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 Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)
- The rise in the EZ composite PMI suggests we should expect a pick up in GDP growth in Q2.
- Higher selling price expectations won’t prevent an ECB cut in June; they still point to lower inflation.
- The SNB’s tweak to minimum reserve requirements is not as big a deal as markets think.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Spain was again the star performer in Q1; we look for GDP to have risen by 0.6% quarter-to-quarter.
- Italy was close behind, faring better than France and Germany, as construction investment rose again.
- Growth should rise in Spain and Italy later this year, but risks are to the downside, especially in Italy.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- EZ compensation-per-employee growth slowed in Q1, but what about negotiated wages?
- The HICP components most correlated with wage growth point to a significant slowdown in H1 2024.
- The Q1 bank lending survey is not the slam dunk for ECB doves that many seem to believe.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The fall in Swiss inflation in March solidifies our view that more SNB rate cuts are on the way this year.
- EZ house prices fell in Q4 and were down by 1.1% in 2023 overall; we look for another 1% drop this year.
- The PMI adds to the evidence that Spain’s economic outperformance continued in Q1; we concur.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The drop in German inflation cements the outlook for a below-consensus EZ inflation report today.
- Why wouldn’t the ECB cut this month if inflation hit 2.2% in March? We can’t see why not either.
- Weakness in France and Germany is still holding back momentum in EZ manufacturing.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Spanish inflation rose 0.4pp to 3.2% in March, less than we expected...
- ...We are revising down our forecast for the Eurozone headline; it likely rose just 0.1pp to 2.7% in March.
- Spanish CPI is further along than the EZ headline, suggesting EZ inflation will rise further before it falls.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The ECB faces a unique challenge in thinking about fiscal policy; fiscal tightening is now lifting inflation.
- We estimate that the unwinding of fiscal stimulus is now boosting EZ headline inflation by 0.4pp...
- ...In a fight for every percentage point to get inflation to target, this could prevent ECB rate cuts.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The SNB cut interest rates, beating other major DM central banks to the punch on easing policy.
- More easing is likely over the coming year; we look for 75bp of further cuts by December.
- The risks are to fewer cuts; the SNB sees inflation in line with its price-stability mandate out to 2026.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- It’s a close call, but we think the SNB will hold fire at today’s meeting and first cut in June instead.
- Risks are tilted towards a rate cut today; markets are pricing in 40% probability of a move.
- mItalian industrial production started the year on a weak footing, but EZ construction is holding up.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Hourly labour cost growth took a leg down in Q4, in line with other wage growth measures.
- Leading indicators suggest pay growth is easing again in Q1; we look for it to fall throughout 2024.
- The ECB can’t afford to wait for the all clear from wage negotiations to start easing policy.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The BTP-Bund spread has fallen, in line with our call; we still believe it will hit 100bp by year-end.
- Will the attractive carry maintain foreign investor appetite for BTPs in 2024? We think so.
- Assuming no fiscal disasters, BTPs will continue to close the gap to their Spanish counterparts.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Quarter-to-quarter GDP growth in Italy will pick up pace this year, despite falling investment...
- ...But our forecasts still point to GDP rising by just 1.0% this year, the same as last year.
- The risks to our call are a bigger fall in capex than we expect, and a smaller increase in consumption.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Swiss inflation edged down in February; it has been in line with the SNB’s target for eight months.
- It fell less than we expected; we are pushing out our forecast for the first SNB rate cut to June.
- The changing of the guard at the SNB in September won’t alter the outlook for monetary policy.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Consumer inflation expectations still point to lower inflation, despite uptick in the ECB’s January survey.
- Firms’ surveyed expectations are still generally on a downtrend, and market measures have also fallen.
- We still think a downgrade in the ECB’s inflation forecasts next week will be enough for an April cut, just.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Money and credit data continue to signal a rise in savings and little in the way of new lending.
- We still think rising real income growth is now lifting spending, but the rebound will be lacklustre overall.
- Consumer confidence data remains subdued in Germany and France but should bounce back soon.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The inventory cycle in France likely bottomed out in Q4; total capital formation should rebound in H1...
- ...But surveys warn that growth in otherwise resilient services investment is now rolling over.
- A drop in auto sales will weigh on consumption in 2024, but rising real income growth will dominate.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Russia now accounts for just 15% of EZ gas imports, down from 45% before its invasion of Ukraine.
- Oil imports from Russia have slumped but are likely still entering Europe after being refined elsewhere.
- Non-energy trade has shrunk and will dissipate further this year, as the latest EU sanctions hit.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- EZ GDP growth is falling behind the US; relatively sluggish productivity is part of the reason.
- The inflation shock has depressed EZ labour productivity, but it should now be rebounding.
- Our interest rate forecasts are consistent with a relative shift in the EZ inflation and policy regime.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Eurozone GDP was flat in Q4, and we doubt the picture will improve in the first quarter.
- Investment will remain under pressure in H1, but consumers’ spending should now be rebounding.
- EZ employment growth is still outpacing the surveys; unemployment is pinned at a record low.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Swiss inflation fell sharply in January, beneath our below-consensus forecast...
- ...We are sticking to our call that the SNB will first cut its key policy rate in March, by 25bp to 1.50%.
- It will likely follow this up with 75bp-worth of cuts, split between 50bp in June and 25bp in September.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
