- The October PCE data likely will confirm that core disinflation continues, but still has a way to go.
- Spending growth appears to have moderated, though one softer month proves nothing.
- Jobless claims likely rebounded last week, though the Thanksgiving seasonals are tricky.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Treat everything you read about holiday spending with great skepticism; reliable data don’t exist.
- Even the official retail sales numbers can’t be trusted until after at least one round of revisions.
- The trade deficit was wild during and immediately after Covid, but it’s much calmer now.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Gas and stock prices have an outsized influence on consumers’ confidence indexes, politics matters too.
- The expectations subindexes historically have been a decent guide to real consumption spending.
- Monthly swings in new home sales are mostly noise, but the trend is now flattening.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Business CapEx looks to have stalled at the start of Q4, hit by rates and tight credit conditions.
- Equipment spending is on course to fall for a second straight quarter, with only modest gains elsewhere.
- Jobless claims surprised to the downside last week, but we expect a rebound in this week’s report.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The upturn in jobless claims bears close attention, though it’s much too soon to panic.
- Ignore the wild durable goods headline; core capex orders are rising, but other data are less benign.
- Consumers’ sentiment likely will respond to cheaper gasoline; will inflation expectations do the same?
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
THE FED IS DONE, AND WILL START EASING IN SPRING...
- ...BUT THE FOMC WON’T ABANDON OPTIONALITY JUST YET
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The Homebase small business employment data point to a hefty rebound in November payrolls...
- ...But the margin of error in all payroll forecasts is huge; the seasonals are an intractable problem.
- No bottom yet for existing home sales, but supply is edging up, and valuations are falling as incomes rise.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The supply-side factors we wanted to see in order to push inflation back down have all now normalized…
- Excess demand is the last piece of the jigsaw; the lagged hit from the Fed’s hike will take care of it.
- As demand moderates, gross margins will fall, pushing inflation back to target, and perhaps below it.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
Layoffs hit 12-week high, but remain below cycle peaks, for now
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The rebound in jobless claims in recent weeks is not yet definitive evidence of a shift in the trend.
- The multi-family housing construction boom is over, though single-family starts are still rising.
- The steep drops in manufacturing output and homebuilder sentiment reported yesterday won’t last.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The House Continuing Resolution kicks the can down the road to January and February; it solves nothing.
- October's retail sales numbers are consistent with a clear slowing in Q4 consumption growth.
- PPI disinflation continues; the October numbers, alongside the CPI, signal a 0.25% core PCE print.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
The (almost) final nail in the coffin of the Fed's rate hike optionality
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Markets have broken decisively from the Fed; inves- tors no longer believe in rate hike optionality.
- Core CPI inflation ex-rents is now just 2.0% and fall- ing, and the pace of rent increases will slow sharply.
- We’re sticking to our call for the first easing in March, but we doubt Chair Powell will quickly declare victory.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- October’s core CPI probably rose 0.4%, but the risks are biased to the downside.
- Hotel room rates, health insurance and new vehicle prices all seem likely to have pushed up the core.
- Our medium-term optimism remains, but disinflation won’t proceed in a neat straight line every month.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- House Republicans are yet to coalesce around a funding plan that could pass the Senate…
- …That might change, but right now a government shutdown starting at midnight Friday looks likely.
- The spike in inflation expectations will reverse, but Fed policymakers will be unhappy in the meantime.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
Nudging back up, but no sustained increase visible on the near horizon
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Households’ debt service ratios have edged higher since the Fed starting raising rates, but remain low.
- Debt service costs will rise further, but are unlikely to trigger sudden cuts to discretionary spending.
- Consumers’ sentiment likely improved in November, and inflation expectations probably fell.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Our base case forecast is immaculate disinflation; no recession but inflation heading back to the target.
- The net risk, though, is of a steeper downturn as businesses react to margin pressure with big layoffs.
- In that case, inflation will fall faster and the Fed will cut aggressively, but credit and some stocks will suffer.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
