US Publications
Below is a list of our US Publications for the last 5 months. If you are looking for reports older than 5 months please email info@pantheonmacro.com, or contact your account rep
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Oliver Allen (Senior US Economist)
A mediocre end to Q1, but the surveys look promising.
Early signs of a manufacturing margins squeeze.
Fallout from the war adding to the pressures on homebuilders.
Small business capex plans drop to a post-GFC low.
- A huge leap in nominal sales of gasoline likely meant a strong March headline retail sales print.
- Core sales probably also were supported by big tax refunds and unseasonably warm weather.
- We still expect the hit to real incomes from higher gas prices to mean a weak Q2 for consumers.
Sales going nowhere fast.
- The data available so far point to GDP growth a bit below 2% in the first quarter.
- Consumption was soft and net trade was a big drag, but government spending rebounded.
- Residual seasonality probably explains only a fraction of the slow underlying momentum last quarter.
Further reason to expect a consumer slowdown.
Consumption already weak before the energy shock.
- February data imply consumers’ spending likely rose by only about 1% in Q1...
- ...The looming real income squeeze and low confidence point to broadly flat spending in Q2.
- Core PCE inflation will be lower by year-end, despite higher energy prices, as the tariff uplift fades.
Underlying capex still looks relatively weak.
Probably providing a false read on services inflation.
- The shocks to energy and fertilizer markets mean that food prices will climb through spring and summer…
- …But even a 20% rise in wholesale food prices would only add around 0.1pp to headline CPI inflation.
- The ongoing surge in gas prices is a far bigger and more immediate worry for consumers and the Fed.
Net trade on track for a big drag on headline GDP growth in Q1.
Core goods inflation unlikely to surge
Stronger sales reflect one-time boosts, underlying trend probably still weak
No sign of the labor market turning a corner.
- February’s solid retail sales likely were lifted by the weather and a short-lived boost from tax refunds.
- The underlying trend probably is still soft, and looks set to slow further amid the shock to energy prices.
- We think consumption growth of around 2% in Q1 will be followed by unchanged spending in Q2.
- February’s JOLTS report continues to paint a very weak picture of labor demand.
- The Conference Board survey’s job numbers also suggest payroll gains will remain very sluggish…
- …Putting further upward pressure on unemployment and undermining wage growth.
- February retail sales likely were boosted by a rebound in auto sales and the impact of higher gas prices.
- Sales likely also were boosted by bigger-than-usual tax refunds and unseasonably warm weather.
- But the underlying trend in core sales is weak, and likely to step down further as the energy shock bites.
