Global Economics Update PMIs show recovery in global industry still an EM story The latest manufacturing PMIs suggest that global industry continued to recover at the start of Q2, but that this was entirely due to higher output in emerging markets, while activity remained much... 2nd May 2024 · 2 mins read
Global Economics Update Will high labour cost growth thwart disinflation? Rapid growth in unit labour costs poses an upside risk to core inflation in many advanced economies. However, firms’ pricing power is weakening and we think that it will continue to do so. As a result... 2nd May 2024 · 5 mins read
FX Markets Update It would take a lot more dollar strength to “break the economy” The US dollar would have to appreciate a lot further before having significant effects on the global economy and financial system. A key risk to watch for is the widening policy divergence between the... 25th April 2024 · 6 mins read
Global Economics Update PMIs point to rebound in activity in most DMs in Q2 The latest flash PMIs suggest that GDP growth picked up in most advanced economies at the start of Q2. But stronger services activity risks keeping price pressures elevated in some DMs. 23rd April 2024 · 2 mins read
Global Economics Update US vs. European inflation differences overstated On the face of it, core disinflation seems to have stalled or even reversed in the US but not in Europe, suggesting that Fed cuts will come much later than those by the ECB and BoE. However, there are... 18th April 2024 · 5 mins read
Global Economics Update Middle East tensions not yet a major threat to inflation As things stand, higher oil prices will boost inflation in advanced economies by only a few tenths of a percentage point in the months ahead and we still expect this boost to fade as the year goes on... 16th April 2024 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update The Iran drone strike & the oil market implications There are clearly many ways in which tensions between Iran and Israel could escalate and push up oil prices following the Iranian drone strike at the weekend. But the risk that a conflict involving... 15th April 2024 · 4 mins read
Global Economics Update World trade edging up as freight rates sink After a historically weak 2023, there are early signs of a modest turnaround in world goods trade which we expect to endure. Meanwhile, global container shipping costs have halved – and those for... 9th April 2024 · 4 mins read
Global Economics Update PMIs continue to suggest global industry is recovering March’s manufacturing PMIs provided further evidence that global industry is past the worst. And although higher industrial output has caused price pressures to increase in some advanced economies, it... 2nd April 2024 · 2 mins read
Global Economics Update Your latest monetary policy questions answered We held an online Drop-In session last week to discuss the outlook for monetary policy following the US Fed and Bank of England policy meetings and comments by the ECB’s Christine Lagarde. (See a... 25th March 2024 · 6 mins read
Global Economics Update PMIs: Euro-zone lagging behind at the end of Q1 The flash PMIs for March suggest that the euro-zone economy is still flatlining, while the UK and Japan seem to be pulling out of recession heading into Q2. The survey indicators of price pressures... 21st March 2024 · 3 mins read
Global Economics Update Global industry set for gradual recovery The latest data suggest that global industry may be coming back to life. Much of the improvement so far has related to China, where policy will continue to support domestic production. But falling... 19th March 2024 · 4 mins read
Long Run Update Are weight loss drugs a game-changer? There are so many uncertainties that it remains unwise to get carried away by the potential economic boost from the latest wave of weight loss drugs. Nonetheless, if use of the drugs continues to grow... 14th March 2024 · 5 mins read
Global Economics Update Labour markets starting to support case for rate cuts The latest data from major advanced economies typically show that unemployment rates are rising and pay pressures are easing. While wage growth is still too high for comfort in most cases, we suspect... 12th March 2024 · 6 mins read
Global Economics Update PMIs point to slight improvement in industry February’s manufacturing PMIs suggest that global industrial activity improved at the start of this year, but that activity in emerging markets continued to outperform that in advanced economies... 1st March 2024 · 2 mins read
Global Economics Update 2023: Fifth weakest year for world trade since 1950 Although world goods trade rose in December, it wasn’t enough to change the fact that 2023 was one of the weakest years for trade in over 70 years, as we forecast a year ago. As for 2024, we expect a... 1st March 2024 · 4 mins read