- Mexico — Trade, security and tariffs
- Colombia — Leadership on shaky ground
- Chile — Presidential race gathering momentum
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Europe will need to raise annual defence spending by €250B-to-450B over the next eight years.
- A joint EU financing programme for defence is coming; it could be a big package, close to €1T.
- Inflation and a low multiplier will eat up most of the boost to real GDP from rising defence spending.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Inflation surged as airfares unwound erratic weakness, school fees rose and food prices jumped.
- Rising core goods inflation is offsetting weaker-than-expected services inflation.
- The MPC will have to be careful as inflation heads to 3.7% in September; 4% is not out of the question.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
In one line: Up sharply, consistent with a better outlook for the EZ economy.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Revisions in healthcare lifts CPI inflation from initial estimate.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- US - Core PCE inflation fell in January; further progress to come
- EUROZONE - A truce in Ukraine is no panacea for still-elevated EZ energy prices
- UK - UK growth on the path to some recovery in Q1
- CHINA+ - Policy support driving China’s credit growth; property loans cool
- EM ASIA - BSP’s surprise pause won’t last long; real rates still way too high
- LATAM - Temporary disinflation in Brazil; Mexico’s industrial sector woes
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)Global
- Brazil’s economic slowdown is deepening and will force the COPOM to end its tightening cycle soon.
- Colombia’s economy gathered speed in Q4, thanks to lower interest rates and despite political noise.
- Leading indicators point to a healthy H1, though some sectors will continue to lag behind the upturn.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Political uncertainty is soaring in Europe, but EZ equities have never felt better; what’s up?
- We think markets are betting on another Hamiltonian moment in Europe, this time on defence policy.
- Europe will rise to the challenges it faces, but have markets bought into the hype too strongly?
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Labour market data indicate little sign of a sharp job downturn, with payrolls stalling rather than collapsing.
- Vacancies stabilised in January, and jobless claims have dropped since the Budget.
- Pay growth is running at about twice the rate needed to return inflation sustainably to target.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Deficit hit on both sides of the balance.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Adverse weather likely explains only part of the steep drop in retail sales in January.
- The rush of spending on durable goods in anticipation of new tariffs already is showing signs of fading.
- …That sets the stage for much slower growth in consumers’ spending in Q1.
Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)US
- The BCRP held rates steady; economic activity is gathering speed but disinflation is fully on track.
- The Board has left the door open to further cuts, but external risks and inflation remain key factors.
- Argentina’s inflation is slowing as Mr. Milei’s economic policies yield results, despite lingering issues.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- GDP growth in Thailand disappointed, increasing modestly to 3.2% in Q4, from 3.0% in Q3…
- …Helpful import base effects did a lot of the heavy lifting; ‘robust’ export momentum remains fragile.
- Domestic demand was nowhere to be seen; we still expect a small GDP growth dip in 2025, to 2.4%.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Japan’s Q4 GDP grew by more than the market had expected, driven primarily by stronger net exports.
- Domestic demand disappointed, though spending on durables was strong; business investment rebounded.
- US trade policy uncertainty is overshadowing certain industrial sectors, weighing on Japan’s future growth.
Kelvin Lam (Senior China+ Economist)China+
- US reciprocal tariffs, ex-VAT inclusion, would raise tariffs for 26% of EZ exports to the US…
- ...But these account for just 4% of total EU exports to the US, so the hit to EZ GDP would be small still.
- Swiss GDP growth picked up in Q4, as we expected and despite soft surveys.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- We expect slower, and fewer, rate cuts than the median market participant.
- We expect higher CPI inflation than the consensus and assume a higher neutral interest rate.
- An upside skew to markets’ inflation forecasts likely drives elevated nominal estimates of neutral.
Elliott Laidman Doak (Senior UK Economist)UK
In one line: Still no signs of much tariff front running by US firms.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- In one line: A very unwelcome leap in the trade surplus.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Global
Thailand’s 2-speed economy ends 2024 on a somber note
A very unwelcome January leap in Indonesia’s trade surplus
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
