FOMC Minutes: Inter-meeting data seen as important

August 19, 2026 6:58 PM UTC

FOMC minutes from July 29 confirm that most participants supported leaving rates steady but several favored a 25bps tightening, implying more than the three hawkish dissenters, presumably non-voting district presidents. Many assessed that tightening would be necessary if inflation did not decline, w

FOMC Minutes: Inter-meeting data seen as important

August 19, 2026 6:56 PM UTC

FOMC minutes from July 29 confirm that most participants supported leaving rates steady but several favored a 25bps tightening, implying more than the three hawkish dissenters, presumably non-voting district presidents. Many assessed that tightening would be necessary if inflation did not decline, w

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

UK CPI: Energy Prices and Weak Labour Market

August 19, 2026 6:29 AM UTC

·       July UK CPI was broadly as expected and the new few months will be volatile and dependent on whether more shipping can go through the Straits of Hormuz and reduce energy prices (our baseline with a 60% probability).  Underlying inflation trends in the UK are lower, as labour market d

UK CPI: Energy Prices and Weak Labour Market

August 19, 2026 6:28 AM UTC

·       July UK CPI was broadly as expected and the new few months will be volatile and dependent on whether more shipping can go through the Straits of Hormuz and reduce energy prices (our baseline with a 60% probability).  Underlying inflation trends in the UK are lower, as labour market d

Canada July CPI - Like the economy, picking up from recent core weakness

August 17, 2026 12:57 PM UTC

July’s Canadian CPI with a rise to 3.0% yr/yr from 2.8% is slightly stronger than expected, with the Bank of Canada’s core rates on balance slightly firmer, if still close to target for CPI-Median and CPI-Trim. The data suggests underlying inflation is about where the BoC wants, and may reduce f

DM Data Week Ahead: Aug 17-21

August 14, 2026 3:22 PM UTC

In additional to the usual Iran-watching, dual focus for the week ahead come from FOMC Minutes and the Aug 19 deadline for US-Canada trade talks

U.S. Fed's Barkin - Torn between two differing arguments on inflation

August 13, 2026 3:13 PM UTC

Fed's Barkin's comments today may succinctly sum the arguments of the Fed hawks and the Fed doves in the inflation debate.

U.S. July CPI - On consensus, detail a marginal disappointment

August 12, 2026 1:15 PM UTC

July’s CPI is largely as expected, up 0.1% overall and 0.2% ex food and energy, with the latter at 0.215% before rounding only a marginal disappointment, though possibly a little more so in the detail. This does not provide a compelling case for Fed tightening in September, though by that meeting

U.S. July CPI - On consensus, detail a marginal disappointment

August 12, 2026 1:15 PM UTC

July’s CPI is largely as expected, up 0.1% overall and 0.2% ex food and energy, with the latter at 0.215% before rounding only a marginal disappointment, though possibly a little more so in the detail. This does not provide a compelling case for Fed tightening in September, though by that meeting

Taylor Rules for Uncertain Times

August 11, 2026 2:44 PM UTC

* The Fed’s rate puzzle has three awkward-shaped pieces: which inflation measure to trust, how much slack remains, and where r* now sits.
* Taylor rules may be deeply unfashionable, but they force those hidden assumptions into the open.
* Change only the inflation measure and the same rule can make

FOMC Minutes Preview: Hawks, Doves and Data-Dependents

August 10, 2026 2:49 PM UTC

FOMC minutes from July 29 are due on August 19 and will get extra attention with Chairman Warsh not having given a clear explanation of the decision to leave rates unchanged, after a meeting which saw three dissenting votes for tightening. The minutes may suggest that several in the majority could b

Slicing and dicing US inflation – why different measures are at the centre of Fed debate

August 10, 2026 1:01 PM UTC

* Wide divergence of US inflation measures becoming increasingly material to policy debate and sets the unusual statistical backdrop to the next CPI release
* Reflects many of the divergent opinions over AI, ‘relative price adjustment’ vs generalised inflation, temporary vs persistent overshoot.

Taiwan: China Coastguard Quarantine Risks Grow

August 10, 2026 7:55 AM UTC

·       Given China’s coastguard recent actions, we now raise the probability of a full quarantine of Taiwan shipping to 20% versus 10-15% in 2027/28 (Figure 2), with the probability of some further measures beyond radio requests now above 50% in 2027/28 and in our baseline. Quarantine meas

U.S. July Employment - Softer payroll and falling unemployment hint at labor shortages, but no lift to earnings

August 7, 2026 1:20 PM UTC

July’s non-farm payroll at -23k with negative back month revisions is weaker than expected but largely because of negatives in government led by local government education and leisure and hospitality, which may reflect labor shortages. A declining labor force saw the unemployment rate fall, to 4.1

U.S. Fed's Paulson - If policy is in the right place inflation will ease

August 4, 2026 12:17 PM UTC

Fed's Paulson backed keeping policy on hold but needs inflation to fall if she is to maintain that stance. 

