Filtered by Topic: Monetary Policy Use setting Monetary Policy
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 …
22nd November 2022
The resilience of consumer spending is keeping hopes of a soft landing alive. Although GDP growth looks to have slowed in the fourth quarter, and most leading indicators of recession are flashing red, solid retail sales and a jump in vehicle sales …
MNB hasn’t won its inflation battle yet Hungary’s central bank (MNB) left its base rate on hold today, at 13.00%, for a second consecutive meeting and reaffirmed that it would continue to use its “market stabilisation” tools to defend the forint. With …
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 …
21st November 2022
The RBI has hiked interest rates by 190bps since May and, while that is relatively benign compared to the moves seen in many other EMs, this tightening is now feeding through to the economy. Purchases of big ticket items such as passenger vehicles have …
Voters in Turkey head to the polls in 2023 and if the ruling People’s Alliance and President Erdogan cling on to power, the authorities are likely to double down on their “new economic model”, raising the threat of simultaneous currency, banking and …
Headline inflation shot up to 3.7% y/y in October , the strongest since December 1990 while inflation excluding fresh food and energy rose from 1.8% to 2.5%. Although this puts inflation well above the Bank of Japan’s target, the case for tightening is …
This week Fed officials pushed back against the market rally in the wake of October’s unexpectedly weak CPI report, but with only limited success. Despite officials reaffirming that they still had “a ways to go” in tightening policy and that they …
18th November 2022
As the dust settles on this week’s Autumn Statement, we take a step back and answer three key questions. (Clients can catch up on our detailed analysis and our Drop In webinar following Thursday’s fiscal event here and here .) With the economy entering …
Lula’s spending cap exemption plans spook markets Brazil’s financial markets remained on the backfoot this week as the Lula team stepped up its fight against the spending cap. And, while officials have since tried to reassure investors, the developments …
Although the data this week showed renewed rises in the annual rates of CPI-trim and CPI-median inflation in October, our calculations show that the timelier 3-month annualised measures both declined. That could persuade the Bank of Canada to drop down …
In next week’s MPC meetings in South Africa and Nigeria, inflation concerns are likely to hold sway over economic woes, and we expect both central banks to keep raising interest rates. South Africa’s tightening cycle is likely to continue for some time, …
Rebound in Asian currencies unlikely to last The rebound in Asian currencies triggered by the weaker-than-expected US CPI data for October already appears to be running out of steam. A number of currencies, including the won and the rupiah, have dropped …
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 …
Domestic demand coming off the boil Recent data paint a mixed picture of the state of domestic demand. On the one hand, survey evidence remains relatively upbeat. The PMI readings for India have recently held up much better than in most other EMs and …
With inflation still more than five times the Riksbank’s target, Stefan Ingves may be tempted to end his marathon stint as Governor with another 100bp rate hike. But we think the Bank is more likely to raise rates by 75bp, to 2.5%, while signalling more …
17th November 2022
Next year will be characterised by falling headline inflation, which should help to prevent interest rate expectations and bond yields from rising much further. But we also expect core inflation to remain above 2% for some time. As a result, we think …
Higher interest rates and larger private sector debt burdens mean that debt interest service ratios could rise to levels last seen in the 1990s in many EMs next year. This is unlikely to be a major problem in a handful of EMs such as South Africa, India …
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 …
Little sign of goods price pressures easing Final inflation data for October confirm that price pressures strengthened and became more broad-based. Unlike in the US and UK, there is little sign that goods inflation has passed its peak. While headline …
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 …
More hikes coming in Indonesia 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. While a rate hike today was …
Further hikes likely in the near term, but tightening cycle to be over by early next year 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. …
Core inflation pressures better than they look Although the annual rates of CPI-median and CPI-trim edged up in October, the 3-month annualised rates that the Bank of Canada is now focussed on declined. As that for CPI-median is now in the 1% to 3% …
16th November 2022
Broad-based strength in labour market and inflation to prompt 75bp hike next week Rates to peak at 5.0% by April With inflation set to drop back, RBNZ will cut rates in late-2023 With the labour market and inflation going from strength to strength and …
Inflation may have peaked, but battle not yet won It’s possible that the big leap in CPI inflation from 10.1% in September to a new 40-year high of 11.1% in October will mark the peak. But core inflation may yet rise further, which is why we think the …
