US Rapid Response US ISM Manufacturing Index (May 2026) ISM confirms manufacturing sector in cyclical upswing The rise in the ISM Manufacturing Index to a four-year high in May suggests that the sector continues to hold up well, probably because the boost... 1st June 2026 · 2 mins read
US Economics Weekly Price pressures not yet raising alarm bells The latest communications from Fed officials have become increasingly hawkish. But the softer-than-expected outturn for the April core PCE deflator and the mounting downside risks to real consumption... 29th May 2026 · 6 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly SA food Inflation, Angola Eurobond, Nigeria GDP The South African Reserve Bank talked up inflation risks at its meeting this week, at which it hiked rates by 25bp, but the tightening cycle is likely to be modest. Elsewhere, Angola has tapped... 29th May 2026 · 5 mins read
China Chart Pack China Chart Pack (May 26) Our China Activity Proxy suggests that China’s economy slowed a touch in April. That was entirely driven by weaker domestic demand – China’s exports continued to rise on the back of strong global... 29th May 2026 · 0 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Europe gradually getting tougher on China Today’s gathering of European Commissioners will prepare the ground for a further tightening of European trade defences against China. However, differences of opinion between European governments and... 29th May 2026 · 6 mins read
Europe Rapid Response Euro-zone national inflation data (May 2026) The national HICP data for May suggest that euro-zone headline inflation edged up from 3.0% in April to 3.1%. If oil and natural gas prices remain around current levels or fall back, energy inflation... 29th May 2026 · 2 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Peaks in petrol prices and mortgage rates may be in the past The recent falls in oil prices and swap rates suggest that the peaks in petrol prices and mortgage rates may be behind us. While that doesn't mean inflation won't rise and the economy won't weaken... 29th May 2026 · 4 mins read
India Economics Weekly More pump price rises, RBI meeting, Q1 GDP Having not risen for the best part of four years, pump prices in India have now been hiked four times in the past two weeks, with both petrol and diesel prices now around 8% higher than they were at... 29th May 2026 · 3 mins read
Emerging Europe Rapid Response Poland Flash CPI (May 2026) The fall in Polish inflation to 3.1% y/y in May – when most had expected a rise above 3.5% - suggests that underlying price pressures are softer than we had thought. In the last couple of weeks, it... 29th May 2026 · 2 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Resilient activity data point to rate hike next month While the BoJ’s measures of underlying inflation were the weakest they’ve been in years in April, the recent surge in input costs due to the Iran War will result in a renewed strengthening. Indeed... 29th May 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly A June pause doesn’t mean the RBA is done hiking A string of soft April activity and inflation figures, alongside survey data showing firms dialling back their capex plans, will give the RBA room to leave rates on hold in June. However, we suspect... 29th May 2026 · 6 mins read
Japan Rapid Response Japan Activity, Labour Market (Apr. 26) & Tokyo CPI (May 26) The April activity data show that Japan’s economy is shrugging off the energy cost shock and cement the case for a BoJ rate hike next month. 29th May 2026 · 2 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Update CEE weathering the energy shock for now The latest surveys for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) for May point to resilience in the face of the energy shock caused by the Iran war, with overall economic sentiment holding up well across... 28th May 2026 · 2 mins read
Equities Focus Will inflation derail the equity rally? Past form suggests that a sustained period of high inflation would be a headwind to the US stock market and the outperformance of the so-called ‘big tech’ sectors. But inflation would probably need to... 28th May 2026 · 14 mins read
Africa Economics Update SARB hikes, but tightening cycle to be short The South African Reserve Bank hiked its policy rate by 25bp to 7.00% today as expected and, while it acknowledged that inflation risks are firmly to the upside, the Reserve Bank still looks likely to... 28th May 2026 · 3 mins read
RBI Watch Rate hike likely as inflation and FX concerns build In contrast to the majority of analysts who are expecting no change, we think the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will raise the repo rate by 25bp to 5.50% at the conclusion of next week’s Monetary Policy... 28th May 2026 · 7 mins read