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April 26, 2024
Argentina: Activity is Shrinking but that is the Price to Stabilize
April 26, 2024 5:52 PM UTC
The INDEC data for February reveals a 0.2% economic shrinkage, signalling a 5.1% drop since August 2023, potentially leading to a Q1 2024 recession. High inflation and fiscal adjustments are primary causes. Some foresee 0% April inflation due to price realignment and stable ARS. Despite low reserves
U.S. March Trimmed Mean PCE Price Index Slower at 2.9% Annualized
April 26, 2024 3:32 PM UTC
While March’s 0.3% Core PCE Price Index was a little firmer before rounding, and stronger than February data that was rounded up to 0.3%, the Dallas Fed’s Trimmed Mean PCE Price Index slowed to a 2.9% annualized pace from 3.4% in February.
Brazil: Credit Decelerating Amid Tighter Conditions
April 26, 2024 1:21 PM UTC
Despite the BCB's initiation of the cutting cycle, credit is anticipated to decelerate due to monetary policy lags. Enterprises face the most significant impact, with nominal growth dropping to 4.1% in February from 12.1% a year prior. While household credit growth slows to 10.4% annually from 17%,
CBR Kept the Key Rate Stable at 16%
April 26, 2024 1:12 PM UTC
Bottom Line: As widely expected, Central Bank of Russia (CBR) announced on April 26 that it decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 16% for the third meeting in a row. CBR made critical changes in its key rate and inflation forecasts as it lifted its 2024 inflation forecast to 4.3-4.8% from 4-4
U.S. March Personal Income and Spending - Q1 totals confirmed, Core PCE Prices provide some relief
April 26, 2024 1:12 PM UTC
March’s personal income and spending data confirms the Q1 totals released with the GDP report. Core PCE prices at 0.3% provide some relief by avoiding the 0.4% implied by Q1’s stronger than expected 3.7% annualized rise. March rose by 0.317% before rounding with revisions to February (to 0.266%
Headwinds To Long-term Global Growth
April 26, 2024 9:30 AM UTC
Bottom line: While much focus is on the cyclical economic position to determine 2024 monetary policy prospects, the 2025-28 structural growth trajectory differs to the pre 2020 GDP trajectory for major economies. While global fragmentation has a role to play, aging populations are already having a
April 25, 2024
FOMC Preview For May 1: Signaling Concern on Inflation, Tapering Quantitative Tightening
April 25, 2024 7:04 PM UTC
Bottom Line: The FOMC meets on May 1 and rates look sure to remain at the current 5.25%-5.50% target range. The statement is likely to see some adjustments to reflect recent disappointment on inflation while repeating that more confidence on inflation moving towards target is needed before easing. I
Preview: Due May 2 - U.S. March Trade Balance - Deficit to increase on weaker goods exports
April 25, 2024 4:57 PM UTC
We expect March’s trade deficit to see a marginal increase to $69.2bn from $68.9bn, with a 2.0% decline in exports and a 1.5% decline in imports. This would be the fourth straight increase in the deficit to its highest level since April 2023.
Preview: Due April 26 - U.S. March Personal Income and Spending - Upside risk in Core PCE prices given Q1 outcome
April 25, 2024 3:41 PM UTC
March personal income and spending data will be largely old news as we have already seen Q1 totals in the GDP report. The GDP details are consistent with gains of 0.6% in personal income, 0.8% in personal spending and 0.4% in core PCE prices, all 0.1% above our pre-GDP forecasts of 0.5%, 0.7% and 0.
CBRT Kept Key Rate Unchanged at 50%
April 25, 2024 3:25 PM UTC
Bottom Line: As predictions were centred around no change, Central Bank of Turkiye (CBRT) kept the policy rate stable at 50% on April 25 despite galloping inflation, and pressure on FX lately. According to the CBRT statement, monetary policy stance will be tightened in case a significant and persist
U.S. March Pending Home Sales bounce follows sharp February rise in Existing Home Sales
April 25, 2024 2:14 PM UTC
March has seen a stronger than expected 3.4% increase in pending home sales. Normally pending home sales lead existing home sales but in this case we appear to be seeing a catch up with strength in February existing home sales.
Q1 U.S. GDP Slows on Imports and Inventories, Core PCE Prices Stronger on the Quarter
April 25, 2024 1:14 PM UTC
Q4 GDP has come in weaker than expected at 1.6% annualized but with a stronger than expected 3.7% annualized increase in the core PCE price index. Weaker inventories and stronger imports are the main reason for the GDP slowing so the data is not a clear signal of underlying weakness. Lower initial (
BoJ's Intervention and its impact
April 25, 2024 6:24 AM UTC
In the period of time when JPY significantly weakens or strengthens, BoJ will intervene in the FX market either through verbal or actual intervention. As JPY weakened significantly in the past months, once again we found ourselves in the proximity of FX intervention with unknowns for anonymity is ke
April 24, 2024
Bank of Canada Minutes Look to Gradual Easing, Divided on When to Start
April 24, 2024 6:44 PM UTC
Bank of Canada minutes from the April 10 meeting confirm a greater confidence on inflation falling, though there is disagreement within the Governing Council over when policy easing will become appropriate. There was agreement that easing would probably be gradual given the risks to the outlook and
Brazil: Wage Inflation Will Likely Not Be a Big Deal
April 24, 2024 3:19 PM UTC
Our analysis delves into recent trends in the Brazilian labor market, focusing on CPI and wage inflation. Utilizing a model akin to Ghomi et al. (2024) and Blanchard and Bernanke (2023), we dissect recent spikes in wage inflation and CPI growth. Notably, our findings suggest that recent wage spikes
Preview: Due April 25 - U.S. Q1 GDP - Slower but Still Healthy With Stronger Core PCE Prices
April 24, 2024 1:54 PM UTC
We expect a 2.4% annualized increase in Q1 GDP, significantly slower than the second half of 2023 but slightly stronger than the first half and still a heathy pace of growth. We expect a pick up in the core PCE price index to 3.4% annualized after two straight quarters at 2.0%.
