Sticking to Q3 call despite shifting consensus The latest poll from Bloomberg published this week show that the consensus is now expecting the RBI to begin its easing cycle in Q4. It is now forecasting 50bps of cuts by the end of the year, which would …
10th May 2024
Sharp fall in services inflation points to another rate cut The fall in Brazilian inflation to 3.7% y/y last month and, more importantly, the sharp decline in underlying services inflation suggests that, despite the hawkish language in the Copom statement …
Mexico: more support for Pemex? One of the central views of the Update we published earlier this week on Mexico’s public finances was that limited fiscal room combined with presidential frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum’s strong environmental credentials …
UK Commercial Property Valuation Monitor (Q1 24) …
This week brought more evidence that European central banks feel comfortable starting their easing cycles ahead of the Fed. As we had expected, the Riksbank cut its policy rate by 25bp, even after last week’s Fed meeting confirmed that it will take longer …
India's economic future …
Although the recent weakness in exports from China suggest that a sharp rebound in global goods trade probably isn’t on the cards, we still expect global trade to rise this year after a very weak 2023. And while conflict in the Red Sea has caused some …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Strong GDP data probably won’t prevent BoE rate cuts The 0.6% q/q rise in GDP in Q1 confirmed that the recession ended at the start of this year and suggests the economy has been …
Production shutdowns now over If we’re right and the GDP data due next week show a 0.6% q/q drop in output, that would mark the second fall in just three quarters. The recent weakness largely reflects a slump in industrial output at the start of the …
A tricky balancing act At its meeting this Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of Australia continued to leave rates on hold, contrary to our expectations that the Bank would feel compelled to take out some additional insurance in the form of a 25bp hike. To be …
Easing cycle paused, rate cuts to be more gradual than most anticipate Mexico’s central bank paused its easing cycle at today’s meeting and, while we expect interest rate cuts to resume soon, we think that monetary conditions will be kept tighter than …
9th May 2024
The scale of the economic impact of the floods that have affected much of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul will depend on how long it takes for the waters to recede and for reconstruction efforts to get underway. Given the region’s importance to …
Policymakers at the Bank of England (BoE) are edging closer to easing policy, and we still think they will cut Bank Rate by more than widely anticipated. In turn, we expect this will weigh on Gilt yields and sterling. The muted market reaction to the Bank …
Although the monetary easing cycle in Brazil is entering a much slower phase, we think the Brazilian real will remain under pressure against the dollar over the coming quarters. Emerging market (EM) currencies have generally struggled against the …
Private sector savings surged in Israel during the pandemic and jumped again last year amid the war in Gaza. We estimate that those built up due to the war are equivalent to around 3.0% of GDP and could be used to fund consumption, particularly if …
Rates on hold, small chance of a cut in 2024 Poland’s central bank (NBP) left its policy rate on hold as expected at 5.75% today and we don’t expect any change for some time. Still, there is now a growing possibility of an interest rate cut before the end …
Lawmakers' current efforts to restrict institutional buying of single-family homes won't put downward pressure on house prices if enacted, as their market share is minimal. Investors ramped up buying of homes in 2021-22, a trend that has raised concerns …
We’ll be discussing the outlook for Bank of England policy in a 20-minute online briefing at 3pm today. (Register here .) While leaving interest rates at 5.25% today as widely expected, the Bank of England gave the impression that it is close to cutting …
Canada Chart Pack (May 2024) …
Inflation rises, Banxico to pause later today The rise in Mexico’s headline inflation rate, to 4.7% y/y in April, was mainly due to a fresh jump in agricultural inflation which masked a fall in core inflation. Still, there’s nothing in the data which …
Mexico election 2024 …
Is the UAE set to butt heads with OPEC again? The UAE‘s announcement that its oil production capacity has been raised ahead of schedule provides further evidence of its desire to raise actual output. But with growing rumours that OPEC may hold off from …
The surplus in the zinc market will shrink a little this year, as recovering raw material supply and a pick-up in refined output is offset by a boost to demand from a cyclical recovery in China. That said, prices are likely to fall this year from their …
The persistent strength in core services inflation in some EMs outside Asia raises the chances that central banks cut interest rates by less than the consensus expects this year, not least because it comes amid a strengthening of the US dollar and …
The South African government has turned to fiscal austerity in an effort to stabilise the public debt ratio and to keep investors on board, but this is likely to become harder to do post-election. While a lot depends on the form of coalition government …
