The Weekly Briefing from Capital Economics

The Bank of Japan's last policy meeting of 2022 was a big one, with a surprise announcement of changes to its yield curve control policy. In this special episode, Marcel Thieliant, who leads our Japan coverage, speaks to David Wilder about out what the Bank has done, whether it is sustainable and what it means for the Japanese policy outlook. 

Say what you want about 2022, but it wasn’t a dull year. After 12 months of geopolitical upheaval, the biggest inflationary spike in decades, central bankers going full Volcker and giant swings in financial markets, what will 2023 bring? In this special end-of-2022 episode, Neil Shearing, our Group Chief Economist, and Chief Markets Economist John Higgins discuss what to expect in the coming year for economies and markets, talking recession, China and zero-COVID and why equities may have yet to bottom out. See our guide to The World in 2023 for more key calls for the coming year. 

Last week was a relatively quiet one for markets. The same won’t be said about this coming week. US inflation data and a slew of central bank decisions will give investors plenty to chew over as they scan for signs that the end of monetary tightening cycles could finally be looming into view. Will policymakers at the Fed, the ECB and/or the Bank of England give the market what it wants? Plus, the stunning political comeback of Lula in Brazil has fuelled hopes of a renewed push to curb deforestation in the Amazon. Will the incoming President do what it takes, or will other economic challenges take priority?Research referenced:Fed: Peak in rates coming into viewECB set to hike by 50bp; more to come next yearBoE: Peak is in sight, but we’re not there yetLula’s fiscal plans intensify Brazil’s public debt risks

The Ever Given made worldwide headlines when it became stuck in the Suez Canal in March 2021. The cargo ship's dilemma symbolised global supply chain disruptions that were reflected in a record surge in shipping costs. But those costs are now falling as quickly as they rose in 2020-21. What’s behind the plunge, and can this help win the battle against inflation? In this episode of The Weekly Briefing, Simon MacAdam and Leah Fahy from our Global Economics team get to grips with the rise and fall – and potential disinflationary impact – of shipping costs. Plus, Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing talks about what zero-COVID means from a global macro perspective and explains why the latest UK house price was so shocking. 

China's zero-COVID policy is under mounting strain as the economy reels and public anger grows. The government is responding but will it be enough to bring relief to China's economic outlook and its beleaguered public? And what do record infection numbers and the threat of more lockdowns mean for the global economy? On 29th November, economists from our China, Global, Commodities and Markets teams held a special online briefing with clients to take questions and explain what the latest developments mean for everything from vaccination rates to global oil demand to the renminbi. In this special edition of The Weekly Briefing, you can hear the 25-minute discussion between Chief Global Economist Jennifer McKeown, Chief Asia Economist Mark Williams, Senior Markets Economist Jonas Goltermann and Commodities Economist Ed Gardner.    

Recent data releases suggest the global economy is holding up better than anticipated by gloomy forecasts (including ours). But it's far too soon to breathe a sigh of relief. In this latest episode of The Weekly Briefing, Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing explains why there's still appetite among central banks to keep raising rates, and why recessions still loom in advanced economies. Plus, EM sovereign debt may be in better shape than in the past, but households and corporate borrowing has surged and they now face a sharp rise in debt service costs – are they going to be able to cope? Liam Peach and Shilan Shah from our EM team discusses which economies are most vulnerable. 

This year’s has been a dollar rally for the ages, but recent weeks have seen the currency come under pressure. That’s fuelling talk that the greenback is finally past the peak with only downside ahead. Jonas Goltermann and Jonathan Petersen from our FX Markets team aren’t convinced and in this episode they talk about the drivers of dollar strength this year and what – if anything – has changed of late. Plus, fresh from client meetings in New York and Toronto, Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing gives our take on the latest activity data and what they mean for the policy outlook and whether Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement means the UK government has finally made its peace with markets. 

Despite the rumours, the Chinese government isn't about to abandon zero-COVID. Although new measures to tweak the rules raise hopes of a near-term end to the draconian policy, Mark Williams and Julian Evans-Pritchard explain the many difficulties involved in doing so – including the fact that the economy would likely suffer, rather than get a boost, from scrapping it. Plus, Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing discusses the challenges central bankers face at this stage of the monetary tightening cycle, not least in understanding inflation dynamics and how far rates will have to rise accordingly.    

A slew of central bank decisions last week highlighted a range of policy dilemmas at this stage of the tightening cycle, from the impact of higher rates on teetering housing markets to the threat that even hints of a slower pace of hikes triggers a market stampede back into risky assets. In this episode of The Weekly Briefing, Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing sifts through the outcomes of the meetings to explain how policymakers are coping with the challenge. Plus, as COP27 kicks off in Sharm El Sheikh, David Oxley, the head of our new Climate Economics coverage, explains why multilateral efforts such as these aren't the answer to containing the rise in global temperatures. 

Central bankers are driving the global economy into its steepest downturn in four decades, barring the GFC and the pandemic. But which economies will be hardest hit and how will the onset of recession change the inflation-monetary tightening calculus? David Wilder speaks to Jennifer McKeown, the head of our Global Economics coverage, about our just-published Q4 Global Economic Outlook and asks her why, even with such gloomy forecasts, the risks are skewed to the downside.