Preview: Due April 25 - U.S. March Advance Goods Trade Balance - Exports, imports and deficit to increase
April 24, 2024 1:14 PM UTC
We expect March’s advance goods trade deficit to rise to $91.2bn from $90.3bn, reaching an 11-month high. We expect exports and imports to both increase by 1.0%, though imports would then see the larger increase in USD terms.
U.S. March Durable Goods Orders - Underlying trend still near flat
April 24, 2024 12:51 PM UTC
March durable goods orders are in line with expectations with a 2.6% increase overall, 0.2% ex transport, keeping trend near flat, with non-defense capital ex aircraft seeing similarly modest 0.2% increases in both orders and shipments.
Eurozone GDP Preview (Apr 30): Less Weak?
April 24, 2024 11:06 AM UTC
According to revised official national accounts data, the EZ economy was in recession in H2 last year, albeit modestly so and against a backdrop of marked, if not increasing, national growth divergences. This geographical variation is likely to have continued into Q1 (Figure 1) where we see a flat o
Sticky Inflation Causes Concerns over the Horizon
April 24, 2024 9:26 AM UTC
Bottom line: According to the Monetary Policy Review Report by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) on April 23, the risk of higher inflation still remains and inflation returning to the midpoint of the target band is only expected in the last quarter of 2025. SARB highlighted in its report that ma
April 23, 2024
Preview: Due May 3 - U.S. April ISM Services - A correction after two straight slowings
April 23, 2024 5:36 PM UTC
We expect April’s ISM services index to see a modest increase to 52.0 from 51.6, pausing after two straight declines, leaving the index with no clear trend, and continuing to imply modest expansion.
Preview: Due April 24 - U.S. March Durable Goods Orders - HInts of underlying improvement
April 23, 2024 11:55 AM UTC
We expect March durable goods orders to rise by 2.5%, with most of the gain coming from transport, aircraft in particular, but we expect a 0.5% increase ex transport to show some hints of underlying improvement.
EZ HICP Preview (Apr 30): Core Disinflation Signs to Flatten Out Further?
April 23, 2024 9:43 AM UTC
Very much having affected ECB thinking, there has been repeated positive EZ news in the form of falling EZ HICP inflation and somewhat broadly so. This continued in the March HICP numbers, with the 0.2 ppt drops in both headline and core being a notch more sizeable than most anticipated. Regardless,
April 22, 2024
Preview: Due May 1 - U.S. April ADP Employment - Underperforming payrolls
April 22, 2024 6:40 PM UTC
We expect a 150k increase in April’s ADP estimate for private sector employment growth, which would be in line with recent trend, but continuing to underperform private sector non-farm payrolls, which we expect to rise by 195k. We expect overall payrolls to rise by 255k.
German Data Preview (Apr 29): Inflation Drop to Continue Amid Less Resilient Services?
April 22, 2024 12:58 PM UTC
As we have repeatedly underlined, base effects continue to distort the German HICP/CPI readings, but the March data came in a notch below expectations for a third successive month. Indeed, it fell from 2.7% to a 33-month low of 2.3% in the March HICP data, dominated by a clear fall in food inflati
BoJ Preview: Showing no hurry
April 22, 2024 6:13 AM UTC
Our central forecast is for the BoJ to remain on hold for interest rate and signals the market they are in no rush to further tighten while allowing trend inflation data to lead policy direction in their forward guidance. BoJ has moved interest rate to 0% and officially removed YCC in March, citing
April 19, 2024
Mexico Elections: Sheimbaum Victory will likely mean a continuity of Current Government
April 19, 2024 9:23 PM UTC
On June 2, Mexico will see historic general elections, marking the potential for its first female President. Claudia Sheinbaum of Morena and Xóchitl Galvés of PAN-PRI lead the race. Sheinbaum aims to continue Lopez-Obrador's legacy, while Galvés emphasizes social mobility. The polls show Sheimbau
Preview: Due April 30 - U.S. Q1 Employment Cost Index - Trend slowing, but still quite firm
April 19, 2024 1:08 PM UTC
We look for the Q1 employment cost index (ECI) to increase by 0.9%, matching the Q4 increase that was the slowest since Q1 2021. Yr/yr growth will continue to slow, to 3.9% from 4.2%, reaching its slowest since Q3 2021, but will remain well above the pre-pandemic trend.