Latin America Data Response Brazil IPCA-15 (Aug.) Data to mid-August provide a glimmer of hope that the big month-on-month increases in consumer prices in Brazil are now behind us. In year-on-year terms, inflation should peak this month, but it will... 21st August 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Chart Pack EM currencies take a beating on China worries The impact of China’s renminbi devaluation is continuing to be felt across emerging markets. The Kazakh central bank today scrapped its trading band for the tenge, which subsequently fell by over 20%... 20th August 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Growing disparities in Gulf fiscal policy The past month has brought further signs of diverging attitudes in the Gulf to dealing with the fiscal headache caused by low oil prices. If media reports are to be believed, the UAE looks set to... 20th August 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Portugal’s fiscal consolidation hampered by low inflation Inflation dynamics continue to hamper Portugal’s attempts to deal with its huge debt problems. The country may need to implement more fiscal austerity as it struggles to pay down its debt. 20th August 2015 · 1 min read
Canada Chart Pack Economy struggling to escape recession Since oil prices first began to fall last year, Canada’s economic performance has gone from mediocre to dismal, culminating in a mild recession in the first half of this year. With oil prices tumbling... 19th August 2015 · 1 min read
US Data Response Consumer Prices (Jul.) The very muted 0.1% m/m gains in both headline and core CPI in July will certainly give the Fed pause for thought in whether to raise interest rates or not at the next FOMC meeting in mid September... 19th August 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Consumer Prices (Jul.) Inflation in South Africa ticked up to 5.0% in July, and we expect that it will continue to rise over the coming months. Accelerating inflation and a weak rand mean that the Reserve Bank is likely to... 19th August 2015 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Iceland’s tightening cycle has further to run Today’s rate hike by Iceland’s central bank is likely to be part of a sustained tightening cycle to counter strong domestic demand growth and inflationary pressures. And we think further rate... 19th August 2015 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Risk of deflation still confined to euro-zone and Japan Fears of a period of widespread deflation look misplaced, in our view, despite the recent fall in oil prices and China’s devaluation. Domestic forces will continue to be the key drivers of inflation... 18th August 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Colombia: chance of rate hikes growing A sharp fall in its currency, rising inflation and a widening current account deficit have increased the chance that Colombia’s central bank will tighten monetary conditions in the coming quarters... 18th August 2015 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Consumer Prices & Producer Prices (Jul.) The small rise in CPI inflation from 0% to 0.1% in July merely reflected the slightly earlier conclusion of summer discounting of clothing this year compared to last and so has little bearing on the... 18th August 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Mexico: rate hike next month not yet a done deal We appreciate that we’re going out on a limb in saying this, but we don’t think that an interest rate hike next month in Mexico is necessarily the done deal that many now seem to assume. Indeed, a... 17th August 2015 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly External deflation will be swamped by domestic inflation Last week the markets were very much focused on the potential for a stalling Chinese economy to “export” deflationary pressure to the US, either via the direct impact of a weaker renminbi or through... 14th August 2015 · 1 min read
US Data Response UoM Consumer Confidence (Aug.) The University of Michigan measure of consumer confidence was virtually unchanged in August, and remains consistent with annualised consumption growth remaining close to 3%, or even better, in the... 14th August 2015 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly A storm in a China teacup? Headlines have recently been captured by last week’s shock move by the People’s Bank of China to lower the daily reference rate for the renminbi. However, we doubt that this will have much bearing on... 14th August 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Chile and Peru still happy to hold fire Interest rates in both Chile and Peru were left unchanged yesterday and policymakers in both countries are still giving little indication that they expect to tighten monetary policy anytime soon... 14th August 2015 · 1 min read