In one line: A setback was coming, but the improvement remains intact.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
Chinese GDP beats expectations, despite an uneven recovery and looming oversupply issues
Duncan WrigleyChina+
- US The core PCE deflator for March likely will scrape in just below 0.3%
- Eurozone Hunting for early Easter effects in the German and French CPIs
- UK Bernanke Review a missed opportunity for the BoE
- China+ China begins to flesh out its consumer goods trade-in plan
- EM Asia Singaporean manufacturing on a gradual recovery path, at best
- LATAM Broadening disinflation paves way for bold COPOM rate cut in May
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)Global
- Chair Powell signals that the Fed requires much more data to start easing soon; June odds down again.
- The widening spread between part-time and full-time job growth is an alarming signal for payrolls.
- The early Easter hit March housing starts but, in any event, a sustained recovery is some way off.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Fiscal and exchange rate measures curb Argentina’s inflation picture; we expect further good news.
- Argentina’s fiscal situation is showing signs of improvement as the government tackles the deficit.
- Peru’s economy is gaining momentum amid low inflation and looser monetary policy.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Net sales growth in the Philippines remains in the red; remittances now look unlikely to save the day.
- The consumer debt binge is lasting much longer than we thought, but the payback is looming.
- The much-needed savings rebuild looks to be reversing, and confidence is now plunging.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Spain was again the star performer in Q1; we look for GDP to have risen by 0.6% quarter-to-quarter.
- Italy was close behind, faring better than France and Germany, as construction investment rose again.
- Growth should rise in Spain and Italy later this year, but risks are to the downside, especially in Italy.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The MPC will note the sharp employment drop, which suggests a risk the labour market is loosening quickly.
- But the headline jobs data are ropey, and surveys point to employment slowly rising.
- The MPC will focus more on stronger-than-expected pay, which suggests June is the earliest for a rate cut.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
Limited inventory of existing homes continues to help homebuilders.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)US
Consumption is still booming...for now.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)US
Too volatile to make us fear a renewed downturn in manufacturing.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Mexico’s industrial sector will drag on Q1 GDP amid construction woes, despite manufacturing reviving.
- Residential construction is struggling, but infrastructure is showing signs of improvement.
- The long downturn in manufacturing output is over, according to the PMI, but downside risks remain.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Homebase data point to a mere 120K rise in private payrolls in April, but the range of possible prints is wide.
- Strong March retail sales and upward revisions mean Q1 consumption likely rose by more than 3%.
- The early Easter likely depressed housing starts in March, offsetting support from further mild weather.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Indian industrial production growth rebounded in February, but the climate remains challenging…
- …The inventory-to-sales ratio continues to deteriorate, while consumer demand is sagging.
Core inflation fell to a new low in March; thankfully, food-price stickiness isn’t impacting expectations.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- In one line: Little real good news from the smallest deficit in nearly a year.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- We see little reason why the ECB should worry about the euro if it has to cut rates before the Fed.
- Our Nowcast model now points to EZ GDP rising by 0.2% in Q1, despite soft industrial production data.
- A volatile Middle East could divert attention away from Ukraine’s war with Russia; Mr. Putin knows this.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Ben Bernanke’s review of BoE forecasting makes detailed modelling recommendations.
- But it gives wide latitude on how to use scenarios and does not recommend publishing a policy rate path.
- Nothing new for markets near term; in the medium term, changes are still open to debate.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
In one line: Industry was still a drag on EZ GDP growth in Q1.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone