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August 20, 2026
DM Central Banks Watching Stablecoins
August 20, 2026 10:55 AM UTC
· Overall, DM central banks have a watching brief for stablecoins and the scale of growth in the next 5 years. This is largely a USD centric issue, with stablecoins dominated by USD issuance. Central banks are watchful on whether it impacts access to low cost deposit for banks; guardi
August 19, 2026
Running on Empty - Low Rivers could add to Europe’s Supply Squeeze
August 19, 2026 9:30 AM UTC
* Drought is not only directly impacting water-dependent activity, fire damage, and food crops. It is also seeing extreme low river levels across the major Rhine–Danube/Central-European industrial corridor
* That can significantly impact freight flow, adding to costs and disrupting industrial produ
August 14, 2026
August 07, 2026
July 31, 2026
EZ CPI: Boosted by Energy Prices
July 31, 2026 9:19 AM UTC
• The July provisional CPI provided no major surprise with the headline 2.9% Yr/Yr figure boosted by energy prices, but core at 2.5% and CPI ex energy unchanged at 2.2% Yr/Yr. Combined with the latest negotiated wage settlement data, we see no signs of 2nd round effects. For the ECB the dat
EZ CPI and ECB Rate Prospects
July 31, 2026 9:16 AM UTC
• The July provisional CPI provided no major surprise with the headline 2.9% Yr/Yr figure boosted by energy prices, but core at 2.5% and CPI ex energy unchanged at 2.2% Yr/Yr. Combined with the latest negotiated wage settlement data, we see no signs of 2nd round effects. For the ECB the dat
July 29, 2026
July 24, 2026
July 23, 2026
September 25bps ECB Hike: 50% Probability?
July 23, 2026 1:42 PM UTC
· Lagarde disclosed that some ECB board members considered a hike at today’s meeting and she noted that the consensus was to wait for incoming data before the September 10 meeting and then reassess. This clearly signals that the September meeting will seriously consider a 25bps hike,
ECB: September Hike 50% Probability?
July 23, 2026 1:41 PM UTC
· Lagarde disclosed that some ECB board members considered a hike at today’s meeting and she noted that the consensus was to wait for incoming data before the September 10 meeting and then reassess. This clearly signals that the September meeting will seriously consider a 25bps hike,
July 17, 2026
Economic Data and Events Week Ahead July 20-24
July 17, 2026 3:00 PM UTC
The highlight of the week comes from the ECB meeting and press conference, although we do not expect it to provide much guidance regarding September, sticking to the non-pre-commit language, to keep options open depending on data and geopolitical developments.
The UK has its busy week, but data is
ECB: Bark No Bite
July 17, 2026 7:05 AM UTC
· The vigilance mantra means that the ECB will still have a broad caution against 2nd round effects and the risks that energy prices could push higher. We feel that the June inflation data, plus the prospect that Iran/U.S. could call a new truce (here) will be enough to make most on t
July 14, 2026
Iran/U.S.: A New War or Escalating to Deescalate?
July 14, 2026 10:40 AM UTC
· Our baseline remains that the MOU will hold and that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen. Iran can be pressured economically by the U.S. naval blockade being re-established. Additionally, President Trump loves to escalate to de-escalate to get a deal. This is a 60% probability scenar
July 10, 2026
Economic Data and Events Week Ahead July 13-17
July 10, 2026 3:06 PM UTC
The most significant release of the week is likely to be June’s CPI on Tuesday, which we expect to be unchanged overall, but with a slightly firmer 0.3% rise ex food and energy, 0.26% before rounding. The CPI could however be overshadowed by testimony from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to the House Financ
July 01, 2026
EZ HICP Review: Absence Second-Round Effects Continues
July 1, 2026 1:42 PM UTC
Contrary to some thinking, EZ HICP inflation continues to behave, both absolutely and relatively – ie to what looks ever excessive ECB price thinking. The question must be if and when the ECB chooses to note friendlier price and costs signals, rather than pander to the upside prices risks that o
EZ HICP Review: Absence Second-Round Effects Continues
July 1, 2026 10:41 AM UTC
Contrary to some thinking, EZ HICP inflation continues to behave, both absolutely and relatively – ie to what looks ever excessive ECB price thinking. The question must be if and when the ECB chooses to note friendlier price and costs signals, rather than pander to the upside prices risks that o
June 30, 2026
June 26, 2026
Economic Data and Events Week Ahead Jun 29 - Jul 3
June 26, 2026 2:45 PM UTC
The week ahead has plenty of notable events, spanning Eurozone inflation on one side, to US payrolls on the other, and with central bank speakers all round - the ECB Sintra conference at the start of the week hears from Lagarde and then a panel that includes Warsh and Bailey.
ECB Sin(a)tra Preview: Should the ECB Only Consider My Way?
