US Economics Update Is it time to worry about the flattening yield curve? The recent flattening of the Treasury yield curve appears to have been driven partly by structural forces, but this time is rarely different and when the yield curve inverts, an economic slowdown... 16th July 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Another small step on the path to a big trade war Even though the tariffs actually imposed up to now are relatively small in comparison to overall trade flows and GDP, it is hard to see how a full-blown trade war can be avoided at this stage. There... 11th July 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Could Trump withdraw from the WTO? President Donald Trump would probably struggle to pull the US out of the WTO on his own. But unless Congress starts taking a tougher stance against his protectionist urges, the continued use of... 11th July 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update NFIB & JOLT surveys point to rising cost pressures The NFIB survey and JOLTS figures released today show that labour market conditions are still tightening. 10th July 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Soybean tariffs causing distortion in export growth The rush by US exporters to beat the imposition of retaliatory tariffs on soybeans by China will provide an artificial boost to second-quarter GDP growth, but will become a potentially significant... 9th July 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update How big of a deal would auto tariffs be? Applying tariffs on auto imports would represent the biggest escalation of protectionism so far. Even though the direct impact would be small, boosting the price level by 1% point or so and triggering... 5th July 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (May) The monetary data reveal a sharp slowdown in M1 growth in May, to its weakest pace since early 2016. But this isn’t a serious concern. Our measure of M3 broad money continued to expand at a decent... 5th July 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Drop in airfares inflation a measurement problem The recent drop in airfare inflation has been a small drag on core inflation and, unlike last year’s fall in wireless telephone service prices, appears to be a genuine measurement problem. Underlying... 21st June 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Fed signals a step-up in the pace of tightening The Fed delivered another 25bp hike in its fed funds target range to between 1.75% and 2.00% today and the updated interest rate projections show that officials now anticipate an additional two 25bp... 13th June 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Apr.) Growth in the narrow monetary aggregates slowed further in April, but there is still little to suggest that this is having much of an impact on the wider economy. Our measure of M3 growth has held up... 11th June 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Are markets right to reassess the Fed rate outlook? We still expect that domestic economic conditions will prompt the Fed to hike its policy rate a further three times this year and twice in the first half of next year. But that view is based on the... 30th May 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Deal with China doesn’t address underlying tensions The deal the US has apparently reached with China averts a full-blown trade war and provides another example of the administration backing down from tough rhetoric on trade in return for relatively... 23rd May 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Rising inflation expectations weaken the doves' case The recent rebound in inflation expectations is significant not only because it provides another reason to expect core inflation to trend higher this year, but also because it further weakens the case... 22nd May 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Rising rates beginning to squeeze household finances Households’ balance sheets are still in good shape, with debt burdens stabilising well below their pre-crisis levels and delinquencies low. However, the further rise in newly delinquent credit card... 21st May 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Fed on course for next rate hike in June The Fed was never likely to signal a major shift in policy at the conclusion of the FOMC meeting today, with the fed funds target range left unchanged at 1.5% to 1.75% and the accompanying statement... 2nd May 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Update Monetary Indicators Monitor (Mar.) The reduction of the Fed’s balance sheet continued to weigh on the narrow monetary aggregates in March, but this is unlikely to prove a major drag on the economy. Our measure of M3 shows that broad... 1st May 2018 · 1 min read
