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Rates on hold, February may be too soon for first rate cut Mexico’s central bank left interest rates unchanged at 11.25% again today and there was no further tilt away from the hawkish bias in the accompanying statement. The likelihood that Banxico will …
14th December 2023
Copom sticking to 50bp cuts The statement accompanying the Brazilian central bank’s decision to lower the Selic rate by 50bp, to 11.75%, was slightly more dovish than the last one from November. But not enough has changed to make policymakers consider …
13th December 2023
The economic reform measures announced yesterday by Argentina’s Economy Minister Luis Caputo, including a large devaluation of the peso and fiscal tightening, mark a clear change in policymaking from the previous Peronist administration. But this wasn’t …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Another 50bp rate cut on the cards tomorrow The small fall in Brazil’s headline inflation rate in November, to 4.7% y/y, makes another 50bp interest rate cut (to 11.75%) at …
12th December 2023
All eyes on Essequibo Tensions between Venezuela and Guyana escalated this week after Venezuelans approved all five questions in last Sunday’s (rubberstamp) referendum, including the establishment of a new state in oil-rich Essequibo, internationally …
8th December 2023
Stubborn services inflation means Banxico to tread slowly with cuts Although Mexico’s headline inflation rate was weaker than expected last month (at 4.3% y/y), uncomfortably strong services inflation supports our view that Banxico’s easing cycle (likely …
7th December 2023
Overview – The surprising strength this year of the region’s two largest economies, Brazil and Mexico, will fade in 2024 and growth over the next couple of years is likely to come in below consensus expectations. In contrast, the Andean economies are set …
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Entering a period of softer growth Brazil’s economy fared better than expected in Q3, expanding by 0.1% q/q, but the bigger picture is that the strong growth seen in the first …
5th December 2023
Brazil’s first sovereign ESG bond arrived last month amid much fanfare, but the reality is that any “ESG premium” looked fairly limited to us. And we think ESG bond premia, in general, will likely remain low. Brazil’s government issued its 7-year US …
4th December 2023
Argentina: signs of more orthodox shock therapy There have been two key developments in Argentina this week that give a sense of what President-elect Javier Milei’s policy agenda will look like. First, the confirmation that Luis Caputo will become economy …
1st December 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Further signs that Brazil’s recent outperformance has ended The meagre 0.1% m/m expansion in Brazil’s industrial production in October adds to the signs that, after a very …
In this Global Economics Update , we describe eight of the biggest risks to our economic forecasts for 2024. The unusual nature of this cycle and uncertainties surrounding the transmission of monetary policy mean that the biggest risks relate to central …
30th November 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Fall in headline inflation keeps another 50bp cut on the cards The decline in inflation in Brazil to 4.8% y/y in the middle of November means that – barring a major surprise in …
28th November 2023
A close look at the data suggests that the boom in investment in Mexico this year is due to a surge in transport infrastructure construction on the Yucatán Peninsula rather than a boom in nearshoring-related investment. With these projects nearing …
27th November 2023
Markets welcome Milei’s win From a political angle, it’s hard to see Javier Milei’s victory in Argentina’s presidential election last Sunday as anything other than a rejection of the political establishment, in a similar vein to the surge in support seen …
24th November 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . High services inflation will stop Banxico from cutting for now Mexico’s mid-month inflation reading of 4.3% y/y in November provides signs that the disinflation process is …
23rd November 2023
Fiscal risks in Latin America have largely been out of the spotlight over the past year, but we think that public debt concerns will build over the coming years. Sovereign defaults seem more likely than not over the next few years in a handful of …
22nd November 2023
Brazil and Mexico will outperform others in the region this year, but that’s likely to flip on its head in 2024 as they slow – and by more than most expect – while the Andean economies recover. Rapid wage growth will keep inflation above target for some …
21st November 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Economic recovery now underway The 0.3% q/q expansion in Chile’s GDP in Q3 suggests that the recovery is beginning to take hold. We continue to expect above-consensus GDP …
20th November 2023
Javier Milei’s victory in the final round of Argentina’s presidential election yesterday will bring about a major shift in economic policymaking. We suspect that some of his more radical proposals – namely dollarisation – may not materialise given limited …
Massa vs. Milei – the final round The final round of Argentina’s drawn-out presidential election process takes place on Sunday, pitching left-wing Peronist and current Economy Minister Sergio Massa against right-wing libertarian Javier Milei. The result …
17th November 2023
During the past decade, the global economy has transitioned out of an era in which globalisation was the key driver of economic and financial relationships into one shaped by geopolitics. Previously, most governments had believed that closer economic …
16th November 2023
Growing external and domestic headwinds suggest to us that Brazilian financial markets will come under pressure over the short term and are unlikely to resume their outperformance beyond that. Brazilian assets have fared relatively well amid the ongoing …
15th November 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Struggling for momentum The softer-than-expected 0.2% q/q rise in Colombian GDP in Q3, coming alongside signs that the economy was weakening towards the end of the quarter, …
Copom’s inflation and fiscal worries There were two key-takeaways from the minutes to last week’s Brazilian central bank meeting, which were released earlier this week. First, despite the recent falls in inflation, Copom remains concerned about …