Fed SLOOS on Bank Lending shows stronger demand for C+I loans

August 3, 2026 6:27 PM UTC

The Fed’s July Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey of bank lending practices suggests a positive picture for commercial and industrial loans, particularly for large firms, presumably led by AI, though elsewhere the survey presents a less impressive picture.

Fed SLOOS on Bank Lending shows stronger demand for C+I loans

August 3, 2026 6:27 PM UTC

The Fed’s July Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey of bank lending practices suggests a positive picture for commercial and industrial loans, particularly for large firms, presumably led by AI, though elsewhere the survey presents a less impressive picture.

U.S. Fed's Williams - Strongly supported latest FOMC decision

August 3, 2026 2:53 PM UTC

Remarks on Friday from Fed's Williams may take some of the heat off Chairman Warsh.

The Fed's Balance Sheet: Revolution or Recalibration

August 3, 2026 9:18 AM UTC

·       Fed chair Warsh has reopened the question of how the Federal Reserve implements monetary policy, not just the size of the balance sheet. The two go hand in hand.
·        The realistic choice is not between today's balance sheet and a return to 2006, but among several ways of o

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

BoJ Review: As Expected

July 31, 2026 5:48 AM UTC

The BoJ keep rates unchanged at 1% in the July meeting 

BoJ Review: As Expected

July 31, 2026 5:47 AM UTC

The BoJ keep rates unchanged at 1% in the July meeting 

BOE: Split Does Not Mean September Hike

July 30, 2026 12:45 PM UTC

.   ·       Overall, the July MPC minutes and monetary policy report/press conference suggest that the MPC is not convinced of a September hike and a worsening of energy price rises and/or 2nd round effects would be required to shift the voting to a 25bps hike.  While the MPC has a hawkish

BOE: Split Does Not Mean September Hike

July 30, 2026 12:44 PM UTC

·       Overall, the July MPC minutes and monetary policy report/press conference suggest that the MPC is not convinced of a September hike and a worsening of energy price rises and/or 2nd round effects would be required to shift the voting to a 25bps hike.  While the MPC has a hawkish bias

FOMC - Warsh leaves markets confused

July 29, 2026 7:30 PM UTC

That this FOMC meeting showed a 9-3 vote for unchanged policy, with the dissents being for tightening, shows there was a case for tightening and a case for steady policy. However, the press conference from Chairman Warsh gave little insight on the nature of the debate, talking a lot about how the Fe

FOMC leaves rates unchanged with three hawkish dissents, Bank of Canada minutes a slightly hawkish lean

July 29, 2026 6:17 PM UTC

The FOMC has left rates unchanged as we expected, in a 9-3 vote, with three hawkish dissents for a 25bps tightening, from Cleveland Fed’s Hammack, Dallas Fed’s Logan and Minneapolis Fed’s Kashkari. We had expected only the first two of the three dissents, but Kashkari’s is not a major shock.

Europe data week ahead: August 3-7

July 29, 2026 9:49 AM UTC

Only 2nd and 3rd tier releases in EZ/UK in 1st week of August. 

BoJ Preview: More Hawkish Forward Guidance?

July 29, 2026 2:00 AM UTC

The BoJ will keep rates unchanged at 1% in the July meeting 

BoJ Preview: More Hawkish Forward Guidance?

July 29, 2026 1:30 AM UTC

The BoJ will keep rates unchanged at 1% in the July meeting 

DM Data Week Ahead: July 27-30

July 24, 2026 2:33 PM UTC

Key events are Fed and BOE meeting, though BOJ will also attract attention,  Key data is Q2 U.S. GDP. 

Trump: Tariffs 2.0

July 24, 2026 7:16 AM UTC

•    Replacing section 122 at 10% with section 301 at 10-12.5% is unlikely to have much lasting economic impact in itself.  However, the Trump administration are also undertaking section 301 investigation against 16 countries on excess production, with the report and new tariffs expected in A

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,

BOE Preview: Hawkish Noises

July 22, 2026 6:12 AM UTC

•    The BOE will likely maintain a hawkish bias on July 30, but are unlikely to signal a September hike. The June CPI did not really change this picture, with the core unchanged at 2.6%. Though BOE Bailey recently noted the unstable process (in the Straits of Hormuz and for energy prices), he

BOE Preview After CPI: Hawkish Noises

July 22, 2026 6:11 AM UTC

•    The BOE will likely maintain a hawkish bias on July 30, but are unlikely to signal a September hike. The June CPI did not really change this picture, with the core unchanged at 2.6%. Though BOE Bailey recently noted the unstable process (in the Straits of Hormuz and for energy prices), he

UK Fiscal Policy and the New Chancellor

July 21, 2026 6:18 AM UTC

·       Apprehension will exist until the Autumn budget, despite a repeated commitment by PM Burnham to stick to the fiscal rules.  Spending commitments are clearer than tax raises measures, while new Chancellor Healey may not be strong enough to curtail spending pressures.  This could mean

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