- In one line:Lower borrowing costs sparked a wave of refinancing in Q1, which likely will unwind in Q2.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Strengthening growth and slowing inflation, but watch the jump in input costs.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Two corrections starts to become a trend.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Manufacturing almost stabilised but input cost inflation jumped.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- Consumer confidence in the economic outlook lies close to its average in the second half of the 2010s.
- Moreover, consumers’ unemployment expectations have fallen to their lowest since February 2022.
- We expect 0.5% quarter-to-quarter consumption growth in 2024, but delays to rate cuts pose a risk.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Output prices likely rising more slowly than the CBI’s survey implies.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Borrowing overshoots Budget forecasts but the Chancellor will still cut taxes again later this year.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Disappointing in March but retail will still boost Q1 GDP.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- Retail sales ended Q1 with a whimper, stagnating in March as department-store sales tanked.
- Look through the month-to-month volatility though, and retail sales growth is trending up.
- We still expect the MPC to cut Bank Rate in June, after Governor Bailey downplayed the inflation miss.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Trade deficit little changed in February, but will improve this year.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: GDP is on track for 0.4% quarter-to-quarter growth in Q1, beating MPC forecasts.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- We raise our growth forecast, and now expect a 0.4% quarter-to-quarter GDP gain in Q1.
- Returning growth won’t stop the MPC cutting rates but will keep it to a one-cut-per-quarter pace.
- The MPC switching to scenarios, from fan charts, post Bernanke Review likely matters little to markets.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Building hopes of rate cuts boost buyer demand and house prices.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Early easter boosts March retail sales, growth will slow in April.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Report on Jobs survey says it’s time to cut rates.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Expected interest rate cuts prove to be an effective tonic for construction.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Growth beating the MPC's forecast and services inflation easing.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- In one line: Weak private car sales suggest consumer caution.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
- We expect quarter-to-quarter GDP growth to average 0.3% this year, driven by rising household real income.
- Energy-price cuts will pull inflation below 2% in Q2; sticky services will return inflation above 2% in Q4.
- We expect the MPC gradually to ease its restrictive policy, with the first cut in June and 75bp total in 2024.
Rob Wood (Chief UK Economist)UK
