RBA Watch RBA will hike rates in February and May The ongoing persistence in underlying inflation will persuade the Reserve Bank of Australia to reverse course on rate cuts. We expect the Bank to raise rates by 25bp at its meeting next week, followed... 28th January 2026 · 7 mins read
China Activity Monitor CAP: Gap with official GDP widens further Our China Activity Proxy shows that growth slowed at the end of 2025, with the economy expanding at a rate almost 2%-pts below what official figures suggest. And while official figures indicate that... 23rd January 2026 · 1 min read
Canada Rapid Response Canada Retail Sales (Nov 2025) The strong rebound in retail sales in November appears to mostly reflect a temporary boost from Black Friday deals rather than a more lasting pickup in consumer demand, given the 0.5% decline expected... 23rd January 2026 · 2 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Retail Sales (Dec. 2025) December’s unexpected rise in retail sales volumes wasn’t enough to prevent yet another disappointing “Golden Quarter” for the retail sector, with sales declining by 0.3% q/q in Q4 overall. And while... 23rd January 2026 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Australian economy continues to run hot We learned this week that Australia’s unemployment rate fell to a seven-month low in December. The strength of the labour market is a key reason to expect consumption growth to remain brisk in the... 23rd January 2026 · 5 mins read
US Rapid Response US Personal Income & Spending (Oct. & Nov. 2025) The solid 0.3% m/m gains in real consumption in both October and November confirm that the government shutdown had very little impact on economic activity. Those gains slightly outpaced our prior... 22nd January 2026 · 3 mins read
Canada Economics Update Bank's surveys provide mixed messages for GDP and jobs There were some signs of life in the Bank of Canada’s latest quarterly surveys, with the pick-up in the indicator of future sales suggesting that the outlook for GDP growth is much better than the... 19th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Euro-zone households still cautious We learnt this week that the euro-zone’s household saving rate remained very high in Q3 last year. With households still reporting low levels of confidence, we think they will continue to be reluctant... 16th January 2026 · 5 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Spending binge reinforces case for RBA to hike With Australian households continuing to loosen their purse strings, private consumption is almost certain to have recorded a bumper gain last quarter. Moreover, as firms report increasingly severe... 16th January 2026 · 6 mins read
UK Economics Update Soft UK consumer spending in Q4 a sign of things to come A slew of data released in the first couple of weeks of the year suggests that retailers had a disappointing so-called “Golden Quarter”. We suspect this is a sign of things to come and forecast that... 15th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update UAE’s growth to ease but will continue to lead the Gulf The UAE’s economy enjoyed another strong year in 2025. Rising oil output will continue to support headline GDP growth over the coming quarters. And while there are signs that that activity in the rest... 15th January 2026 · 3 mins read
US Rapid Response US Retail Sales (Nov. 2025) The broad-based gains in headline, core (ex-autos), and control group retail sales in November indicate that household spending remained resilient early in the holiday season, with the government... 14th January 2026 · 2 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Chart Pack ANZ Chart Pack (Jan. 2026) Our ANZ Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. We believe the RBA will join the rather exclusive club of advanced economy central banks that tightens... 14th January 2026 · 1 min read
Japan Chart Pack Japan Chart Pack (Jan. 2026) Our Japan Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. The economy will continue to grow at a healthy pace, which should ensure that the labour market... 12th January 2026 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Rapid Response Australia Monthly Household Spending Indicator (Nov. 25) With Australian households continuing to loosen their purse strings, the case for the RBA to tighten policy is growing increasingly compelling. 12th January 2026 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response US Consumer Sentiment (Jan 2026) Consumer sentiment rose to a four-month high, with an improvement to the current conditions index hinting to a labour market that remains weak, but is improving. Admittedly the level of consumer... 9th January 2026 · 1 min read
