Archive

April 16, 2025
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EA Disinflation Confirmed For ECB Doves

  • An unrevised final HICP print confirmed the disinflationary space driving the ECB to cut again in April, despite growing desire to slow easing before it becomes stimulative.
  • The median inflation impulse remains at, or slightly below, the target. However, other statistical measures are stickier and labour costs are fundamentally growing too fast.
  • EURUSD appreciation compounds disinflationary energy price pressures to trigger another likely slowing in April that might dovishly surprise the consensus again.

By Philip Rush


April 15, 2025
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UK: Green Shoots For Unemployment Wilt

  • Signs that statistical effects might lower the unemployment rate in the Spring have weakened, with stability at 4.4% now more likely amid stagnant underlying trends.
  • Levels remain healthy and redundancies are low despite falling vacancies, suggesting resilience survives rather than thrives. Rapid wage growth is more problematic.
  • Dovish hopes that excesses will break soon, aided by destructive US trade policy, keep the BoE on track to cut in May. Sterling strength also adds disinflationary space.

By Philip Rush


April 14, 2025
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US Tariffs: Of Words And Bonds

  • Although Donald Trump’s U-turn may allow time for the conclusion of bilateral trade negotiations with some US partners, neither China nor the EU is likely to strike an agreement imminently, especially now that America’s vulnerability to the bond market has become all too clear.

By Alastair Newton


April 11, 2025
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UK: GDP Seasonal Surge Before Slowing

  • Fundamental causes should not be assigned to UK GDP surging far beyond consensus expectations again in February, despite the notability of Q1 growth tracking 0.7% q-o-q.
  • Residual seasonality has dominated the post-pandemic growth profile, and the recent resilience merely matches it. Stagnation for the rest of the year is the consequence.
  • Disruptive and volatile US trade policy will also depress the underlying economic trend beneath the spurious seasonals. We now bake both more fully into our modal forecasts.

By Philip Rush