For more detailed and up-to-date analysis see here . Rapid falls in inflation may prompt BoE to cut rates in June The Bank of England left interest rates at 5.25% today as widely expected, but it gave the impression it’s getting closer to cutting rates. …
The Italian industrial market made a strong start to 2024, with prime rent growth outpacing the rest of the euro-zone and beating our own forecasts. Rental gains are still expected to slow going forward, but with economic activity in Italy also holding up …
Extreme heat across parts of India could be particularly damaging to the agriculture sector through both a drop in crop yields and a fall in labour productivity. But industry and services aren’t immune; a surge in demand for electricity to power cooling …
Rates on hold throughout 2024 Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) left its overnight policy rate (OPR) on hold (at 3.00%) today, and the tone of its statement supports our view that rates will be left unchanged throughout 2024. The decision was correctly predicted …
This webpage has been updated with additional analysis, as well as a Chart and Table of key data. Inflation continues to tick down after orthodox shift Egypt’s headline inflation rate slowed from 33.3% y/y in March to 32.5% y/y in April and we think that …
The latest data are consistent with our view that the euro-zone will grow only slowly in the coming quarters. With the labour market softening and inflation continuing to fall, the ECB has signalled that it is likely to start cutting rates in June. We …
Increasing supply points to softer price growth While sales volumes were robust in April according to the RICS Residential Market Survey, stalling demand and increasing supply suggests that prices will continue to stagnate over the coming months. The …
GDP growth in the Philippines slowed in Q1 and we expect further weakness over the rest of the year as tight monetary policy, slower growth in remittances and weaker export demand weigh on activity. According to the data published today, GDP growth …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Export volumes have further to fall Export values returned to growth last month after contracting in March, but this was mainly due to a lower base for comparison. Export …
All signs are that unit labour cost growth in New Zealand will plummet in the coming quarters. Coupled with subdued domestic demand, that should feed through to lower non-tradables inflation in short order. The upshot is that the RBNZ’s forthcoming easing …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Wage growth to gain further momentum While total wage growth slowed sharply in March, this was mostly driven by a plunge in volatile bonus payments. Regular wage growth held up …
Easing cycle set to enter a stop-start phase The Brazilian central bank’s decision to cut the Selic rate by 25bp to 10.50% (rather than opt for another 50bp step) and drop its forward guidance confirm that most of the rate cuts in this easing cycle are …
8th May 2024
While regular private sector wage growth in February and services CPI inflation in March were both a bit higher than the Bank of England had expected, we still think that the flatlining of the economy over the past two years will dampen price pressures …
China’s leadership argues that the country’s export success in industries like auto production is a reflection of its technological strength. It understandably doesn’t want to focus on another factor at play: the persistent weakness of domestic consumer …
We expect Japanese government bond (JGB) yields to rise a bit and the yen to come off the boil later this year, creating a headwind for equities there. The 10-year JGB yield has jumped 4bp and the TOPIX has dipped over 1% today following comments by Bank …
We think that oil prices have further to fall, as we expect OPEC+ to gradually increase output later this year. Prices have recently fallen as worries that the conflict in the Middle East could affect oil supply have eased. Natural gas prices in the US …
The Mexican government’s pre-election spending spree means that the next administration will have its work cut out to put the country’s public finances back onto a stable footing. Claudia Sheinbaum, the frontrunner to be the next president, has so far …
Rise in inflation shifts odds in favour of a 50bp cut The slightly larger-than-expected rise in Chile’s inflation to 4.0% y/y in April supports our view that the central bank will once again slow the pace of easing with a 50bp cut (to 6.00%) at its …
Rising mortgage rates extend the slump in demand The small rebound in mortgage demand in March proved short-lived, as higher borrowing costs caused home purchase mortgage applications to drop 2.3% m/m in April. But the 10-year Treasury yield’s recent …
The Riksbank is likely to follow today’s 25bp rate cut with three more cuts this year, which is one more than the central bank itself forecasts and more than investors are pricing in. The case for rate cuts in Sweden is stronger than for the euro-zone …
Riksbank likely to cut faster than it forecasts The Rikbsank’s decision to cut its key policy rate by 25bp today, to 3.75%, was only partly priced in by financial markets but was forecast by the majority of analysts including ourselves. Attention will now …
