by Kim | Jun 24, 2024
Key events this week – US PCE inflation, Aus & Canada CPI
Recap from last week
US spending, housing, and output data for May pointed to solid growth continuing through Q2, providing important context for the policy outlook as the FOMC considers when rate cuts will come into view.
The Atlanta Fed GDP Nowcast for Q2 dipped slightly from +3.2% to +3%, with consumption and housing data offsetting gains in industrial production. US retail sales growth for May of +0.1% was slower than expectations for a modest +0.3% increase. The fall in gasoline sales of 2.2% (related to a fall in gasoline prices of 3.6% in May) was the main driver of slower growth. Apr was revised lower from 0% growth to a -0.2% decline. The overall lacklustre growth in real terms highlights the normalizing trend of retail sales over the last two years.
Housing data was weaker in May. Falls in single-family permits and starts, which had been more buoyant, are now contributing to the slowing trend. Home builder sentiment also weakened in Jun. Existing home sales continued to drift lower.
US production/output was a bright spot in May. Manufacturing output growth accelerated, and the stronger result was evident across both durable and non-durable goods output.
The US prelim PMIs for Jun pointed to a continued improvement in growth momentum through the end of Q2. US services and manufacturing sectors continued to expand in Jun, contrasting with declines in other G4 economies.
Central bank decisions continued to diverge last week. The RBA stayed on hold, citing concerns over persistent inflation and reinforcing the need to ‘remain vigilant to the upside risks to inflation’. The Jun quarterly CPI will be important in ‘giving a much more comprehensive view of what’s going on’. The case for a rate hike was considered at this meeting, but a hold was deemed the most appropriate policy course.
The BoE kept rates on hold but signalled that Aug could be live for consideration of a rate cut.
As part of the August forecast round, members of the Committee would consider all of the information available and how this affected the assessment that the risks from inflation persistence were receding. On that basis, the Committee would keep under review for how long Bank Rate should be maintained at its current level. Source; BoE Minutes
Deliberations showed that a growing number of MPC members considered that UK inflation was on a downward trajectory and, despite still elevated services inflation, the policy decision at this meeting had become ‘finely balanced’.
The SNB cut rates for the second time in this cycle.
Outlook for the week ahead
This week’s US inflation data will provide a crucial update for the FOMC’s policy outlook. While US growth remains solid and the labor market rebalances, the FOMC needs consistent evidence that inflation is sustainably moving towards the 2% target before it considers initiating the rate-cutting cycle.
This week, the FOMC preferred PCE inflation data for May will provide a further reading on the progress of disinflation.
US PCE inflation is expected to slow to +2.6% in May, from +2.7% in Apr. This would be in line with the latest FOMC projection for the median PCE inflation rate of +2.6% over 2024. The monthly headline rate is expected to slow to 0% in May from +0.3% in Apr.
Core PCE inflation is expected to slow to +2.6% in May from +2.8% in Apr – this would be below the projection of +2.8% for core PCE inflation over 2024. The monthly core PCE inflation rate is also expected to slow to +0.1% in May from +0.2% in Apr.
There will be further important US consumption, housing, and output data to update the view of Q2 growth.
Personal spending for May is expected to increase by +0.3%, up from +0.2% in Apr. Personal income is expected to increase by +0.4% in May, up from +0.3% in Apr.
New home sales are expected to increase slightly to 0.65m annualized in May, up from 0.634m in Apr. Pending home sales will provide a view of the pipeline of housing sales for May.
US Q2 GDP (third estimate) is expected to be confirmed at +1.3% annualized.
Durable goods orders are expected to increase by +0.3% in May after increasing by +0.6% in Apr.
We are monitoring initial jobless claims as the 4-week average continues to rise. Last week, the seasonally adjusted initial claims series remained elevated at +238k, and are expected to be +240k this week.
Finally, there will be a range of Fed speeches this week. Fed Governor Waller will provide opening remarks on Monday (not clear that he’ll talk about the economy or monetary policy), and Governor Cook will speak on the economic outlook at the Economic Club of NY on Tuesday.
The Aus monthly CPI series for May will be released this week and will be important given the concerns of persistent inflation. Headline inflation is expected to be +3.8% in May, up from +3.6% in Apr. RBA Governor Bullock noted that the monthly series is useful in providing an update on the momentum of inflation, but doesn’t yet provide the full picture of inflation.
The Canadian CPI for May is expected to continue easing. Headline inflation is expected to slow to +2.6% in May from +2.7% in Apr. The important trimmed mean is also expected to slow further to +2.8% in May, from +2.9% in Apr. The BoC started cutting rates at its meeting in Jun citing continued evidence that underlying inflation is easing, and policy no longer needs to be as restrictive.
This week, the US Treasury will auction and settle approx. $645bn in ST Bills, Notes, and Bonds, raising approx. $113bn in new money.
QT this week: Approx $10.5bn in ST Bills, Notes, and Bonds will mature on the Fed balance sheet and will be reinvested. Approx. $16bn in Notes & Bonds will be redeemed and rolled off the Fed balance sheet.
More detail (including a calendar of key data releases) is provided in the briefing document – download the pdf below:
Comments and feedback are welcome. Please email me at kim.mofardin@marscapitalpartners.net
by Mofar2016 | Jun 24, 2024
Last week, equities pushed higher as expected as the Nasdaq and SPX now have enough waves in place to potentially complete its impulsive rally for wave (v) of 5. The onus is now on the bears to make a stand and reverse the previous rally with an impulsive decline. We are now at an important […]
by Kim | Jun 17, 2024
Key events this week – US retail sales, central banks; BoE, RBA, and SNB, inflation; UK, Japan, and Euro Area, S&P prelim PMI’s Jun
Recap from last week
The FOMC kept monetary policy settings unchanged, emphasizing the importance of balancing its dual mandate. Fed chair Powell noted modest progress on inflation, with the latest May CPI report showing improvement. However, the FOMC needs more positive data before loosening policy.
And we do see today’s report as progress and as, you know, building confidence. But we don’t see ourselves as having the confidence that would warrant beginning to loosen policy at this time.
The Committee delayed rate cuts, projecting one to two cuts this year, down from the Mar estimate of one to three. Disinflation progress is expected to be slow, with higher projected PCE inflation rates reflecting more conservative forecasts:
We’re assuming, you know, good but not great numbers.
The latest May CPI & PPI results suggest a softer reading in the FOMC preferred measure of PCE price inflation for May (due in the following week).
I think, let me say that we welcome today’s reading and then hope for more like that.
U.S. growth is still expected to slow back to trend over the remainder of the year, while the unemployment rate is expected to remain unchanged at the current level of 4% for the rest of the year.
We kind of see what we wanted to see, which was gradual cooling and demand, gradual rebalancing in the labor market while we’re continuing to make progress on inflation. So, we’re getting good results here.
The updated projections raised questions about the timing of rate cuts. However, in the absence of more information, the FOMC is managing its dual mandate cautiously, prepared to maintain the current federal funds rate if inflation persists but ready to cut rates if the labor market unexpectedly weakens or inflation falls rapidly.
The BoJ kept policy settings on hold. It did signal that at the next monetary policy meeting the Policy Board will decide on “a detailed plan for the reduction of its purchase amount (of JGB’s) during the next one to two years or so”.
Outlook for the week ahead
It will be a short US week with the Juneteenth Holiday on 19 June.
The focus this week will be on US growth data, central bank decisions, and global inflation reports.
There will be a range of US spending, production, and housing data providing a further update on the progress of US GDP growth in Q2. The main focus in the US will be retail sales for May. After the softer retail growth in Apr of 0%, retail sales in May are expected to increase modestly by +0.3%. US industrial production is expected to increase by +0.2% in May after 0% growth in Apr. US housing starts for May are expected to increase by 1.37m (annualized), up from 1.36m in Apr. Building permits are expected to increase slightly to 1.45m annualized in May, from 1.44m in Apr. Existing home sales are expected to ease slightly to 4.08m annualized in May, down from 4.14m in Apr.
The US initial claims will be an important indicator to watch. Last week, the NSA initial claims series increased in line with seasonal patterns, however, there was also a notable increase of +242k in the seasonally adjusted (SA) initial claims. This is still relatively low, but the 4-week average has edged higher and this will be important to watch. Initial claims (SA) for the week ending 15 Jun are expected to increase by +235k.
There will be several Fed speeches throughout the week.
There will be a number of central bank meetings this week. The RBA will meet early in the week and policy settings are expected to be unchanged. At the last meeting, concerns over persistent inflation were noted. Guidance had indicated that it would be ‘some time yet’ before inflation was sustainably in the target range. The path of interest rates remains uncertain, with the Board “not ruling anything in or out”. The latest monthly CPI series for Apr indicated that progress on inflation had remained stalled. Last week, the labour market data for May was positive, as employment growth remained solid for the month, and the unemployment rate edged slightly lower as expected.
The BoE will meet this week and policy settings are expected to be unchanged. The latest update on inflation for May will be released the day before the meeting. The prior inflation reading had eased, but not by as much as expected. Headline inflation is expected to slow to +2% in May from +2.3% in Apr, while core CPI is expected to ease further from +3.9% in Apr to +3.5% in May. Guidance from the prior decision noted that “policy needs to stay restrictive for an extended period of time until the risk of inflation becoming embedded above the 2% target dissipates”.
The Swiss National Bank is expected to decide on its policy rate this week.
Other inflation reports this week include the final Euro Area CPI for May. Headline inflation is expected to be confirmed at +2.6% and core CPI is expected to be confirmed at +2.9%.
Japanese National headline CPI for May is expected to be little changed at +2.5%. The BoJ preferred measure of core inflation excluding fresh food is expected to increase to +2.6% in May from +2.2% in Apr.
Finally, the latest prelim PMIs for Jun will be released later in the week rounding out the view of Q2 private sector growth momentum.
This week, the US Treasury will auction and settle approx. $519bn in ST Bills, Notes, and Bonds, raising approx. $34bn in new money. This includes the 3-year and 10-year Notes, and 30-year Bonds auctioned last week, which settle this week. Also, $34bn in 5-year TIPS and 20-year Bonds will be auctioned this week – to settle at the end of the month.
QT this week: Approx $4.7bn in ST Bills, Notes, and Bonds will mature on the Fed balance sheet and will be reinvested. Approx. $9bn in Notes & Bonds will be redeemed and rolled off the Fed balance sheet.
More detail (including a calendar of key data releases) is provided in the briefing document – download the pdf below:
Comments and feedback are welcome. Please email me at kim.mofardin@marscapitalpartners.net
by Mofar2016 | Jun 17, 2024
Last week, equities extended higher as expected with the SPX and Nasdaq impulsing to new 5th wave highs while the DJIA and Russell 2000 continue to lag in corrective rallies. While there are enough waves in place to complete 5 up for the leaders, there is no evidence of a tradable top and the potential […]
by Kim | Jun 10, 2024
Key events this week – FOMC & BoJ meeting this week, US CPI
Recap from last week
Stronger than expected US payrolls for May will likely continue to support the FOMC in keeping policy rates unchanged at its meeting this week.
US non-farm payroll growth in May was +272k – significantly higher than the +185k expectation. Revisions to the prior two months were minor at -15k. Despite slowing from recent peaks, the annual rate of payroll growth of +1.8% is still sitting above the 5-year pre-pandemic average of +1.7%. However, the household survey of the labor market remained subdued in May, with employment growth continuing to slow and the unemployment rate, though historically low, continuing to drift higher. The recent dynamic from the JOLTS survey was unchanged; labor demand has eased while layoffs and discharges have stayed at a series low level of 1%. Notably, the job openings rate has fallen sharply over the past two months from 5.3% in February to 4.8% in April, below the 12-month average of 5.3%. This, along with slower employment growth and a modest rise in the unemployment rate, suggests some cooling in labor market conditions, aligning with the FOMC’s goal of balancing labor demand and supply. That said, average hourly earnings for May were higher than expected at +0.4% for the month, with the annual rate firming at around +4.1%. Earnings growth appears to have stalled around this rate over the last several months.
US data was mostly positive last week, despite mixed results from the US ISM surveys. The latest estimate of US Q2 GDP growth from the Atalanta Fed GDPNowcast increased to +3.1% by the end of the week, from a run rate of +1.8% at the start of the week.
The ECB and BoC both cut rates as expected last week. The ECB reduced its benchmark rates by 25bps while maintaining its data-dependent guidance.
“Then we decided to cut, and we did so because overall our confidence in the path ahead, because we have to be forward-looking, has been increasing over the last months.” Source: Christine Lagarde, ECB Press Conference, 6 Jun
The Boc also reduced its benchmark rate by 25bps. The BoC noted evidence that underlying inflation is easing, and that policy no longer needs to be as restrictive. Recent data has increased the BoC’s confidence that inflation will continue to move towards the 2% target. That said, there was still caution around high services inflation. The BoC maintained its data-dependent guidance but did suggest that it “would be reasonable to expect further cuts” if inflation continued to ease (source: Bank of Canada, Opening Statement)
Outlook for the week ahead
It’s the second week of important monetary policy decisions – and this week the focus will be on the FOMC and BoJ meetings. The latest US CPI data for May will be out on the same day as the FOMC decision.
The FOMC is expected to keep policy settings unchanged. The FOMC has previously outlined two broad scenarios that could lead to rate cuts. The first scenario involves an unexpected weakening of the labor market. Last week’s payroll data for May exceeded expectations, indicating that while the labor market is showing some signs of cooling, it remains in line with expectations. The second scenario involves gaining greater confidence that inflation is moving towards 2% and adjusting policy rates to a lower inflation environment. After stalling in Q1, the April inflation data has provided some relief, suggesting that progress on disinflation may have resumed. However, the FOMC is likely to maintain its position that it needs more positive inflation data to be confident that inflation is moving towards its 2% target before cutting rates. The latest round of economic projections will be released at this meeting, with changes to interest rate projections through 2024 being the most closely watched. At the time of writing, markets are pricing one rate cut for 2024.
Headline US CPI for May is expected to be little changed at +3.4% over the year but is expected to slow to +0.1% over the month (versus +0.3% in Apr). Core inflation is expected to ease slightly to +3.5% in May from +3.6% in Apr while monthly core inflation is expected to be unchanged at +0.3% in May from +0.3% in Apr.
The US annual headline PPI rate is expected to remain at +2.2% in May, versus +2.2% in Apr. The monthly headline PPI rate is expected to ease to +0.1% in May, from +0.5% in Apr. Core PPI is expected to ease to +2.3% over the year in May from +2.4% in Apr, while the monthly core rate is expected to ease to +0.3% from +0.5% in Apr.
The BoJ will meet this week and policy settings are expected to be unchanged. However, there is some expectation that the BoJ may provide signaling on plans to further normalize monetary policy settings, namely a reduction in its bond purchases.
The Aus labour market data for May will be released this week and will be an important input for the RBA meeting next week. Net employment growth is expected to be +30k, down slightly from +38k in Apr, participation is expected to be unchanged, and the unemployment rate is expected to ease back to 4% from 4.1% in Apr.
This week, the US Treasury will auction and settle approx. $565bn in ST Bills, Notes, and Bonds, raising approx. $49.5bn in new money.
QT this week: Approx $4.8bn in ST Bills will mature on the Fed balance sheet and will be reinvested.
More detail (including a calendar of key data releases) is provided in the briefing document – download the pdf below:
Comments and feedback are welcome. Please email me at kim.mofardin@marscapitalpartners.net
