- Bonds rallied yesterday on dovish headlines in the ECB’s wage tracker, but the details beg to differ.
- The EU is ready to strike back at US tariffs, but we still see a low risk of a prolonged tariff spat.
- ‘Habemus budget’ in France; industrial output fell in December, but it will rebound in January.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Surging uncertainty and payroll taxes are keeping the economy close to stagnation, according to the PMI.
- But the PMI also signals underlying services inflation accelerating back above 5%.
- The MPC will cut Bank Rate today but will give cautious guidance as it balances growth and inflation.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- US - A growth slowdown looms, as the saving rate rebounds
- EUROZONE - The ECB can’t dodge questions on the neutral rate for much longer
- UK - MPC preview: 25bp cut, guiding to three-to-four reductions in 2025
- CHINA+ - DeepSeek puts Chinese AI on the map; a wake-up call for investors
- EM ASIA - New headwinds amid green shoots; PH won’t do much better in 2025
- LATAM - Mexico, Colombia: mixed inflation signals amid rate cut prospects
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)Global
- The industrial and commerce sectors are driving Chile’s growth, despite persistent issues in services.
- Confidence indicators are on the mend, as activity navigates complex reforms and external pressures.
- The BCCh will have to take a cautious approach amid sluggish employment growth and high inflation.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Swiss GDP likely rose by 0.9% in 2024, much better than the 0.2% decline in neighbouring Germany.
- The US has not said it will raise tariffs on Swiss imports, but an EU-US trade tiff will still hurt slightly.
- We continue to think the SNB easing cycle will end in March, though risks are tilted towards further easing.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- We expect GDP to stagnate in December, putting growth at -0.1% quarter-to-quarter in Q4.
- Industrial production likely fell, while we expect healthcare and education to detract from growth.
- A small upward revision to November’s GDP would be enough to avoid GDP falling in Q4 as a whole.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- Pre-tariff upturn probably will be fleeting.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)Global
Pre-tariff upturn probably will be fleeting.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)US
- In one line: The recovery continues, and expect further good news in Q1.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Global
- In one line: The recovery continues, and expect further good news in Q1.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- In one line: President Trump’s tariffs will snuff out a nascent rebound in the PMI.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
In one line: Hot, but all eyes on tariffs this morning.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Global
In one line: Hot, but all eyes on tariffs this morning.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Likely underestimating Swiss GDP growth still, and pointing to weaker inflation.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Presidents Sheinbaum and Trump agreed to pause tariffs, focusing on border-security cooperation.
- BanRep held interest rates at 9.5%, surprising the consensus, citing inflation and Petro-Trump tensions.
- Increasing inflation expectations and high labour costs are further threats, but BanRep will cut again.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- The PMIs show that regional manufacturing is still largely waning; watch for potential US front-loading.
- Indonesia’s shockingly low January CPI was policy-induced and will reverse; it masked a jump in food.
- Fiscal policy in India will stay contractionary, but the government riskily is hoping for a pain-free FY26.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