June 26, 2026 1:29 PM UTC
The speed and manner in which the ECB adopted a hawkish stance is response to the Middle East conflict was no surprise; it has many precedents, some of which have led to policy errors which we think may be being repeated at this juncture. Indeed, despite friendlier price and costs signals, the ECB
June 25, 2026
June 24, 2026
Outlook Overview: Cyclical and Structural Forces
June 24, 2026 7:00 AM UTC
· The difference between 2nd round inflation effects from higher energy prices and 1st round effects that central banks can look through swings on whether the Straits of Hormuz will remain open in the coming months after the U.S./Iran interim agreement (here). Despite some tensions, we
June 23, 2026
DM Rates Outlook: Tightening or Easing?
June 23, 2026 8:15 AM UTC
· With the U.S./Iran interim agreement likely to hold and energy prices softening, our projected consumer slowdown will likely tilt the Fed not to hike in H2 2026 and to actually ease by 50bps in 2027, with 25bps moves in both Q2 and Q3. With 2yr yields consistent with a hike, the tra
DM and EM FX Outlook: Cross-Currents for H2 and 2027
June 23, 2026 8:00 AM UTC
· Our baseline for the coming quarters is that global FX is moving through a period of dollar bounce and cross-current positioning adjustment, rather than a clean return to the dollar downtrend. The near-term driver is the market's (over) hawkish reading of the June FOMC/Summary of Econ
June 22, 2026
Eurozone Outlook: Has Inflation Peaked Already?
June 22, 2026 11:35 AM UTC
· Under our only slightly updated view of no further fighting in the Middle East, we see oil and gas prices largely consolidating recent falls before falling afresh from mid-2027.The current situation is very different from that of 2022 and the Ukraine War in which the EZ lost access to
Germany/France/Italy and Spain: Growth and Inflation Outlooks
June 22, 2026 10:25 AM UTC
· We have retained our 2026 GDP picture of 0.3% (Our Forecasts below) and actually pared back that for next year, with more and more signs that China is continuing to ship cheap products to Germany (lower energy prices post Iran war still help 2027). For France, we have made a 0.3% do
Equities Outlook: AI Optimism, But Caution Elsewhere in DM economies
June 22, 2026 7:05 AM UTC
· In terms of the S&P500, we remain less concerned about high valuations in the tech sector provided AI labs growth remains fast. 12mth fwd information technology are mid-range in the 2020-26 experience rather than at the highs. Even so, heavy equity issuance by tech companies and a s
June 15, 2026
U.S./Iran Interim Deal and Reopening Strait of Hormuz
June 15, 2026 12:32 PM UTC
· Our baseline (80%) is that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen in H2 2026 and remains open through 2027. However, logistics dislocation plus a switch from commercial inventory rundown to rebuilding will likely slow the decline in oil prices back towards normal levels (Figure 1). O
June 11, 2026
ECB Review: If Not Insurance, Why the Hike?
June 11, 2026 2:27 PM UTC
The 25 bp official rate hike unveiled today was so well-flagged it is hard to suggest that it is consistent with a decision process on a meeting-by-meeting basis. Similarly, the dominance of inflation upside risks, alongside another dose of optimistic real economy projections, is hardly proper dat
June 10, 2026
Financial Markets/Policymakers and the Strait of Hormuz Question
June 10, 2026 8:05 AM UTC
· Though the U.S. and Iran have attacked each other June 10, talks to reopen the straits of hormuz still continue. An Iran/U.S. agreement to reopen the Straits of Hormuz could cure the risk of a demand/supply oil market imbalance and produce some psychological relief that could knock USD
June 08, 2026
DM Government Bonds: Risks of Higher Long End Premia?
June 8, 2026 2:10 PM UTC
· Our baseline is for DM government bond yields ex Japan to remain elevated, but controlled. Japan extra risk premium is driven by BOJ QT at 6% of GDP, more than long-term debt fears. Major catalysts could drive a regime change to higher risk premia and steeper yield curves, but non
June 03, 2026
ECB Preview (Jun 11): Words Not Deeds the Focus
June 3, 2026 10:23 AM UTC
Aware of repeating ourselves (again), it is the case that the next ECB Council meeting will be more important for what is said than what is done. In fact, a 25 bp official rate hike is virtually nailed on irrespective of how events in the Middle East may fare in coming days. But the ECB comments
June 02, 2026
EZ HICP Review: Headline Rise Capped by Food & Energy, Services Jump Seasonal?
June 2, 2026 9:50 AM UTC
Even given what seem to be a series of reassuring aspects, the May flash HICP data is unlikely to have a material impact on ECB thinking. As expected, and helped by German fuel subsides which kept the energy rise to around zero, headline HICP rose just 0.2 ppt to 3.2%, still a 32-mth high, but whe
May 28, 2026
ECB April 30 Account: Not Willing to Look Through Energy Shock?
