In one line: As in France, domestic demand is rattled by tariff concerns and PMI shows clear signs of tariff front-running.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Most near-real-time consumers’ spending indicators suggest it is holding up well in April.
- The trade war also hasn’t hit job postings, while Google searches for ‘unemployment’ are down.
- Leading indicators on production, meanwhile, reflect greater activity, boosted by tariff front-running.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Fastest fall in demand for services since Covid pulls down the headline.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Soft April PMIs signal downside risk to our Q2 GDP call, but we still think tariff front-running will help.
- Demand for services is retreating, confirming that trade uncertainty is weighing on domestic demand.
- Manufacturing is holding the fort for now, with new orders recovering thanks to tariff front-running.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: EZ consumers didn’t like Trump’s tariff announcements.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- We look for a chunky decline in the April PMIs; falling new orders likely will bear the brunt of the hit.
- The euro’s rise is supported by strong portfolio inflows, which look set to continue in Q2.
- Is euro strength a sign of a more structural shift in FX reserve portfolios? Perhaps, but it’s too soon to say.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Easing, as economic uncertainty rises.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Falling oil prices and a stronger euro are gifts to ECB doves.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Tariffs hit investor sentiment hard; industrial production will feel the tariff burn but not until later in the year probably.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Banks tighten lending standards for firms & demand for credit eases again even before the shock of “Liberation Day".
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Downside risks are building for EZ inflation, due mainly to the accelerated decline in energy prices.
- Initial evidence points to a disinflationary tariff shock to EZ core goods inflation, but keep an open mind.
- Services inflation will snap back in April, due to Easter effects, but the trend is still downward.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Soft, but selling prices point to upside risks for the core.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Banks tightened lending standards less in Q1 than in Q4, but were already worried about tariffs in March…
- ...They expect to tighten lending standards further, while demand for loans among firms fell.
- We revise up our Swiss GDP forecasts, on the back of the 90-day pause to tariff hikes.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Re-routing could lead to a bigger EZ trade surplus with the US, increasing the risk of higher US tariffs…
- ...One of the ways to stem the flow would be for the EU to hike its tariffs on China; it prefers not to.
- The EU is at great risk of being pulled into the US-Sino trade war, whether it wants to or not.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Before the tariff shock; what happens next?
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Industry still supported Italian GDP in Q1.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The 90-day delay to US tariffs, excluding China, is a stay of execution only; uncertainty remains high.
- Italian Prime Minister Meloni is the first EU leader to announce support to exporters hit by US tariff hikes.
- Italian public debt issuance will remain high this year, keeping BTP yields elevated.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- A fall in investment will be the main driver of the incoming recession in the Eurozone.
- Germany will bear the brunt of the slowdown, with a 0.6% fall in GDP across Q2 and Q3.
- Fiscal stimulus and trade diversion are the main upside risks to growth relative to our new baseline.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Slower growth, coupled with a stronger CHF and lower oil prices, will keep Swiss inflation down.
- The SNB is likely to cut once more; we now expect the easing cycle to end in June.
- EZ house prices rose 4.2% last year and will increase again this year, as lower interest rates fuel demand.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The EZ is now likely entering a technical recession; the ECB will cut its deposit rate to 2.00% by June.
- Markets are pricing-in too dovish an outcome for the ECB; the bank will struggle to push rates below 2%.
- The economy is facing the trade shock in decent shape and fiscal stimulus still pose upside risks.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
