- This week the ECB will continue to push back against expectations of a rate cut in the first half of 2024...
- ...But the central bank is now happy to underwrite the consensus position of a rate cut by summer.
- We still see the ECB cutting by March, as January and February HICP surprise to the downside.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Pulled lower by a widening primary income deficit.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The slowdown in EZ construction intensified in Q4 and won’t improve any time soon.
- A sharply wider primary income deficit stung the EZ current account surplus in November.
- EZ portfolio outflows accelerated in Q4, but the market setback in January points to a pullback in Q1.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Old news; will January and February inflation be soft enough for a March cut?
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The ECB is not happy with market expectations for a spring rate cut but is fine with June.
- If our forecast for inflation to fall below 2% by February is right, the ECB will cut in March.
- Plunging PPI points to downside risks to services inflation, but the output price PMI is still high.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: In line with our view that the Q1 recovery in German GDP will be muted
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: All due to base effects; how far will inflation fall in January?
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The fall in EZ residential house prices was extended in Q3, and likely again in Q4.
- In 2024, house prices should recover somewhat as demand rebounds, but not until the end of the year.
- We look for house prices to fall by 3.5% this year after a likely near-2% decline in 2023.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Pulled lower by falling domestic demand; GDP likely fell in Q4.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Industry was still in recession in Q4; boost from net trade was likely offset by weakness elsewhere last quarter.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- German GDP fell by 0.1% in 2023, which—according to Destatis—includes a 0.3% decline in Q4.
- Manufacturing in the euro area remained in recession in Q4, but net trade in goods jumped.
- We think EZ GDP fell by 0.2% quarter-to-quarter in Q4, due to broad-based domestic weakness.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: A rise in core goods consumption not enough to lift Q4 spending; inflation will fall sharply in Q1.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Italian industrial output fell in November, defying the otherwise decent trail of hard data for Q4.
- We are sticking to our call for a 0.2% slide in GDP, setting up a weak base for this year.
- Quarter-on-quarter GDP growth will rebound this year, but the recovery will be gradual and tepid.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Decent, but production likely fell over Q4 as a whole.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- New budget rules in the EU will put France, Italy and Spain on the spot, but will they be enforced?
- The Commission’s fiscal proposals leave plenty of room for exceptions and long adjustment paths.
- Retaining the 60% debt-to-GDP threshold exposes many countries to prolonged adjustment plans.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Wage growth will still slow if the labour market remains tight.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Did net trade boost GDP in France as it likely did in Germany in Q4?
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
