by political calls for cuts Despite calls within the FOMC for a rate cut at next week’s policy meeting, we expect …
Japan’s economy has largely shrugged off global trade tensions and the trade deal reached between the US and Japan has removed a key downside risk. With inflation set to keep overshooting the Bank of Japan’s forecasts, we expect the Bank to resume its …
Despite its gradualist approach, RBA will cut further than most expect Although the RBA judged that leaving rates on hold was the more prudent choice at its meeting earlier this month, it did signal that there was more easing in the pipeline. Our sense is …
22nd July 2025
Bleak sales and spending intentions captured by the Bank of Canada’s second-quarter business and consumer surveys are consistent with a sharp downturn in GDP growth. However, the surveys were carried out at a time of peak tariff uncertainty. Since then, …
21st July 2025
RBNZ to cut further as inflation remains subdued With underlying price pressures remaining benign, the RBNZ is likely to loosen policy a bit further than most are anticipating. The 0.5% q/q rise in consumer prices last quarter was a touch softer than the …
We have not changed our view that inflation and interest rates will fall further than most expect. (See here and our UK Data Dashboard .) But the data released over the past week raises the chances that inflation will remain higher for longer and rates …
18th July 2025
Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing sifts through a deluge of DM inflation data to highlight where tariff effects are coming through, where price pressures look too hot and which central banks are best positioned to press on with policy easing. He also …
But tariff uncertainty could still delay rate hikes The economic data released this week leave the case for tighter monetary policy firmly intact. For one thing, export volumes rebounded in June and were nearly as strong as they were in February. …