10th November 2023
The fall in Brazilian inflation to 4.8% y/y in October confirms that the mini inflation cycle has now topped out. Inflation will continue to fall in the coming months, paving the way for further interest rate cuts. That said, we expect inflation to remain …
Banxico remains hawkish, but may be starting to contemplate cuts Mexico’s central bank sprung no surprises and left its policy rate at 11.25% at today’s Board meeting and the accompanying statement retained its hawkish bias. That said, there was a very …
9th November 2023
Protests against a large copper mine have raged in Panama over the past few weeks. If mine production ceased, there would be noticeable impact on global supply but the risk of this happening is small. The mine is a key part of Panama’s economy and is only …
Higher services inflation to keep Banxico in hawkish mood Mexico’s headline inflation rate dropped to a 32-month low of 4.3% y/y in October, but the fresh rise in services inflation will alarm officials at Banxico. We doubt this will prompt a restart to …
The Vaca Muerta shale formation will alleviate some of the pressure on Argentina’s fragile balance of payments position by substantially reducing the country’s gas import bill and raising oil export revenues. While this is good news for the crisis-ridden …
8th November 2023
Growth in Costa Rica is likely to slow by more in 2024 than officials currently expect amid weaker growth in the US, high commodity prices and tight fiscal policy. Further ahead, though, a burgeoning medical goods sector, robust FDI inflows and the …
7th November 2023
Copom cuts, but fiscal risks return to the spotlight Fiscal risks are rearing their head again in Brazil after President Lula suggested that the government may no longer aim for a balanced primary budget next year as previously pledged. Finance Minister …
3rd November 2023
Brazil’s central bank (BCB) cut the Selic rate by 50bp, to 12.25%, at yesterday’s Copom meeting and signalled again that further similar reductions lie in store over the next few meetings. Even so, with strong wage growth set to keep inflation above …
2nd November 2023
Another solid quarter, but slowdown awaits Mexico’s economy posted solid growth of 0.9% q/q in Q3, but we still think a slowdown is on the cards over the coming quarters as tight monetary policy takes a heavier toll and weaker growth in the US weighs on …
31st October 2023
Argentina: it’s not the economy, stupid? Elections in Argentina rarely fail to surprise and Sunday’s vote was no exception. While it was widely expected that the election would go to a run-off between Peronist and current Economy Minister Sergio Massa …
27th October 2023
We think the Chilean peso is poised for a rebound in 2024 as the headwinds from the narrowing interest rate differential and the terms of trade deterioration reverse. The Chilean peso has underperformed nearly all other major emerging market currencies …
26th October 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Copom on course for another 50bp cut next week The Brazilian mid-month inflation figure for October, of 5.0% y/y, confirms that the recent rise in inflation has now passed its …
25th October 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Pick-up in services inflation to keep Banxico in hawkish mood The fall in Mexico’s headline inflation rate to a 31-month low of 4.3% y/y in the first half of October masked a …
24th October 2023
The strong showing for Peronist candidate and current Economy Minister Sergio Massa in Sunday’s presidential election in Argentina means that the run-up to the second round vote in November is likely to see further pre-election fiscal giveaways. But these …
23rd October 2023
Argentina’s election also a vote on its China stance Argentines head to the polls on Sunday in the first round of what’s arguably one of the most important presidential elections in the country’s recent history. You can find a note previewing Sunday’s …
20th October 2023
There are mounting signs that labour market conditions in many parts of Latin America are starting to loosen, but wages are still rising at a rapid pace and it will take time for wage growth to return to levels that are consistent with central banks’ …
19th October 2023
Argentines face the choice between a shock-therapy style approach to tackling the country’s economic issues or more of the same unorthodox policymaking when they head to the polls in Sunday’s presidential election. The latest polls suggest that, while …
17th October 2023
The reported deal that is close to being reached to lift US sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector in return for competitive elections would help to raise the country’s oil output from very depressed levels. But the sector requires enormous investment to …
16th October 2023
Ecuador’s presidential run off Ecuadorians head to the polls on Sunday in a run-off vote for the country’s next president that pits left-wing candidate Luisa González against centre-right businessman Daniel Noboa. Whoever wins will serve the remainder of …
13th October 2023
Construction boom helps to offset manufacturing weakness Mexico’s industrial sector posted a modest 0.3% m/m rise in output in August as another jump in construction output more than offset renewed weakness in manufacturing. But more timely indicators …
12th October 2023
Tightness in Mexico’s labour market continues to fuel wage pressures, with real wages now rising at their fastest pace since the early 2000s. But this isn’t being matched by productivity growth and, in turn, threatens to keep inflation above Banxico’s …
11th October 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication . Services inflation remains stubbornly strong The further rise in Brazilian inflation to 5.2% y/y probably marks the peak in this mini-inflation cycle and the headline rate …
Fresh rise in services inflation to harden Banxico’s hawkish stance Mexico’s headline inflation rate continued to edge lower, to 4.5% y/y, in September on the back of softer core price pressures. Even so, the fresh rise in services inflation will …
9th October 2023
Feeling the spillovers… Latin America has been far from immune from spillovers from the sell-off in global bond markets. (For more on the impact on the global economy, see here .) Like in DMs, local currency bond yields in the region have risen sharply, …
6th October 2023
