NAB Morning Call

Monday 4th December 2023NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABWhen it comes to predicting rate cuts by the Fed, will the chair Jerome Powell be the last one to shift his position? During his ‘fireside chat’ on Friday he said it would be premature to assume they have achieved a sufficiently restrictive stance. As NAB’s Taylor Nugent points out, markets clearly aren’t paying too much attention, with yields falling sharply lower at the end of the week. Although there were two words in Powell’s talk that could support the idea of cuts sooner rather than later. Meanwhile two central banks are expected to keep rates on hold – the RBA tomorrow and the Bank of Canada later in the week. And focus now switches to employment numbers, with US non-farm payrolls data out on Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 1st December 2023Please note this communication is not a research report and has not been prepared by NAB Research analysts. Read the full disclaimer here.On The Weekend Edition NAB CEO Ross McEwan says his focus next year is on keeping customers safe from cybercrime, fraud and scams. Phil Dobbie also asks him about the role of AI to help counter cybercrime as well as help in the day-to-day operation of the bank. In a wide-ranging discussion, they also look at the economic outlook for 2024, fixing Australia’s housing affordability and getting people back into the workplace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 1st December 2023NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABEuropean inflation fells a little faster than expected. It’s knocked the Euro a little today, but JBWere’s Sally Auld says for the Euro to really see some gains it’ll take a combination of US rate cuts alongside strong growth outside the US, to help drive down the dollar. Meanwhile, the dollar ticked up a little today, with no surprises in the Core PCE numbers, and some unsurprising high-for-longer sentiment from Fed speakers. Jerome Powell will no doubt follow the same script in his fireside-chat later today. Aussie yields rose quite a bit higher overnight, perhaps because data is showing some resilience, particularly in housing. China’s PMI’s yesterday though, showed just how fragile their recovery is. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 30th November 2023NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABAustralian inflation was lower than expected yesterday. It was the same in Germany. And US quarterly PCE prices were revised lower. All signs that seem to be indicating price growth is slowing and central banks will be pushing rates lower. But there are some caveats to all that. NAB’s Gavin Friend reminds us that the monthly CPI numbers in Australia are heavily influenced by the sample rotation, which will have underplayed services inflation, so it’s too early to take NAB’s prediction of another hike off the table. In New Zealand, even though the RBNZ kept rates on hold yesterday, higher demand from immigration could force another move higher. Today’s US monthly core PCE deflator and the inflation numbers for the whole of the Eurozone will give a clearer picture. For now though, bond markets are enjoying the ride. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday 29th November 2023NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABBond yields pushed lower as markets continue to expect rate cuts by the Fed next year. Tapas Strickland says NAB’s own modelling based on recent data supports significant cuts next year. The Fed’s Chris Waller, who had previously flagged concern about the pace of growth saying “something’s gotta give”. Now he’s saying it’s the pace of the economy that is giving and the Fed is in a good place to return inflation to 2%, eventually. Comments like that have helped push bond yields lower. Today the focus is on the first bits of CPI data from Europe, and Australia’s monthly CPI read. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tuesday 28th November 2023NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABIt’s an in-between day, with little ion the way of economic news, but inflation data just round the corner, in the form of Australian CPI and US PCE. There were sizeable auctions of 2 and 5 year Treasuries this morning, with softer demand, but that hasn’t driven the direction of bond markets says NAB’s Skye Masters, because yields are down. Instead it adds to the mood that the Fed will cut rates, perhaps early next year. Softer US data, such as weaker new home sales and drops in employment in the Dallas Fed manufacturing index, add to the supporting evidence. Today Australian retail sales are released, and we talk through some of the findings in the latest NAB Online Sales Index. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monday 27th November 2023NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABAt the end of a quiet week we saw the US dollar fall a little further on Friday. NAB’s Ray Attrill says this reflects the expectation that there will be no further hikes from the Fed. The Aussie dollar hasn’t realised the full potential, largely because of question marks over the speed of the Chinese recovery. There was mixed economic news at the end of the week; US PMIs were a little softer than expected, particularly for manufacturing. It seems Black Friday online sales were strong, and retail sales in New Zealand and Canada were better than expected. So, will too much resilience add to inflation woes. The BoE’s Huw Pill says supply constraints continue to be the issue so they need to hammer demand down to meet it. The key number this week will be the PCE inflation data out of the US. Nobody wants to see that tick up again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 24th November 2023Please note this communication is not a research report and has not been prepared by NAB Research analysts. Read the full disclaimer here.Consolidation will continue in the superannuation industry as a way of provided better returns for members. That’s the prediction from Mercer’s Chief Investment Officer Kylie Willment, talking to Phil on the Weekend Edition. Mercer recently merged with BP Super, of course, and Kylie says they are always on the look out for other opportunities. They are also focusing more on unlisted assets, that can provide value with more predictable returns. She talks through their key areas of focus. Finally, the Achilles Heal of Australian super is how funds manage the post-retirement relationship with members. Kylie says it’s what stopped Australia getting an A+ grade in the latest Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 24th November 2023NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABMarkets were relatively quiet overnight with the US off for Thanksgiving, but stronger PMI data from Europe created some interest, pushing the Euro higher, but NAB’s Ray Attrill still says German can expect to enter a shallow recession. The pound performed slightly better because it provided the only PMI number that actually indicated growth. The Riksbank surprised by keeping rates on hold and right-wing anti-EU candidate Geert Wilders won the most votes in the Dutch general election. Today US PMIs will provide a useful comparison to the European numbers, and one month out from the next BoJ meeting we’ll get to see Japan’s CPI numbers today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 23rd November 2023NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABAustralian inflation is now driven by local factors. That’s what the RBA’s Michelle Bullock said at the Australian Business Economists dinner last night. JBWere’s Sally Auld says it doesn’t sound like a central bank that’s done with interest rate hikes, and points to how we are sitting 100 basis points below our economic peers. So can we really expect to get away with just one more rate hike? Meanwhile softer data from the US, mixed, curiously, with rising inflation expectations. Oil is choppy ahead of the delayed OPEC+ meeting – Sally explains the significance of the delay. And the UK’s min-budget delivered little except a forecast for growth next year, light on business investment and heavily dependent on government consumption, whilst the Chancellor’s rhetoric promised the opposite. European PMIs are the big numbers today but trade will be light tonight as the US starts Thanksgiving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.