Canada Chart Pack Core inflation set to fall further Two of the Bank of Canada’s three measures of core inflation, CPI-trim and CPI-median, declined in November. As a result, an average of the three measures fell to 1.9%, the lowest in five months. Base... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Update Business Outlook Survey (Q4) The slump in the Business Outlook Survey future sales balance looks consistent with GDP growth falling towards zero and is another reason to doubt that the Bank of Canada will raise interest rates... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
UK Economics Weekly Could the UK top the G7 growth table in 2019? Clearly what form Brexit takes (if it takes place at all!) will be the key influence on the economy next year, but our sense is that there is a bit more upside to GDP growth and the pound than widely... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
US Data Response Durable Goods; Personal Income & Spending (Nov.) The 0.8% m/m rebound in durable goods orders in November masked further weakness in underlying orders, suggesting that growth in business equipment investment continued to slow in the fourth quarter... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Brexit concerns weighing on spending Brexit concerns may weigh more heavily on consumer spending over the next few quarters. But a further improvement in real earnings growth should put households’ finances on a more sustainable footing... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Oil sets the tone for 2019 The price of oil plunged again this week but, while we are negative on the outlook for 2019, we think that the latest falls are being driven more by bearish investor sentiment than fundamentals. After... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Update Mortgage market can weather the shutdown If it continues, the partial Federal shutdown is likely to lead to a decline in the mortgage closing rate. But lenders showed flexibility to get around the virtual closure of the FHA and IRS during... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Riksbank finally hikes, Swiss risks reduce The Riksbank’s decision to hike interest rates this week supported our long-held view that it would tighten policy more aggressively than investors anticipate. But the risks from high household debt... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
Canada Economics Weekly Poloz maintains upbeat tone despite oil price slump In an interview this week, Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz seemed fairly relaxed about the economic outlook. But with inflationary pressures fading, oil prices falling again and exporters... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Weekly Venezuela debt crisis phase II, what to watch in 2019 News that creditors have started the process for triggering an “acceleration” clause in one of Venezuela’s sovereign dollar bonds suggests that, after a lengthy impasse, the debt crisis is likely to... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Markets increasingly pricing in a Fed mistake The clear view in financial markets in the wake of the December FOMC meeting is that any further rate hikes over the coming months are likely to be reversed in 2020. Our long-held forecast is that a... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Commercial Property Update Could a no deal Brexit bring upside to the euro-zone? A no deal Brexit is unlikely to provide much support for property in the rest of Europe. The negative impact on euro-zone occupier markets should be modest, but investors, rather than reallocate UK... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response GDP by Industry (Oct.) The economy performed better than expected at the start of the fourth quarter. But with a number of factors likely to have weighed on growth in November, October’s data are little reason to think that... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Italy kicks the can down the road This week, Italy’s Government again showed itself to be more flexible than many had anticipated. But its fiscal problems are far from over and, in our view, public debt still looks unsustainable in... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
US Housing Market Outlook Mortgage interest rates set for steady decline The drop in 10-year Treasury yields seen in recent weeks has led to lower mortgage interest rates. We now think the 5.17% the 30-year fixed rate reached in November represents the peak of the current... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Weekly Romania to tighten purse strings, Turkey in recession The Romanian government’s measures to tighten fiscal policy next year, announced on Wednesday, support our long-held view that GDP growth will slow by more than most expect in 2019. Meanwhile, the... 21st December 2018 · 1 min read