US Economics Weekly Tariff wall rebuild underway The new forced labour Section 301 tariffs that took effect today are only part of the administration’s broader strategy to push the average tariff rate back towards its pre-IEEPA-ruling level of... 24th July 2026 · 6 mins read
US Economics Weekly A month of soft inflation won’t assuage Fed’s concerns The softer-than-expected June CPI and PPI prints don't change the fact that price pressures remain elevated. Accordingly, we're sticking with our view that the Fed will hike interest rates as soon as... 17th July 2026 · 4 mins read
US Economics Weekly Warsh assembles his dream team(s) The list of names announced this week to lead Kevin Warsh’s task forces on improving Fed operations comprise a well-respected and diverse group of academic economists, former central bankers, and... 10th July 2026 · 8 mins read
US Economics Weekly Payrolls blip a drop in the inflationary ocean June's underwhelming Employment Report was still enough to support our view that the labour market is stabilising which, paired with sticky core inflation, should prompt the Fed to reverse last year's... 2nd July 2026 · 5 mins read
US Economics Weekly AI boom supporting growth and pushing up prices The fall in WTI to below $70pb has reduced the urgency for the Fed to raise rates, with futures shifting to pricing in a 70% chance of a 25bp hike by the September meeting, down from 95% last week... 26th June 2026 · 5 mins read
US Economics Weekly The Warsh era begins on a firmly hawkish note Kevin Warsh’s highly anticipated first meeting as Federal Reserve Chair did not fail to live up to expectations. While the promise of significant institutional reform will matter a lot over the months... 18th June 2026 · 5 mins read
US Economics Weekly Higher inflation not just an energy problem May's weaker than expected core CPI outturn and the recent fall in oil prices will be some relief to the Fed, but the big picture remains that core PCE inflation is likely to remain above 3% for many... 12th June 2026 · 7 mins read
US Economics Weekly Fed set to hike this year With Fed officials sounding more hawkish than we originally anticipated and downside labour market risks rapidly diminishing, we now expect the Fed to hike interest rates this year. 5th June 2026 · 5 mins read
US Economics Weekly Price pressures not yet raising alarm bells The latest communications from Fed officials have become increasingly hawkish. But the softer-than-expected outturn for the April core PCE deflator and the mounting downside risks to real consumption... 29th May 2026 · 6 mins read
US Economics Weekly Fed alert to rising price pressures The hawkish tone of the Fed’s late-April minutes shows it would be ready to demonstrate its inflation-fighting credentials if it felt compelled to do so. We judge this would require a broadening in... 22nd May 2026 · 5 mins read
US Economics Weekly This time is transitory? Kevin Warsh now begins his four-year term as Fed Chair, but the April price data suggest he will have a tough time persuading his FOMC colleagues that they should cut interest rates again in this... 15th May 2026 · 5 mins read
US Economics Weekly CIT ruling only a minor setback for the administration The federal court ruling this week that the administration unlawfully imposed the 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1974 is only a minor setback for Trump’s tariff... 8th May 2026 · 7 mins read
US Economics Weekly Unpacking a landmark week at the Fed A landmark week in the history of the Federal Reserve concludes with interest rate expectations little changed. 1st May 2026 · 7 mins read
US Economics Weekly Refunds, refunds everywhere but not a major stimulus Individuals have benefited from higher tax refunds this year and companies will soon benefit from IEEPA tariff refunds, but we doubt that these will make a big difference to GDP growth. 24th April 2026 · 9 mins read
US Economics Weekly Manufacturing yet to find its stride The manufacturing sector continues to struggle, with production down in March and little changed over the past year. However, tentative signs that foreign producers are investing to expand their US... 17th April 2026 · 5 mins read
US Economics Weekly Households lack cushion against gasoline price shock The sharp fall in the saving rate to 4.0% in February predates the Iran war and may signal what lies ahead as households absorb much higher fuel bills. This limited cushion suggests households will... 10th April 2026 · 5 mins read
