US Data Response ISM Manufacturing Index (Nov.) The November ISM manufacturing survey suggests that supply shortages are yet to ease significantly, but it does at least echo anecdotal reports that they are no longer getting worse. 1st December 2021 · 2 mins read
US Housing Market Data Response Mortgage Applications (Nov.) A rise in mortgage rates to an eight-month high of 3.31% by the end of November failed to dampen home purchase demand, which surged to a nine-month high. The drop in 10-year Treasury yields from the... 1st December 2021 · 2 mins read
Global Markets Focus Is inflation about to spell trouble for the stock market? US inflation hit its highest level since the 1990s in October and has now reached a rate that, historically, has coincided with very poor stock market returns. Notwithstanding the uncertainty around... 1st December 2021 · 13 mins read
Capital Daily Omicron, Powell and the US dollar With financial markets already firmly in risk-off mode following the emergence of the Omicron variant, Fed Chair Powell’s suggestion that the FOMC may still increase the pace of policy tightening has... 30th November 2021 · 7 mins read
US Housing Market Data Response Case-Shiller/FHFA House Prices (Sep.) Annual house price growth fell for the first time in 16-months in September, and stretched affordability means it should continue to slow. It is too soon to say what impact the arrival of the Omicron... 30th November 2021 · 2 mins read
US Housing Market Update Why are pending and existing home sales diverging? An increase in the quality of mortgage borrowers, and record low inventory, are boosting the mortgage closing rate and leading to an increase in the share of pending home sales converted into existing... 29th November 2021 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update First thoughts on Omicron impact With cases of the new Omicron variant being reported on several continents now, there is a good chance that it is already present in the United States. We still know almost nothing definitive about... 28th November 2021 · 4 mins read
Energy Update Strategic release of reserves is too little too late The announcement of the co-ordinated release of oil reserves by the US and other large oil consumers should mean higher supply (and downward pressure on prices) but it will come at a time when we... 25th November 2021 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly SPR release, Turkey exposure, Egypt price adjustments The US-led release of oil reserves earlier this week did little to bring down the price of oil as President Biden would have hoped and, if anything, could provoke OPEC+ to raise oil production more... 25th November 2021 · 5 mins read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report US commercial stocks rose due to a pre-planned release of reserves and a large drop in exports. But the bigger picture is that product demand remains healthy, adding pressure to a tightening market. 24th November 2021 · 2 mins read
US Economics Weekly Powell gets the nod; GDP growth rebounding The announcement on Monday morning that President Biden would nominate Jerome Powell for a second term as Fed Chair was largely as expected, although the unexplained delays in making it official may... 24th November 2021 · 7 mins read
US Housing Market Data Response New Home Sales (Oct.) The marginal improvement in new home sales in October was flattered by a downward revision to September’s data, and the bigger picture is that sales have been fairly steady since May. Looking ahead... 24th November 2021 · 2 mins read
US Commercial Property Valuation Monitor Industrial overvalued, but supported by rental outlook Rising equity earnings yields and government bond yields squeezed property valuations in Q3. While pricing still looks reasonable at the all-property level, the industrial sector is starting to look... 24th November 2021 · 6 mins read
US Data Response Durable Goods, Adv. Trade (Oct.), GDP (Q3 2nd Est.) The 0.5% fall in durable goods orders was not as bad as it looked, given that it was entirely due to a fall in volatile aircraft orders. But the bigger news this morning was the huge 10.7% m/m surge... 24th November 2021 · 3 mins read
US Employment Report Preview Slowdown ahead We expect non-farm payrolls to have risen by a solid 500,000 in November, but the growing risk of a winter COVID wave and a dwindling supply of available workers look set to weigh on employment growth... 24th November 2021 · 3 mins read
Energy Update A mild winter doesn’t change our price outlook We have left our near-term forecasts for energy prices (which are historically high) unchanged after reflecting on the latest weather forecasts for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere winter... 24th November 2021 · 3 mins read
