- Inflation in the EZ has peaked, but core inflation above 2% will be a challenge for the ECB in 2022.
- Watch services inflation closely after the decline in January; it could hit 3%-plus in Q3.
- We see three conditions for the ECB to lift its deposit rate by 30bp in H1 2023.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Industrial production should rebound soon; services are softening.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- The EZ's trade surplus in goods is a lot perkier if we choose to believe the ECB's current account data.
- Net services exports likely jumped in Q4, but this means intellectual property investment plunged.
- EZ portfolio outflows are now slowing, belatedly; inflows signal trouble for equities in 2022.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- EZ auto sales fell in 2021, again, though we suspect they rebounded in Q4, after a terrible Q3.
- Investment by EZ auto-makers has fallen in line with weakening production, due to supply-side woes…
- …But employment has rebounded strongly, pointing to underlying confidence in the future.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
In one line: Are analysts too positive on Germany? We think so.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- We still think net trade supported GDP growth in Q4, despite the nominal goods trade deficit.
- Leading indicators suggest net exports won't pro- vide much of a boost to GDP growth in 2022.
- Full-year German GDP data for 2021 suggest growth was slower than previously thought in Q4.
Claus Vistesen and Melanie Debono (Eurozone Team)Eurozone
In one line: Q4 was nothing to write home about, Q1 likely will be worse.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Decent hard data lead us to raise our Q4 forecast for Italy, as for Spain, but GDP growth has slowed.
- Italian GDP likely rose by 0.8% in Q4; Q1's outcome will be little more than zero, as virus restrictions bite.
- An early election in Italy would put upward pressure on BTP yields, but it would prove short-lived.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Stronger-than-expected industry and retail data lead us to revise up our Q4 GDP forecast for Spain.
- We now think GDP grew by 1.5% q/q, much quicker than in the other major EZ economies.
- Solid Q4 growth increases the carry-over for 2022 growth forecasts, but Spain is still a laggard.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- EZ unemployment fell further in November, due to an improvement in all major economies.
- Unemployment in the euro area will fall below 7% soon, even with Omicron now a near-term threat.
- Our labour market forecasts imply accelerating wage growth in 2022; the ECB will take note.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Retail sales data had a decent November, but online sales can't offset falling services spending.
- Germany is on track to meet our expectations for Q4 growth, but we're reducing our forecasts in France.
- EZ inflation has peaked; a strong rebound in the core will be a headache for the ECB in Q2 and Q3.
Claus Vistesen and Melanie Debono (Eurozone Team)Eurozone
- The December PMIs indicate that EZ manufacturing production is now outpacing services output.
- German GDP growth underperformed in Q4, according to the PMIs; Spain did relatively well.
- French consumer sentiment remained resilient in Q4, but we look for a setback in Q1.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Omicron is less of a burden on hospitals than Delta, but surging cases will still lead to restrictions in Q1.
- Warm weather and energy imports are driving a fall in natural gas prices; good news for consumers.
- The slowdown in real M1 growth points to a further fall in the EZ composite PMI in Q1, to about 52.
Claus Vistesen and Melanie Debono (Eurozone Team)Eurozone
- The upward revision to Q3 GDP in Spain still leaves it further below the Q4 2019 level than elsewhere...
- ...The recovery has now slowed sharply; we look for just 1.0% growth in Q4; risks are to the downside.
- Data over the holidays are likely to show soft retail sales and yet more softening in business surveys.
Claus Vistesen and Melanie Debono (Eurozone Team)Eurozone
In one line: Revised up as expected, brace for much slower growth.
Melanie Debono (Senior Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- Gas prices have further to rise in the short term boosting energy inflation into Q1.
- But easing demand and base effects will then bring gas inflation hurtling down.
- Political tensions with Russia, and Germany's plans to wind down nuclear energy, present upside risks.
Claus Vistesen and Melanie Debono (Eurozone Team)Eurozone
- The ECB’s data continue to paint a less dramatic picture of trade in goods than Eurostat's numbers.
- Net services exports likely will jump in Q4, but this will be offset in part by a fall in IP capex.
- The euro glut has expanded during the pandemic, due mainly to a rise in EZ foreign equity holdings.
Claus Vistesen and Melanie Debono (Eurozone Team)Eurozone
In one line: Hit by surging virus cases, and worse is coming.
Claus Vistesen (Chief Eurozone Economist)Eurozone
- We are raising our headline inflation forecasts for next year, but we're still well behind the ECB.
- Core inflation will hover around 2% for much of next year, causing a headache for the central bank.
- More poor survey data reassert our view that Q4 and Q1 won’t be pretty for the EZ’s largest economy.
Claus Vistesen and Melanie Debono (Eurozone Team)Eurozone