Fresh upwards pressures pushing up inflation Data out of Nigeria showing a pick-up in inflation to 21.1% y/y in October offered little sign that price pressures are abating. And that’s before the effects of recent flooding and currency weakness have fully …
15th November 2022
Rise in core inflation will keep Riksbank in hawkish mode Another bigger-than-expected increase in core inflation, to 7.9% in October, will keep the Riksbank focused on slowing demand when policymakers meet next week. We expect a further 75bp rate hike, …
Prices pressures are moderating in earnest The substantial falls in both headline consumer and wholesale price inflation in October reinforce our view that the Reserve Bank will slow the pace of monetary tightening in its next scheduled policy meeting in …
14th November 2022
Sovereigns tap the dollar bond market Governments in Turkey and Poland made a splash this week as they announced rare dollar bond issues. Turkey appears to be taking advantage of low credit spreads but the decision in Poland follows recent concern among …
11th November 2022
Lula starting to show his true colours? Developments this week poured cold water on the rally in Brazil’s financial markets that followed Lula’s election victory. Comments from Lula himself yesterday suggesting that higher spending should be prioritised …
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said this week that the unemployment rate will need to rise to help restore price stability, but he also played down the significance of the strong gains in employment and average earnings in October. That suggests …
The big fiscal tightening set to be unveiled at the Autumn Statement on 17 th November is coming at a time when the economy is probably already in recession. And the fiscal consolidation, rumoured to be worth a total of £54bn (1.9% of GDP), could risk …
House prices falling in Sweden and Norway Sweden’s housing market has cooled significantly this year and prices are likely to fall outright soon. SEB’s monthly survey showed that in October, 22% of households expected house prices to rise whereas a much …
Savings rate fell below pre-virus level in Q3 Comments by RBA Deputy Governor Bullock suggest that the risks to our above-consensus policy rate forecasts are shifting to the downside. Bullock noted today that the Bank is getting closer to the point where …
Another 75bp hike, but end of tightening cycle on the horizon Mexico’s central bank delivered a fourth consecutive 75bp interest rate hike, to 10.00%, today but, with inflation now past its peak and the economy likely to slow sharply over the coming …
10th November 2022
While the risk premium that pushed gilt yields up and the pound down after the mini-budget has mostly been reversed under the stewardship of Sunak and Hunt, the fear that the markets will baulk at any fiscal indiscipline means that the Chancellor will …
Goods deflation begins; health insurance flips The better than expected 0.3% m/m increase in core consumer prices in October won’t on its own persuade the Fed to drop its hawkish stance. But we expect this to mark the start of a much longer …
The pace of global monetary policy tightening is slowing But neither history nor central bank guidance give a reliable steer of the future profile Early signs are that the Bank of Canada and US Fed will lead the retreat next year In recent weeks, …
Doves take control at the NBP Poland’s central bank (NBP) announced (very late by its usual standards) that it had left interest rates unchanged at 6.75% at today’s MPC meeting, confirming previous comments from policymakers that they believe the current …
9th November 2022
The recent IMF deals reached by governments in Egypt and Tunisia are positive developments and will help ease balance of payments strains in both countries. Egypt has already made progress with meeting the IMF’s demands and restoring macro stability, …
The ECB might start quantitative tightening next year but that’s not guaranteed, and even if it does so we doubt that it will make much of a dent in its government bond holdings. As a result, interest rates will remain the most important tool for …
The latest activity indicators show that the economy contracted in October, and the forward-looking measures of new orders and expectations suggest that the downturn will get worse. We have pencilled in a contraction in GDP of 0.5% q/q for the fourth …
8th November 2022
The Fed’s mounting losses are an expected result of surging interest rates and will not prevent officials from continuing to tighten policy, nor will they require the Treasury to step in and “recapitalize” the central bank. But it does mean that …
The Polish central bank’s dovish monetary policy stance is becoming increasingly at odds with the severity of inflation pressures and this reinforces our long-held view that inflation won’t return to the central bank’s target until 2025 at the earliest. …
NBR’s tightening cycle nearing an end The National Bank of Romania (NBR) slowed down the pace of its tightening cycle today, with a 50bp interest rate hike to 6.75%. We think that the tightening cycle is nearing an end, but that interest rates will have …
NBP divided on the length of its tightening cycle The divergent views among policymakers at the National Bank of Poland (NBP) make it increasingly difficult to tell whether the central bank’s tightening cycle is coming to an end. We expect the NBP to …
4th November 2022
The modest fiscal loosening unveiled in the Fall Economic Statement this week is unlikely to move the needle much for monetary policy, but the surge in employment in October and the acceleration in wage growth nevertheless leave the Bank of Canada’s …