Energy Update China and US, not Iran, most important for oil prices Oversupply and the looming return of exports from Iran are undoubtedly weighing on oil prices. However, prices are likely to continue to be more influenced by sentiment towards commodities in general... 28th July 2015 · 1 min read
US Data Response Conference Board Consumer Confidence (Jul.) The sharp fall in the Conference Board measure of consumer confidence in July, to 90.9 from 99.8 in June (revised down from 101.4), points to an easing in consumption growth in the second half of the... 28th July 2015 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Homeownership & Vacancy Rates / Case-Shiller (Q2/May) Today’s housing market data suggest that the recent slowdown in house price growth may now be going into reverse. They also support our view that rental value growth could soon reach a 30-year high. 28th July 2015 · 1 min read
US Data Response Durable Goods (Jun.) June's durable goods data suggest that the rebound in investment in business and equipment in the second quarter was probably smaller than we expected. Nevertheless, this isn’t enough to prompt us to... 27th July 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update US shale firms squeeze every last drop Sharp falls in the cost of drilling and fracking shale oil wells mean that some firms can now be profitable even when oil prices are extremely low. This should help to reduce the sharp declines in oil... 27th July 2015 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Labour market conditions set to deteriorate While the steady job gains from the household employment survey are often highlighted as a sign that the oil-induced recession in the first half of the year was an unusually mild one, closer... 27th July 2015 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response New Home Sales (Jun.) New home sales unexpectedly declined in June, and have struggled to make much progress since the start of the year. However, the recent growth in existing sales shows that housing demand is... 24th July 2015 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Fed closing in on lift-off, as economy enjoys Q2 rebound This week's FOMC meeting will be uneventful. With the Fed keen to stress that every meeting is "live" and that decisions are based entirely on the incoming data, we wouldn't expect any heavy hints in... 24th July 2015 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Retail Sales (May) The 0.4% m/m increase in retail sales volumes in May, offsetting a similar decline the month before, suggests that most Canadian consumers remain confident about job prospects. But that could all... 23rd July 2015 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update What are global auto sales telling us about PGM demand? Despite slowing auto sales in China, we believe autocatalyst demand for platinum and palladium will increase by at least 3% in 2015, helping to underpin our positive view on the prices of both metals... 23rd July 2015 · 1 min read
Canada Economic Outlook Economy being dragged down by investment slump The slump in oil prices has already pushed the Canadian economy into a mild recession and things could yet go from bad to worse. Falling energy investment will hit both production and jobs, which will... 22nd July 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report US crude stocks rose last week as another unseasonal increase in commercial inventories was complemented by an addition to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. 22nd July 2015 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Data Response Existing Home Sales (Jun.) The rise in existing home sales to their highest level since before the financial crisis provides further evidence that the housing recovery has shifted into a higher gear. The resilience of the wider... 22nd July 2015 · 1 min read
US Fed Watch September lift-off looking increasingly like a done deal We don't anticipate any major changes from the Fed at next week's FOMC meeting, which concludes on Wednesday 29th July. With the Fed keen to stress that every meeting is "live" and that decisions are... 21st July 2015 · 1 min read
US Chart Pack June data mixed, but Q2 GDP growth around 2.8% After a strong May, economic activity was more mixed in June. Nevertheless, it was still solid enough to re-affirm our view that the economy rebounded robustly in the second quarter. Even after the... 20th July 2015 · 1 min read
Canada Chart Pack Oil price shock part II The latest renewed slump in world and domestic crude oil prices is another blow to the outlook for Canada's oil-dependent economy, which has already slipped into a mild recession. With the fallout... 20th July 2015 · 1 min read
