Australia & New Zealand Data Response New Zealand GDP (Q3) The good news is that the economy grew much faster in 2015 and 2016 than we all previously thought. The bad news is this makes the recent slowdown look a bit sharper and casts further doubt on the... 20th December 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Chart Pack Households will continue to struggle After slowing sharply in the third quarter, there have been some encouraging signs in recent weeks about the prospects for real consumption growth in Australia in the fourth quarter. In particular... 20th December 2017 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Housing Starts (Nov.) Housing starts rose for the second month in a row in November, with a 3.3% m/m gain pushing them to their highest level since October 2016. Encouragingly, it was the single-family sector which drove... 19th December 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Housebuilding (Q3) Housing starts dropped for the second consecutive quarter in Q3 2017, suggesting that the weakness of the wider market may be starting to take its toll on the housebuilding recovery. 19th December 2017 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack State election victories strengthen BJP’s hand The state election victories for Prime Minister Modi’s BJP in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh ensure that the ruling party remains firmly on track to secure a majority in the Rajya Sabha (upper... 19th December 2017 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Focus Buying still better than renting in the long run Based on the current tax environment, our forecasts for house prices and rents show that buying a median-priced home is better than renting one for any holding period of six years or longer. By making... 14th December 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Update Will average mortgage length continue to rise? Slowing house price growth should reduce the upward pressure on average mortgage duration. Yet looking ahead, the share of borrowers taking out longer loans may nonetheless grow, thanks to the... 13th December 2017 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Teranet-National Bank House Prices (Nov.) The third consecutive monthly decline in the composite house price index in November led to a further slowdown in the rate of annual house price inflation to 10.0%, from 11.4%. The recent slump in... 13th December 2017 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Chart Pack Recovery in home sales cuts inventory to record lows Home sales are showing signs of life, with both new and existing home sales rising for the second month in a row in October. However, the inventory of homes for sale has continued to decline, and that... 12th December 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Focus Will housing bubbles prompt early rate hikes? Macro-prudential policies to cool the housing markets in Switzerland and Norway will allow their central banks to keep monetary policy loose, boosting inflation from its current low rates. By contrast... 12th December 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response UK House Price Index (Oct.) and MLAR statistics (Q3) House price growth cooled according to the official house price index. And a fall in the number of buyers with high LTI loans supports our view that house price growth will remain subdued. 12th December 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Data Response Australia ABS House Prices (Q3) For anyone in doubt, the weakening in house prices in the third quarter all but confirms that Australia’s housing boom is over. And more up-to-date indicators suggest that prices fell further in the... 12th December 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Focus Will population growth save the housing market? Australia’s rapid rate of population growth doesn’t mean that house prices will always rise as population is not the most important determinant of demand over short periods of time. In any case, it’s... 11th December 2017 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Businesses step up while households go on strike The recent shift in the composition of GDP growth in Australia has important consequences for the outlook for next year. While businesses will support growth by more than in any year since 2012... 8th December 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Data Response Halifax House Prices (Nov.) While the headline rate slowed, some shorter-term comparisons imply that house prices may be gaining renewed momentum. But gains on the other main indices remain more muted. And rising interest rates... 7th December 2017 · 1 min read
UK Housing Market Chart Pack Housing market sees chilly end to 2017 The housing market remains in the doldrums, and there are few signs that this will change soon. Indeed, leading indicators such as the new buyer enquiries and newly agreed sales balances point to... 6th December 2017 · 1 min read