Market insight

US: NAHB housing market index (March): 62 vs 63 expected (prior: 62)

• Sentiment index stayed stable; prospects on sales have improved and seemed to progressively recover.
• Some easing in interest rates has relatively improved some indicators, but the situation remains globally mixed in the sector.

Poland: Current account (Jan.): 2316Mio EUR vs 1588Mio expected (prior: -1400Mio)

• Trade balanced has shown a mild surplus, thanks to a a larger rebound in exports.

Poland: Core inflation (Feb.): 0.2% m/m vs 0.1% expected (prior: 0%)

• Inflation was up by 1% y/y after 0.8% y/y the prior month.

Russia: Industrial production (Feb.): 4.1% y/y vs 1.5% expected (prior: 1.1%)

• Production has rebounded thanks to the manufacturing sector (6.6% m/m; 4.6% y/y). Other sectors remained volatile and the trend remains fragile.

US: NY Empire manufacturing (March): 3.7 vs 10 expected (prior: 8.8)

• Sentiment has decreased on present and future activity, notably on orders.
• This index points towards a volatile and moderate growth ahead.

US: Industrial production (Feb.): 0.1% m/m vs 0.4% expected (prior: -0.4% revised from -0.6%)

• Activity was sustained in electricity and utilities, but it has contracted in manufacturing (-0.4% m/m), particularly on machinery.

US: JOLTS Job Openings (Jan.): 7581 vs 7225 expected (prior: 7479 revised from 7335)

• Job openings have recovered after past month decrease, driven mainly by rises in different services. Hirings and separations have increased in parallel.
• Demand for labor remains high.

US: Consumer confidence (Michigan) (March): 97.8 vs 95.6 expected (prior: 93.8)

• Sentiment on current situation and expectations has recovered close to the levels seen in past Oct.-Nov.
• Views on personal financial situation and on net assets have rebounded from past months; expectations have rebounded from the past months.
• Willingness to buy houses has increased, while they remained stable for other big items.

Eurozone: CPI (Feb.): 0.3% m/m as expected (prior: -1%)

• The monthly rebound in inflation has been confirmed, mainly driven by energy prices.
• Inflation trend remains in a 1.4-1.5% y/y range over the past 3 months. Core inflation has slightly eased from 1.1% y/y to 1% y/y.

Germany: Wholesale price (Feb.): 0.3% m/m (prior: -0.7%)

• The yearly trend has slightly rebounded from 1.1% y/y to 1.6% y/y.

Italy: Industrial orders (Jan.): 1.8% m/m (prior: -1.4% revised from -1.8%)

• While domestic orders remained in contraction, foreign orders have sharply rebounded.
• Yearly trend in orders and sales was less depressed than past month.

Poland: CPI (Feb.): 0.4% m/m vs 0.1% expected (prior: -0.2% revised from 0.1%)

• Prices of food communication and transport have driven the monthly rebound.
• Yearly trend has increased from 0.7% y/y in Jan. to 1.2% y/y in Feb.

Turkey: Unemployment rate (Dec.): 13.5% vs 12.8% expected (prior: 12.3%)

• Unemployed stayed on a regular rising trend.

US: Initial jobless claims (March 9): 229k vs 225k expected (prior: 223k)

• Continuing claims: 1776 k after 1758 k prior week.

US: New home sales (Jan.): 607k vs 622k expected (prior: 652k revised from 621k)

• Sales were depressed at the beginning of the year, except in one region; past month data were revised up.
• Average prices have decreased on both monthly and yearly basis, but remained high in absolute terms.

UK: RICS house price balance (Feb.): -28% vs -24% expected (prior: -22%)

• Sentiment on housing market and prices remained depressed.

Switzerland: PPI-import prices (Feb.): 0.2% m/m vs -0.1% expected (prior: -0.7%)

• Import prices were up by 0.5% m/m, while producer prices were flat over the month.
• Yearly trend remained negative for both categories, and down by 0.7% y/y globally.

Sweden: Unemployment rate (Feb.): 6.2% as expected (prior: 6%)

• Unemployed is on a rising trend since last Nov.

France: CPI (Feb.): 0.1% m/m as expected (prior: -0.6%)

• Inflation has been confirmed; the rebound in energy prices has been balanced by lower prices in other sectors.
• Inflation trend has slightly rebounded from 1.4% y/y to 1.6% y/y.

Germany: CPI (Feb.): 0.5% m/m as expected (prior: -0.8%)

• Food, clothes and electricity prices have driven the recovery from past month; yearly trend has stabilized at 1.7% y/y.

Brazil: Retail sales (Jan.): 1% m/m vs 0.2% expected (prior: -1.7%)

• A broad-based recovery after severe fall in Dec.

Turkey: Industrial production (Jan.): 1% m/m vs 0.3% expected (prior: -1.3% revised from -1.4%)

• Activity has rebounded in all major sectors after depressed figures for several months.
• Yearly trend has turned less depressed from -10% y/y past month to -7.3% y/y.

US: PPI (Feb.): 0.1% m/m vs 0.2% expected (prior: -0.1%)

• Prices stayed moderate; the rebound in energy prices was more than balanced by weak/moderate prices in other sectors.
• Core PPIs have also shown some moderation (0.1% m/m). Yearly trend has moderated from 2.5% y/y past month to 2.3% y/y and from 2% y/y to 1.9% y/y for headline PPIs.

US: Durable goods orders (Jan.): 0.4% m/m vs -0.4% expected (prior: 1.3% revised from 1.2%)

• Orders for non-defense ex aircraft have sharply rebounded by 0.8% m/m after a decrease in past months.
• Global shipments were down by 0.5% m/m and inventories were up by 0.4% m/m.
• A renewed positive signal in favor of capex.

US: Construction spending (Jan): 1.3% m/m vs 0.5% expected (prior: -0.8% revised from -0.6%)

• Spending in residential was down by 0.3% m/m and public construction up by 4.9% m/m (largest increase since March 2004).
• Government construction spending was 24.5% of total in January. Federal construction rose 4.2% m/m.

Eurozone: Industrial production (Jan.): 1.4% m/m vs 1% expected (prior: -0.9%)

• Production of energy, consumer and capital goods has rebounded after several month of decline.
• Fragilities remain in place, but the yearly trend was less depressed, from -4.2% y/y in past month to -1.1% y/y.

Italy: Unemployment rate (Q4-18): 10.6% vs 10.5% expected (prior: 10.3% revised from 10.2%)

• After regular improvement, trend has reversed in the decrease in unemployment.
• As the economy entered a technical recession, trend in employment has deteriorated.

Spain: CPI (Feb.): 0.2% m/m as expected (prior: -1.7%)

• Inflation has been confirmed up by 0.2% m/m, due to rising costs in energy and transport, while prices of clothes and housing have decreased over the month.
• Yearly trend has stabilized at 1.1% y/y.

Brazil: Industrial production (Jan.): -0.8% m/m vs -0.1% expected (prior: 0.2%)

• While production of durable goods was slightly up, production has eased in other sectors and collapsed for capital goods.
• The yearly trend has turned less depressed from -3.6% y/y past month to -2.6%.