- The renewed rise in mortgage rates in April suggests the March pick-up in secured credit demand will reverse...
- ...But stronger demand for unsecured credit is here to stay; debt levels remain very low relative to incomes.
- The March jump in corporate-bond issuance likely was a one-off, but the outlook for capex is benign.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
In one line: Headline in line; services inflation a touch higher than we anticipated.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Year-over-year growth in the ECI likely fell below 4% in Q1, almost back to its inflation target-consistent rate.
- California fast food price rises driven by the minimum wage hike will have a microscopic impact on the CPI.
- Ignore the 3.9% Q2 growth forecast from GDPNow; its estimates are often way off this early in the quarter.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Thailand’s customs trade balance missed widely in March; the adjusted gap sank to a 19-month low…
- …Export leading indicators remain lacklustre, while import growth is getting a lift from global oil prices.
- Vietnam’s trade surplus collapsed in April; it looks like export growth truly has peaked, for now.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
- Early April HICP data in Spain and Germany confirm that energy inflation rose, while core inflation dipped.
- We’re lowering our EZ headline inflation forecast by 0.1pp, to 2.4%; the core likely fell by 0.4pp, to 2.5%.
- The Irish economy sprang back to life in Q1; we still look for EZ GDP to have risen by 0.3% in the quarter.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- We expect quarter-to-quarter GDP growth to average 0.3% this year, driven by consumer spending.
- Energy price cuts will pull inflation below 2% in May; strong services will push inflation to 2.3% in Q4.
- We expect the MPC to cut Bank Rate three times this year, starting in June, but the risk is it eases only twice.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- - CHINA’S RECOVERY MAKING HEADWAY
- - JPY PRESSURE GIVING THE BOJ A HEADACHE
- - STRONG EXPORTS LIFT KOREAN GROWTH
Kelvin Lam (Senior China+ Economist)China+
In one line: Down, in contrast to the rise in the PMI.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Downside surprise in Spain; bang on consensus in Germany.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
Downward pressure on the Thai baht continues to intensify
Correction in Vietnamese exports bleeds into Q2
Ignore the headline; retail sales growth in Vietnam is still wobbling
Expect a further leg up in Vietnamese inflation in May, the likely peak
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
Tokyo inflation slows due to implementation of free high school education and cooling food inflation
Duncan WrigleyChina+
The BoJ resists JPY market pressure in keeping the policy rate target range steady
Duncan WrigleyChina+
The BoJ holds the policy rate steady; Tokyo consumer inflation cools, thanks to education subsidies
Duncan WrigleyChina+
- In one line: Inflation continues to fall rapidly, leaving the door open to further rate cuts.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- A second Trump administration apparently has plans for the Fed; none of them are good; some are wild.
- The March rise in the core PCE deflator matched expectations; muted increases are coming in Q2.
- Strong real consumption growth in Q1 was driven partly by a falling saving rate; expect the reverse in Q2.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Brazil’s disinflation remains on track, paving the way for another bold interest rate cut next month…
- …But a cautious COPOM is signaling a slower pace of easing amid the BRL sell-off, due to external risk.
- Argentina’s Milei delivers the largest fiscal surplus in three decades; his ‘shock therapy’ is paying off.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- We would choose the SBV if we had to pick the source of a third monetary policy shock this year.
- Malaysian headline and core inflation have been below 2.0% for over a quarter now...
- … And we see little risk of a blow-out to either figure, other than a mismanaged subsidy withdrawal.
Miguel Chanco (Chief EM Asia Economist)Emerging Asia
