We doubt the recent outperformance of equities vis-à-vis government bonds in the US will persist over the next three to six months, given our view that the economy there is heading for a mild recession in the spring of next year. We do think, however, it …
25th November 2022
China’s dominance in the supply of some key materials needed for the green transition means that tracking imports of certain goods from the country can offer a timely, albeit imperfect, window into the rollout of renewable technology elsewhere – …
Over a year ago, we warned that surging shipping costs posed an upside risk to inflation going into 2022, and it looks like these risks did indeed materialise. But now that global shipping costs have collapsed, we expect them to drag down on inflation …
The Treasury has started to make payments to the Bank of England’s Asset Purchase Facility (APF) to cover the losses it has racked up because of the Bank of England’s gilt purchases. While this won’t force the Chancellor to tighten fiscal policy …
The reduction in the required reserve ratio (RRR) that the PBOC just announced will help banks follow through on a directive to defer loan repayments from firms struggling with widening lockdown restrictions. Market interest rates may also edge down as a …
Today’s decision in South Africa to raise the benchmark rate by 75bp, to 7.00%, signalled that policymakers remain in inflation-fighting mode and the tightening cycle has further to run. That said, the balance on the MPC appears to be shifting towards …
24th November 2022
Metals demand growth improved markedly in the third quarter, but demand is unlikely to hold up as global economic activity deteriorates further. Our Capital Economic Demand Proxies, which we update every month here , aim to gauge the true state of …
Malaysia’s new prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, lacks a majority in parliament and his appointment is unlikely to bring to an end the political instability and uncertainty that has held Malaysia’s economy back since 2018. Just keeping the government …
The latest IPF Consensus survey showed a significant upgrade to 2022 European office rent growth expectations, largely due to strong rent outturns in Q2 and Q3 this year. A slowdown is expected in 2023, but in our view the consensus is still too …
Monetary tightening cycles in EMs are advanced relative to DMs, and are now drawing to a close in many countries. Elevated inflation will mean that policy will stay tight over the coming months, but the conditions for several EM central banks to start …
This morning’s 75bp increase in the Riksbank’s policy rate was in line with expectations, and both the press statement and Monetary Policy Report are consistent with our view that policymakers will raise rates to a peak of around 3% next year. Beyond …
The proposed multi-employer wage agreements risk further fuelling inflation by disruptive industrial action. And while employers could circumvent them by striking traditional enterprise agreements, there’s a risk that this locks in strong pay growth for …
The Bank of Korea (BoK) today raised interest rates by a further 25bps (to 3.25%) and the accompanying hawkish statement suggests the tightening cycle still has a little further to run. We are tweaking our forecasts for next year and now expect one more …
Banks are likely to tighten credit conditions over the next year to protect themselves from house price falls. But their more cautious approach to lending in this cycle means we don’t think they will have to tighten conditions as significantly as in …
23rd November 2022
November’s flash PMIs were a mixed bag, with unexpected increases in Europe and a sharp fall in the US. However, the headline indices are now at levels consistent with falling activity in all major advanced economies. And the surveys continue to suggest …
The record-low yields on rental properties and fall in house prices we forecast imply poor returns for Buy-to-Let (BTL) landlords over the next few years. Moreover, the jump in mortgage rates means a significant minority of them will see mortgage …
Despite its strength this month, we think the headwinds facing the South African rand remain in place and expect it to reach fresh lows against the US dollar through the middle of next year. Amid the broad-based weakness in the dollar following the …
We think that headline inflation in the euro-zone is nearing its peak and will begin to fall quite sharply early next year. But the core rate will probably peak a little later and decline more slowly. Data released on Monday showing a sharp fall in German …
With the global economy headed for recession and commodity prices likely to come off their recent highs, Latin American exports will struggle over the coming quarters. Weakening global growth is also likely to cause risk appetite to deteriorate and large …
With fiscal policy no longer expected to be ultra-loose and some signs emerging that domestic price pressures will ease further ahead, we no longer expect the Bank of England to raise interest rates to a peak of 5.00%. Our new forecast of an increase …
Industrial metal prices are starting to come under pressure again, after rallying by 10% in the first two weeks of November. We think that weak global demand will drag prices lower over the next few months. After rallying to a five month high, …
Recent monthly data from the advanced economies have tended to exceed analysts’ gloomy expectations. This is partly due to an easing of supply shortages, which could offer some further support to output and spending in the near term. However, this …
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand hiked the overnight cash rate by 75bp as most had anticipated but signalled a much higher peak in the OCR than in August. We’re now forecasting another 75bp hike in February followed by a final 50bp hike in April, but we …
Although the annual rates of core inflation increased in October, we suspect the Bank of Canada will point to the declines in the 3-month annualised rates of CPI-trim and CPI-median to justify dropping down to a 25 bp interest rate hike at its meeting …
22nd November 2022
The next few weeks could be the worst in China since the early weeks of the pandemic both for the economy and the healthcare system . Efforts to contain the current outbreak will, at the very least, require additional localised lockdowns in many cities, …
