Global Data Pod Research Rap: Western Europe’s growth lift and inflation challenge
May 1, 2024
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Greg Fuzesi and Allan Monks discuss Western Europe's growth and inflation challenges, predicting ECB easing in June and Bank of England easing next quarter. They highlight sticky inflation for BoE vs. ECB, with Euro area core inflation sliding towards 2-2.5%ar and UK core inflation near 3%ar. Insights on labor market dynamics, growth patterns, and potential rate cuts by central banks are also discussed.
Western Europe's growth recovery shows signs of strength, especially in the Euro area and UK, with potential boosts in consumption and trade.
Central banks like ECB and Bank of England face challenges in managing diverging inflation paths despite growth improvements, highlighting the complexities in monetary policy decisions.
Deep dives
Growth Recovery in Western Europe and UK
The podcast discusses the growth recovery in Western Europe, focusing on the growth outlook after a period of weakness in the Eurozone and UK. The Euro area's PMI signaling 1.2% growth, ahead of GDP data in Q1, with gains in consumption and cap X trade. Similarly, the UK sees signs of recovery with PMI at 54 and housing market activity. Both regions are experiencing a growth pickup, potentially led by the consumer and some improvements in the manufacturing sector.
Inflation Dynamics in Eurozone and UK
The episode explores sticky inflation concerns in Western European central banks. Analysis suggests central banks like ECB and Bank of England sticking to their easing paths despite growth recovery. Disagreement arises on the trajectory of core inflation, with the UK facing challenges due to higher inflation levels pre-recovery. The forecasts indicate a divergence in core inflation outcomes, raising questions on potential central bank reactions.
Challenges for Central Banks and Interest Rate Forecasts
The discussion delves into the challenges faced by central banks like ECB and Bank of England in reconciling growth recovery with inflation dynamics. ECB shows commitment to rates despite strong growth data, and Bank of England anticipates a slight recovery above trend. The medium-term rate outlooks differ, with ECB cutting to 2% and Bank of England's forecast being at a higher 3.75%, reflecting incomplete disinflation processes and varying neutral rates estimates.
Greg Fuzesi and Allan Monks join Nora Szentivanyi to discuss the nascent recoveries in the Euro area and UK, their varied implications for inflation and expectations for monetary policy easing. Despite raising our sights on Western European growth in recent weeks, we continue to expect the ECB to begin easing in June and the Bank of England from next quarter. A backdrop of a sustained sub-par performance lowers the bar to start the easing process. But the improvement in current growth prospects presents a stickier inflation challenge for the BoE than the ECB. This is reflected in our inflation outlook which sees Euro area core inflation sliding towards 2-2.5%ar, but UK core inflation consolidating near 3%ar in coming quarters.
This podcast was recorded on May 1, 2024.
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