In one line: Staying where it's been for most of the past year.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- EZ inflation surprised to the downside in March, but not enough for the ECB to pull the trigger next week.
- Services inflation was sustained by the early Easter in March; it will come down sharply in April.
- We expect EZ headline inflation to stabilise around 2% from August through to Q1 next year.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: EZ inflation on track to undershoot the consensus tomorrow.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Still touch and go for the recovery in EZ industry.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The drop in German inflation cements the outlook for a below-consensus EZ inflation report today.
- Why wouldn’t the ECB cut this month if inflation hit 2.2% in March? We can’t see why not either.
- Weakness in France and Germany is still holding back momentum in EZ manufacturing.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Early HICP numbers point to downside risks to EZ inflation, but beware Easter effects in Germany.
- A soaring French budget deficit in 2023 raises the risk of a confidence-denting income tax hike in 2024.
- The Eurozone money supply data are picking up, supporting a further rebound in the composite PMI.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Improvement in money supply continues; Italian business confidence rises & German unemployment will climb further.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Consistent with a rise in EZ GDP this quarter.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
ECB MONETARY EASING WILL BEGIN SOON...
- ...APRIL IS LIVE, BUT JUNE IS MORE LIKELY
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Solid, but is fiscal tightening now a downside risk?
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Spanish inflation rose 0.4pp to 3.2% in March, less than we expected...
- ...We are revising down our forecast for the Eurozone headline; it likely rose just 0.1pp to 2.7% in March.
- Spanish CPI is further along than the EZ headline, suggesting EZ inflation will rise further before it falls.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Pointing to a recovery in consumption, albeit a tepid one.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- German consumer confidence remains depressed, but the headlines are poor indicators of spending.
- Rising real income growth and a stabilisation in the labour market are tailwinds for German consumers…
- ...But early-Q1 data on retail and car sales point to near-term downside risks for consumption growth.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The ECB faces a unique challenge in thinking about fiscal policy; fiscal tightening is now lifting inflation.
- We estimate that the unwinding of fiscal stimulus is now boosting EZ headline inflation by 0.4pp...
- ...In a fight for every percentage point to get inflation to target, this could prevent ECB rate cuts.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Boosted by a soaring surplus in goods.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Lifted by strong momentum in Southern Europe.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Better, but likely not enough to prevent another decline in GDP in Q1.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone