Eurozone Publications
Below is a list of our Eurozone Publications for the last 6 months. If you are looking for reports older than 6 months please email info@pantheonmacro.com, or contact your account rep
Please use the filters on the right to search for a specific date or topic.
Daily Monitor Webinar Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)
- The ECB left all its policy settings unchanged yesterday, as everyone expected it to.
- President Lagarde stuck to the line that a spring rate cut is unlikely but didn’t explicitly push back on it...
- ...Data next week will, we think, give the Bank the confidence it needs to cut rates first in March.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- German manufacturing remained subdued in Q4, but net trade in goods likely soared.
- Retail sales in the euro area fell midway through Q4, due principally to weakness in Germany.
- Investor sentiment continues to signal upside risk for the EZ composite PMI at the start of 2024.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- EZ headline inflation will match the consensus today, but the core will undershoot expectations.
- The rebound in German inflation in December will be short-lived; the downtrend in the core continues.
- Sticky services inflation in France will soon roll over, judging by surveyed selling prices.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- German jobless claims fell less than expected in December, but we doubt the trend is improving.
- Employment growth slowed midway through Q4, and momentum will wane further in Q1.
- Nominal income growth is slowing, but real wage growth is rebounding as inflation falls.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- EZ manufacturing remained in recession in Q4, but global data point to an improvement in Q1.
- The slowdown in narrow money growth is easing, adding to upside risks for the composite PMI in Q1.
- Private sector lending growth slowed midway through Q4; it will slow further in H1 2024.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Inflation fell sharply in November; it will rebound in December, but what will happen in January?
- Our inflation forecasts remain at odds with the ECB’s; we still see a March rate cut.
- We’re betting that inflation falling below target will prompt the ECB to focus less on wage growth.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Net exports are poised to lift GDP growth in Q4, but by how much? We look for a 0.1pp rise.
- Export growth will rebound next year, but we think imports will recover relatively more.
- We believe rising goods imports will weigh on net exports and GDP growth in 2024.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The ECB lowered its inflation forecast in December; they will come down further in March, by a lot.
- Ms. Lagarde pushed back against our forecast for a March cut, but we think she’ll come around.
- The SNB stands pat, but sends a clear signal that it is now done raising rates; will it cut in March?
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- German politicians agreed to cut spending to stick to the constitutional debt brake...
- ...But it looks like a stop-gap solution to us, and fractures within the coalition will likely widen from here.
- EU fiscal rules return next year; in what form remains to be seen, but they will be laxer than before.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- German manufacturing faces a host of challenges, but the country isn’t de-industrialising, yet.
- Politics are at odds with economic objectives in Germany; the latter will drive the former, eventually.
- Employment and investment in machinery are the key manufacturing variables to watch in 2024.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- EZ GDP growth was stung by falling inventories in Q3, offsetting a rise in public and private spending.
- The slowdown in investment is intensifying, but the outlook for household consumption is brightening.
- We now think EZ GDP will rise by 0.5% this year, and next year too; no upward inflation pressures here.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- An ECB pivot is underway; it will be confirmed at next week’s policy meeting, and by the new forecasts.
- The January HICP report and wage data remain risks to our call for a first rate cut in March.
- Early data from France and Spain suggest euro area manufacturing slowed further at the start of Q4.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Swiss inflation fell in November and has now been in line with the SNB’s target for six months...
- ...It will likely slide further in H1 next year, after a probable small base-effects driven rise in December.
- Coupled with weak growth, the stars should align for the SNB to start cutting its key rate by March.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- EZ inflation fell sharply in November, widening the gap between the reality and the ECB’s forecasts.
- January HICP is key for the 2024 inflation outlook; we look for a return to normal in m/m pricing.
- The ECB’s hawkish facade will soon crack; look out for a shift in messaging at the December meeting.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Inflation in Germany and Spain undershot consensus in November; will EZ HICP do the same?
- German inflation will snap back in December due to base effects in energy; the core is falling rapidly.
- Core inflation in Spain declined sharply in November, and the downturn has further to run.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
