UK Data Response National Accounts & Balance of Payments (Q2.) The most interesting element of the National Accounts was the sweeping revisions to the data, including the implementation of the ONS’ annual methodological overhaul, which suggests households’... 29th September 2017 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Mortgage rates are heading back over 3% Mortgage rates are set to move back above 3% by the end of 2019. On its own, a rise in mortgage interest rates on that scale is unlikely to trigger another downturn in house prices. But it will act as... 28th September 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Chart Pack Turning point? The encouraging signs about the health of the Australian economy have continued over the past month, with employment growth gathering pace and the outlook for business investment improving. (See Chart... 28th September 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response UK Finance Mortgage Lending The number of mortgage approvals for house purchase posted a marginal rise in August, adding to the impression that the falls seen in the first half of the year have now run their course. But the rise... 26th September 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand - Post-election negotiations may influence economy The financial markets won’t worry too much about how long it takes the various parties to form a government after the weekend’s general election, but the negotiations could influence the outlook for... 25th September 2017 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack Core price pressures are building Some have argued that the recent jump in inflation is all about a surge in volatile food prices, with the implication that it shouldn’t have a significant bearing on monetary policy. But this ignores... 21st September 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Focus How overvalued is housing? Once you take into account the structural decline in interest rates over the past 40 years, housing in Australia isn’t as overvalued as some analysts have suggested. In fact, in most capital cities it... 20th September 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response ABS House Prices (Q2) Even though house price inflation on the ABS measure held steady at 10.2% in the second quarter, there are some signs beneath the surface that prices have started to lose momentum. Other forward... 19th September 2017 · 1 min read
China Data Response Activity & Spending (Aug.) The activity and spending data for August all came in below expectations. The main culprit was a slowdown in infrastructure investment, which also weighed on industrial output. We expect further... 14th September 2017 · 1 min read
Japan Chart Pack Taper without the tantrum While the Bank of Japan didn’t reduce the pace of its bond purchases any further in August, they are much lower now than they were when Yield Curve Control was launched. Nonetheless, bond yields have... 14th September 2017 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Teranet-National Bank House Prices (Aug.) In response to the slump in home sales that began four months ago, the annual rate of house price inflation fell to 13.1% in August, from 14.2%. That slump points to sharply lower house price... 13th September 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Focus Has economic growth passed its peak in New Zealand? While GDP growth should hold up fairly well over the next year, we expect there will be a sharper slowdown than the RBNZ and most analysts are anticipating in 2019 as the impacts of a cooling housing... 12th September 2017 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Storm clouds gathering in Canada too The housing investment boom may have breathed its last gasp last quarter. With existing home sales floundering and average sale prices dropping, tighter mortgage financing rules and ill-timed interest... 8th September 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Halifax House Prices (Aug.) While annual house price inflation picked up touch in August, the big picture is one of stagnation. Looking ahead, with borrower leverage already high and real wages grinding lower, there is little... 7th September 2017 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update Worsening affordability not to blame for subdued home sales The average monthly mortgage payment has reached a nine-year high at the same time as home sales have stalled, but we doubt the first is causing the second. The fact home sales are being agreed in... 24th August 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Update New Zealand Activity Proxy (Jun.) The notable rise in our New Zealand Activity Proxy (NZAP) over the second quarter as a whole indicates that GDP growth may have accelerated from a disappointingly weak 0.5% q/q in the first quarter to... 21st August 2017 · 1 min read
