US Data Response UoM Consumer Confidence (Mar.) The decline in the University of Michigan’s measure of consumer confidence to 90.0 in March, from 91.7, illustrates that higher gasoline prices more than offset the positive impact to sentiment from... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Metals Chart Pack Gold continues to shine on rising inflationary pressures Precious metals prices rallied over the past month, bolstered by a weaker US dollar and a lessening of fears over a slowdown in China. While gold benefited from the Fed’s dovishness in its latest... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Canadian dollar rally won’t be sustained The recent rally in the Canadian dollar, which has been driven by rising oil prices and downgrades to the outlook for US interest rates, is unlikely to last beyond the middle of this year. Admittedly... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro-zone’s trade surplus set to shrink We do not think that the recent strengthening of the euro is the result of a change of tactics from the ECB, away from trying to manage the exchange rate towards attempting to boost domestic demand... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Outlook House prices set to rise by 6% in 2016 There has been no let-up in the very tight market conditions which have characterised the housing market in recent months. With housing demand rising steadily on the back of low mortgage interest... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Emerging economies still account for the bulk of global growth Emerging economies will not regain their pre-crisis growth rates any time soon, but we think they will recover this year and continue to grow more quickly than advanced economies. What’s more, they... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Will Osborne’s big squeeze really happen? Large parts of the Budget were clearly aimed solely at repairing the damage that the OBR’s new economic forecasts did to the Chancellor’s chances of meeting his fiscal target. That said, there is... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Rally in soybean prices unlikely to be sustained With a big Brazilian harvest now under way amidst large global stocks and strong competition in export markets, we think the US price of soybeans is more likely to fall than rise further this year. 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Latin America Data Response Chile GDP & Current Account (Q4) The sharp slowdown in Chile’s GDP growth in the final quarter of last year means that the economy grew by a disappointing 2.0% over 2015 as a whole and we doubt the economy will pick-up soon. We... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore housing: a bubble deflated Property prices in Singapore have fallen for ten consecutive quarters and we expect the slide to continue. The gradual deflation of what had looked like a potential housing bubble has left the economy... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Deflation Watch: Risk of deflation appears to be passing February’s consumer prices figures should show inflation creeping further above the zero rates seen for most of last year. Although the risk of a relapse cannot be entirely ruled out – if, for example... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Russian central bank continues to strike cautious note The statement by Russia’s central bank following its decision to leave its one-week repo rate unchanged earlier today was decidedly cautious and reinforces our view that any policy easing is only... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update OBR too downbeat about productivity The OBR’s decision to cut its productivity growth forecasts left the Chancellor scrambling to find some money to achieve his 2019/20 surplus goal. But we think that productivity growth will be much... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Weak Chilean economy means rate hikes will be gradual The Central Bank of Chile’s decision to keep interest rates on hold at 3.50% for the third consecutive month reinforces our view that the weakness of the economy will ensure the pace of further... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Is recent news out of China positive for metals? In the last week or so, we have received the short- and long-term plans of the Chinese government at the National People’s Congress (NPC) as well as activity and spending data for the first two months... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Weak start to spring wage negotiations The early results of the Shunto spring wage negotiations have been disappointing to policymakers hoping to see faster wage gains. The major carmakers and electronics firms have agreed smaller base pay... 18th March 2016 · 1 min read
