Aditya Chordia and Khagendra Gupta, both analysts at J.P. Morgan Global Research, dive into the future of the European rates market for 2025. They discuss potential macroeconomic scenarios impacting rates, along with insights on intra-EMU spreads and the evolving political landscape in France. The duo examines the dynamics of German swap spreads and important regulatory trends. They also predict euro volatility tied to the European Central Bank's easing measures, while evaluating the Bank of England's monetary policy and its potential effects on bond yields.
The European rates market is likely to experience a modest easing in 2025, contingent on potential economic shocks.
Despite high interest rates, the euro area's inflation is expected to stabilize at around 2% by late 2025, influencing bond demand.
Deep dives
Macro Outlook for 2025
The macroeconomic outlook for 2025 projects a continuation of global expansion, albeit at a modest pace, with high interest rates persisting. In Europe, while further rate hikes are deemed unlikely, the potential for quicker easing exists if there are significant shocks to employment or growth. The dynamics of US election outcomes add complexity to the EU's outlook, suggesting a slower trajectory for central bank easing compared to both the US and euro area. Overall, a divergence in policy rates is anticipated, particularly between the US and European markets.
Euro Rate Market Insights
The euro area is expected to experience sluggish economic growth, which may avoid an outright recession, with core inflation anticipated to stabilize at around 2% by late 2025. The European Central Bank (ECB) is predicted to initiate cuts below neutral with a terminal rate around 1.75%, driving increased market demand for euro-denominated government bonds. The removal of the PEP safety net starting in January 2025 will expose intra-euro spreads to greater external shocks, while political stability is anticipated to prevail, apart from potential tensions in France. Strategic positioning favors overweight duration and carry trades in the first half of 2025, with an expectation for 10-year bond yields to drift lower towards 2%.
UK Monetary Policy and Yield Predictions
The Bank of England (BOE) is expected to maintain a gradual easing cycle throughout 2025, with forecasts suggesting a decline in the bank rate to approximately 3.75%. While sticky inflation and fiscal measures may limit the fall of front-end yields, 10-year gilt yields are projected to decrease gradually, reaching around 4.10% by the end of the year. Swap spreads are likely to trend towards constant narrowing, reflecting an ongoing reduction of the BOE's balance sheet and consideration of an uncertain issuance profile. The risk profile in the UK suggests a less dramatic fall in yields compared to euro-area markets, largely due to these domestic monetary conditions.