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised the benchmark rate by 100bp, to 16.50%, today, and MPC members appear to be itching to take their foot off the monetary policy brakes. But we suspect that the incoming inflation data will prevent them from doing so …
Italy’s draft 2023 budget confirms that, for now, the new right-wing government is committed to fiscal responsibility. As a result, the risk of turbulence in BTP markets has fallen, but it remains high given Italy’s large public debt and the prospect of …
Although we think the yields of high-grade, long-dated government bonds will fall in general in the next couple of years, we expect those of Bunds to fall by less than those of Treasuries, as comparatively sticky inflation in the euro-zone keeps monetary …
21st November 2022
The Bank of Israel (BoI) slowed down the pace of tightening today with a 50bp rate hike, to 3.25%, as it emphasised the tightening delivered so far and the early signs that economic activity is slowing. We think it will end its tightening cycle early next …
High oil prices have led to a recovery in US oil investment this year. But US crude production gains have been tempered by rising business costs and an emphasis on returning profits to shareholders. We expect the situation to be similar next year, with US …
Russia’s agreement to extend the Black Sea grain deal with Ukraine should help to keep a lid on wheat and corn prices over the coming months, reducing upward pressure on inflation in the emerging world and alleviating economic imbalances. Countries that …
Wage growth in Germany will be far lower next year than some headlines about recent wage deals suggest, but it will still rise above levels compatible with core inflation of 2%. German unions demanding and, in some cases, securing pay rises in the region …
18th November 2022
Our downbeat economic forecasts for the euro-zone underpin our view that equity markets there will fall further in the coming months. Within the region, we think the downside risks for equity prices are largest in southern Europe. Even after falling by …
The cost-of-living crisis will have an impact on UK high streets for much of the next year. That will not be helpful for retail property rents, although given they are starting from a low base, we think the sector will avoid the meltdown of the pandemic …
The October inflation data highlighted a contrast between the US and Europe, with core price pressures easing materially in the US but staying stronger in the euro-zone and UK. We think this will be an enduring feature of relative inflation prospects in …
High carry emerging market (EM) currencies have generally fared better than their low carry counterparts over recent months, but we doubt this will continue. We think currencies in EM Asia will fare best over the next two quarters, despite their low …
Having increased sharply throughout the year, we think that emerging market (EM) local currency sovereign bond yields will probably only increase by a little more in the first half of next year, despite a looming world recession. Yields may then start to …
Our current view is that we see a mild recession in H1 2023, but if we were to see a more substantial drop in GDP, we think the extra downside impact would be felt most in the apartment sector. Indeed, if GDP were to fall by an additional 1% …
17th November 2022
Bank Indonesia (BI) today raised interest rates by a further 50bps (to 5.25%) and we think further hikes are likely as the central bank looks to support the rupiah and clamp down on inflation. In its press conference the central bank stated that …
Recent policy announcements have raised hopes that the property downturn may be coming to an end. But while the measures made public so far reduce some of the downside risks by giving developers and their creditors a little breathing room, they fall short …
The central bank of the Philippines (BSP) today raised its main policy rate by a further 75bps (to 5.0%), and we think further tightening is likely in the near term. But with inflation having probably peaked, headwinds to the recovery mounting and the …
Weak new home sales weigh on housing starts The plunge in new home sales in Toronto in September points to further falls in housing starts, although there are at least some signs that the worst may be behind us for home sales and that the pressure on …
16th November 2022
We suspect the underperformance of US equities that has accompanied the US dollar’s slump so far this month will become a feature from mid-2023, as the currency eventually comes under sustained pressure. Since the end of October, MSCI’s USA Index has …
Euro-zone industrial production and GDP have been stronger than we had expected so far this year. Several factors have contributed to this, but one of them is the distortions to Ireland’s economic statistics. The picture in the rest of the euro-zone is …
The negative correlation between the US dollar and the price of oil has reasserted itself in recent months, and we think it will persist as the looming global recession pushes the dollar higher and oil price lower. Although the price of oil hasn’t risen …
The small increase in vacancy in Q3 supports our view that the rental market is turning a corner and makes us increasingly confident in our call that rents will fall next year. Conditions remain tighter in the homeowner market. But higher interest rates …
Foreign capital inflows into EM financial markets have risen sharply so far this month, as investor risk appetite has improved. But with the global economy set to enter recession, we aren’t convinced that this will last as EMs are likely to find it more …
Morocco has been hit hard by the spillovers from the war in Ukraine and, while its external strains aren’t anywhere near as sever as those in Egypt and Tunisia, we think the authorities will need to resume their shift to a more flexible exchange rate …
This checklist helps clients keep track of the key economic and public finances forecasts announced during the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement at 11.30am on Thursday 17 th November. We will send a Rapid Response shortly after the speech, we are hosting a …
Malaysia heads to the polls on Saturday for a general election which, if the latest opinion polls are correct, will lead to a further period of unstable and fractured politics. This reduces the chances of meaningful economic reforms being passed and …
