Archive

January 19, 2026
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EA: Food Prices Take Another Bite

  • EA inflation printed lower than the flash again at 1.94%, also because of food prices, but the 1.6bp nibble out of the headline rate still isn’t fundamentally significant.
  • Median inflation remains stuck below the target, offsetting the hawkish signal from other underlying statistical measures that better reflect the resilience of wage growth.
  • The ECB can remain comfortable with its “good place” assessment until it sees more evidence of inflation persistence stoking the headline. We still see no more ECB cuts.

By Philip Rush


January 13, 2026
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US Inflation Resumes Without Payback

  • US inflation resumed its monthly trend in headline, core, and underlying services after nonsensical methodological noise around the shutdown, including non-collection itself.
  • Payback from late sampling in November didn’t have an apparent inflationary effect, perhaps because the gap between collections didn’t leave long for other prices to rise.
  • Surprises are skewing lower, but inflation is stuck above the target, so there isn’t a compelling case to cut again. We still expect the Fed to hold rates in January.

By Philip Rush


January 07, 2026
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EA: De-energised Back To Target

  • EA inflation slowed back to target at the end of 2025, reversing November’s upside news to strengthen the ECB’s “good place” caricature.
  • Falling energy prices are driving an unsustainable disinflation, while service price inflation is stuck above 3%. Small and balanced EA surprises skew lower in big states.
  • Base effects remain set to drive a drop below the target and reversal by May. A slightly below target 2026 is not dovish when underlying pressures are stronger.

By Philip Rush


December 17, 2025
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UK: Christmas CPI Present For Doves

  • UK inflation’s 31bps slowing to 3.15% went far further than expected, with significance raised by the substantial extent and the breadth of downside across divisions.
  • However, the news was more concentrated at a component level, leaving the median impulse annualising to 2.3%. We still see underlying pressures driving persistent excess.
  • The Governor sought confirmation of disinflation before cutting rates again, so this surprise should secure that move in December, without any commitment to do more.

By Philip Rush