May 28, 2026 12:40 PM UTC
The Account of the April 30 ECB meeting offers few added clues with comments from Council member since more directly suggesting a precautionary if not pre-emptive 25 bp rate hike on June 11. As was case back then, markets are seeing two such moves by September and a strong probability of a third b
May 27, 2026
DM Government Bond Markets in Limbo
May 27, 2026 12:22 PM UTC
· DM central bank meetings in June will be crucial, with a high risk of a 25bps ECB hike to warn against 2nd round effects from higher oil prices and a BOJ 25bps hike as part of the ongoing normalisation. However, the tone that the Fed’s Warsh will set will also be key. The bigges
EZ HICP Preview (Jun 2): Headline To Surge Again as Core Starts To Rise?
May 27, 2026 9:23 AM UTC
While somewhat important, the May flash HICP data is unlikely to have a material impact on ECB thinking, irrespective of whichever way it may surprise. Most likely the data will show a further and still largely energy driven rise of 0.4 ppt, matching the April gain, but now to a 32-mth high of 3.4
May 22, 2026
Europe: Anti-Immigration Vs More Negative Demographics
May 22, 2026 8:12 AM UTC
A significant demographic tremor is gaining speed and breadth - globally. Just as politics – certainly in the west - is framed around ending or at least reducing and controlling immigration, it seems that the populists at the helm of such thinking are not considering the ramifications of such a
May 21, 2026
Eurozone: PMI Slump Shows Energy Surge Constraining Activity, Not Just Hitting Costs
May 21, 2026 8:36 AM UTC
Once again surprising on the downside flash Eurozone Composite PMI fell to 47.5 in May from 48.8 in April and below the 50.0 no-change mark for the second successive month. The latest reading thereby signalled a further and steeper m/m reduction in business activity, was the sharpest since October 2
May 19, 2026
ECB: Not the Only Game in Town – But A Time for Hair Shirts?
May 19, 2026 11:22 AM UTC
When hearing ECB Council policy thinking one can get the impression that it sees only a direct link from changes in its policy rate to inflation rather than the latter succumbing to a range of factors, this being the transmission mechanism. Most important of course is the economic damage that chan
May 15, 2026
Middle East Conflict: U.S. Helping Chinese Whispers?
May 15, 2026 11:26 AM UTC
In hosting President Trump this week, China feels it is vying, if not achieving, parity with the U.S. as the world’s superpowers; from China’s perspective, it regards Russia similarly. It does seem as if China’s goal at this summit was to get more effective flexibility in shaping Taiwan’
May 08, 2026
Eurozone: In Dire Straits?
May 8, 2026 10:55 AM UTC
Amid all the concern about the energy-induced surge in inflation resulting from the Middle East conflict, the impact on EZ real economy looks to be sizeable and growing. High profile PMI numbers are flashing alarmingly, but the message from the April composite (at a 17-mth low) may actually be not
April 30, 2026
ECB Review: ECB Mixed Communications
April 30, 2026 2:01 PM UTC
· Overall, the June and July meetings have live risks that the ECB could undertake a modest 25bps hike. If a partial reopening of the Straits of Hormuz occurs then the ECB will likely keep hawkish, but not actually hike. We feel that the ECB is overestimating natural gas prices, whi
Eurozone GDP & HICP Review: Fragile Resilience?
April 30, 2026 9:30 AM UTC
We continue to be critical of the ECB assertion (at least before the Iran War) that the EZ economy was in a ‘good place’. This to us was too backward looking and amid some signs in both hard, soft and monetary data, that the economy going into the last quarter was soft and fragile. Indeed, f
April 29, 2026
April 28, 2026
Eurozone: Even Tighter Corporate Credit Standards Continues and More Loans Applications Rejected
April 28, 2026 8:51 AM UTC
Given the ever clearer fall-out from the conflict in the Gulf, it was hardly a surprise of even tighter credit standards (Figure 1), thereby merely accentuating trends in the four previous Bank Lending Surveys (BLS). At least as far as firms and especially consumers seeking credit are concerned, t
April 27, 2026
Straits of Hormuz Standoff and Mixed Markets
April 27, 2026 9:02 AM UTC
• Equities longer time horizon means that they are hoping for a reopening of the Straits of Hormuz (though also being helped by renewed AI optimism), whereas government bond markets actually want to see tangible progress and an associated tempering of DM central banks posturing. This dive
April 23, 2026
ECB Preview (Apr 30): Real Economy Buckling Already!
April 23, 2026 12:21 PM UTC
We again expect no change from the ECB on Apr 30, but President Lagarde will probably have to admit in the Q&A that unlike last time the decision was not unanimous. Overall, the communication will again suggest upside risks for inflation and downside risks for economic growth the extent and durati
April 22, 2026
Iran Conflict – Who Has the ‘Trump’ Card
April 22, 2026 9:17 AM UTC
When Trump aspires to reaching a deal, he thinks in either black or white. But whether it be political, economic or military the reality is that the world is always various shades of grey. This is very much evident in the way the Iran conflict was planned by the U.S. – the expected clear and r