Chief Economist's Note Central banks on pause for now but policy divergence is coming The Iran war has presented central banks with a familiar problem. Higher oil prices amount to a classic stagflationary supply shock: they push inflation up while weighing on growth, particularly in... 27th July 2026
Latin America Economics Weekly Mexico’s GDP rebound, smooth(ish) USMCA talks GDP data from Mexico due out next Thursday are likely to show that the economy rebounded last quarter after a contraction in Q1, which may quell some of Banxico's dovish talk. Further out, the outlook... 24th July 2026 · 6 mins read
UK Economics Weekly Two mounting upsides to our inflation and interest rate forecasts The recent rebound in oil and gas prices and the prospect of looser fiscal policy under the new Burnham government suggests the risks to our forecast for GDP to grow by 1.0%, CPI inflation to fall to... 24th July 2026 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Are indirect effects just around the corner? The indirect effects of higher energy prices on inflation have so far been absent, but they could start to emerge in the second half of the year if energy prices remain high or rise further. That... 24th July 2026 · 8 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Flash PMIs (Jul. 2026) July’s flash PMI figures show that the stagflationary pressures faced by the Bank of England continued to soften. But the recent rebound in energy prices suggests that all of these trends may not last... 24th July 2026 · 3 mins read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Strong jobs, higher fuel prices keep rate hike in play June’s employment surge shows that Australia’s labour market remains resilient despite some broader cooling, while the sharp rise in regional fuel benchmarks is likely to push domestic pump prices... 24th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Rapid Response Japan Flash PMIs (Jul. 26) The June composite PMI suggests that the economy remains resilient and still points to a sharp acceleration in inflation. 24th July 2026 · 2 mins read
Japan Rapid Response Japan Consumer Prices (Jun. 26) While inflation remained below the Bank of Japan’s 2% target in June, the surge in producer price inflation points to a marked acceleration and we expect inflation to climb above 3% by early next year 24th July 2026 · 2 mins read
Europe Economics Update ECB on pause but chance of another hike is rising The ECB left interest rates unchanged today and gave nothing away about its intentions for the next meeting in September. Based on our forecast for energy prices to fall significantly in the coming... 23rd July 2026 · 3 mins read
Africa Economics Update SARB signals high bar for additional rate hikes The South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB’s) surprise decision to keep its policy rate on hold (rather than hike) today suggests that the MPC isn’t as hawkish as we had thought, and our base case now is... 23rd July 2026 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update Core goods inflation unlikely to fully normalise The PPI and import price data suggest that the AI buildout and supply constraints from the war in Iran will prevent core goods inflation from fully normalising, even as tariff effects ease. 22nd July 2026 · 2 mins read
India Chart Pack India Chart Pack (July 2026) The latest activity data suggest that India’s economy is slowing, but we think GDP growth should average 6.5% in 2026-27 - an enviable rate by global standards. Rainfall in the early stages of the... 22nd July 2026 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Poland: strong growth reduces rate cut prospects The latest activity data suggest that Poland’s economy continued to grow rapidly in Q2, supporting our view that the economy will grow by more than 3% over 2026-27. The sharp drop in headline... 22nd July 2026 · 2 mins read
Africa Rapid Response South Africa Consumer Prices (Jun. 26) The larger-than-expected rise in South African inflation, to 5.0% y/y in June, alongside the recent rise in oil prices, increases the risk that the Reserve Bank (SARB) will follow up the 25bp hike... 22nd July 2026 · 2 mins read
Japan Chart Pack Japan Chart Pack (Jul. 26) Our Japan Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. GDP growth seems to have accelerated after the start of the Iran War and there are early signs that... 22nd July 2026 · 1 min read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Consumer Prices (Jun. 2026) The easing in CPI inflation from 2.8% in May to a 14-month low of 2.6% in June is unlikely to last long. The lagged effect from high energy prices will probably lift inflation above 3.0% in September... 22nd July 2026 · 4 mins read
