Emerging Markets Economics Update EM consumers will continue to feel the pinch Higher oil prices have weighed on consumer conditions in the emerging world recently, but while the impact of higher energy inflation is set to fade in the months ahead, we still expect consumer... 19th October 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly PBOC restarts FX sales, state media get new buzzword The PBOC has been hiding its efforts to support the renminbi over recent months. But a release this week showed the clear hand of the central bank: the PBOC’s balance sheet for September reveals the... 19th October 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Growth still well above trend in third quarter Data next week are likely to show GDP growth slowing to 3.3% annualised in the third quarter. That would still be well above the economy’s potential growth rate but, looking under the hood, there are... 19th October 2018 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response Consumer Price Index (Sep.) & Retail Sales (Aug.) September’s unexpectedly sharp drop in headline inflation will not prevent the Bank of Canada from following through with a widely-expected rate rise at its meeting next week. But further falls in... 19th October 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Reform hopes in Malaysia, tourists shun Thailand The election of former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim to the parliamentary seat of Port Dickinson last weekend bodes well for reform prospects in the country. A slump in Chinese... 19th October 2018 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Weekly South Africa budget speech, Angolan recession, Ethiopian reshuffle Despite the weakness of the economy, South Africa’s new finance minister will probably use next week’s budget review to tighten fiscal policy, rather than to announce new stimulus measures. On a... 19th October 2018 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Data Response Poland Activity Data (Sep.) Polish activity data for September were softer than expected and suggest that GDP growth weakened from 5.1% y/y in Q2 to 4.5% y/y in Q3. This slowdown is likely to continue over the next few quarters. 19th October 2018 · 1 min read
China Data Response GDP (Q3) & Activity & Spending (Sep.) Official GDP growth slowed last quarter consistent with broader evidence that the economy is cooling. There are some early signs in the September data that policy support is starting to gain traction... 19th October 2018 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Consumer Prices (Sep.) While underlying inflation didn’t rise any further in September, we think it will strengthen as firms pass on higher labour costs and domestic demand strengthens ahead of the tax hike. However... 19th October 2018 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Global fallout from a no deal Brexit would be modest While a disorderly no deal Brexit might, depending on its nature, deliver a significant short-term blow to the UK economy and financial markets, any global fallout would probably be small. 18th October 2018 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Real pay prospects improve High-street spending put in a strong performance over Q3 as a whole, posting another chunky 1%-plus gain. Admittedly, retail sales have not been a particularly good barometer of overall consumer... 18th October 2018 · 1 min read
US Chart Pack Markets right to fret about rising interest rates The fall in equity prices over the past couple of weeks is hard to square with the recent economic data, which suggest that GDP growth was 3.0% annualised in the third quarter. The sell-off appears... 18th October 2018 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economic Outlook SNB and Riksbank policy to diverge The era of record-low interest rates is nearly over in Sweden, but it is a long way from finished in Switzerland. The Swedish economy is powering ahead, generating inflationary pressure that the... 18th October 2018 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Retail Sales (Sep.) Although September’s retail sales figures were weaker than expected, sales still rose strongly over Q3 as a whole. And with sustained rises in real pay now in prospect, this should pave the way for a... 18th October 2018 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa: Economy finally returning to growth August’s headline mining output figures were very poor. But it still looks like the economy as a whole finally escaped recession in Q3 due to recoveries in the retail and manufacturing sectors. 18th October 2018 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response External Trade (Sep.) Net exports probably remained a drag on GDP growth in the third quarter. It now looks likely that economic activity came to a standstill in Q3. 18th October 2018 · 1 min read
