星期四, 四月 23

Composite PMIs increased in the US and UK but slipped in the eurozone

US: Initial jobless claims (Apr 18): 214k vs 210k expected (prior: 208k revised from 207k)

  • Jobless claims remain low and broadly steady, running below last year’s levels with little change between the survey weeks for the March and April payroll reports.
  • Continuing claims, a proxy for the number of people receiving benefits, edged up for a second week, from a two-year low of 1.787m to 1.821m, but still sit below the 1.840m recorded in the comparable week a year ago.

 

US: Services PMI (Apr P): 51.3 vs 50.6 expected (prior: 49.8)

  • New business edged up but stayed below the pace of the past two years as clients balked at affordability.
  • Costs surged at the fastest rate since December, prompting the steepest rise in selling prices in more than 3 years. Employment ticked higher. The outlook improved modestly on the month, yet remains well below last year’s levels.
  • The composite index rose from 50.3 to 52.0, beating expectations of 50.6.

 

US: Manufacturing PMI (Apr P): 54.0 vs 52.5 expected (prior: 52.3)

  • Manufacturing climbed to a cycle peak, though some of the heat looks artificial, stoked by pre‑emptive buying ahead of price rises and shortages.
  • Output hit a four‑year high; new orders grew at fastest since May 2022; and input inventories rose at the quickest pace since January. Supplier lead times lengthened the most since August 2022 less a sign of strong demand than Middle East related disruptions. The sole negative point: employment slipped for the first time since July 2025.

 

Eurozone: Manufacturing PMI (Apr P): 52.2 vs 50.9 expected (prior: 51.6)

  • Manufacturing outperformed in April, expanding at its fastest since May 2022 and outpacing services, with gains across new orders, output and purchasing.
  • But the burst looks fragile: much of the strength reflects inventory front‑loading ahead of war‑related price rises and looming supply snags, rather than sturdier demand.
  • Inflation pressures intensified and business confidence slid to a 17‑month low, signs of renewed caution.
  • Country split: Germany disappointed (51.2 vs 51.4 expected), while France beat forecasts with its strongest reading since 2022 (52.8 vs 49.5).

 

Eurozone: Services PMI (Apr P): 47.4 vs 49.8 expected (prior: 50.2)

  • The Middle East conflict is increasingly weighing on the euro area. Services have slipped into contraction, revealing weaker demand than in manufacturing as households pare back discretionary spending ahead of a slowdown, while industry gets a temporary boost from stockpiling.
  • The damage is broad-based. Germany’s reading fell to 46.9 (vs 50.4 expected) and France’s to 46.5 (vs 48.5), underscoring deterioration across the bloc’s largest economies.
  • The composite index decreased from 50.7 to 48.6, below expectations of 50.1.

 

UK: Services PMI (Apr P): 52.0 vs 50.0 expected (prior: 50.5)

  • UK private services sector output rebounded in April, but a fresh surge in costs dented optimism.
  • Business activity growth picked up from March’s 11-month low but new orders slipped marginally, pointing to brittle demand as global uncertainty and the Middle East conflict stoke inflation.
  • Price pressures intensified sharply. Input costs rose at the fastest since the data began in 1996, driven by dearer fuel and strong wage growth; firms lifted selling prices in response. Business sentiment weakened as geopolitics weighed on costs, demand and investment.
  • The composite index rose from 50.3 to 52.0, beating expectations of 49.8.

 

UK: Manufacturing PMI (Apr P): 53.6 vs 50.3 expected (prior: 51.0)

  • Production snapped back and new orders ticked up as customers accelerated purchases and built safety stocks, bracing for rising prices and potential shortages. Pricing pressures intensified: input costs and selling prices surged on dearer raw materials and transport.
  • Yet sentiment soured. Firms said that inflation, and geopolitical tensions could disrupt supply chains, sap consumer confidence and chill investment.

 

UK: GFK consumer confidence (Apr): -25 as expected (prior: -21)

  • UK consumer confidence fell to lowest since October 2023, in line with expectations.
星期三, 四月 22

UK Inflation on the rise due to energy and transport

UK: CPI (March): 0.7% m/m vs 0.6% expected (prior: 0.4%)

  • Inflation has surged due to a strong rise in energy-fuels prices (11% m/m); related rises were also seen in industrial goods (1.1% m/m) and, within services, in transport and package holidays. Separately, prices of clothes have also seasonally regained over the month. Core inflation was up by 0.4% m/m.
  • Yearly trend has accelerated to 3.3% y/y from 3.0% y/y prior month, and services up by 4.5% y/y (4.3% y/y prior month). Core inflation has marginally decreased from 3.2% to 3.1% y/y.
  • Under current environment, inflation should accelerate further in April, and to trend close to 4% y/y next months.

 

UK: PPI Input prices (March): 4.4% m/m vs 3.0% expected (prior: 0.9% revised from 0.8%)

  • Prices of raw materials have surged over the month.
  • Yearly trend has rebounded from 0.7% y/y prior month to 5.4% y/y.

 

UK: PPI Output prices (March): 0.9% m/m vs 1.0% expected (prior: -0.5%)

  • Prices of energy and food have rebounded over the month.
  • Yearly trend has rebounded from 1.8% y/y to 2.6% y/y.

 

Sweden: Unemployment rate (March): 9.2% vs 8.5% expected (prior: 8.4%)

  • Unemployed has strongly rebounded over the month.

 

Turkey: Consumer confidence (April): 85.5 (prior: 85)

  • Consumer confidence has slightly regained over the month; opinions have improved on future personal financial situation and were more positive on unemployment; nevertheless, confidence has eroded about future economic situation.
星期二, 四月 21

US retail sales stronger than expected partly due to gasoline and higher prices

US: Retail sales (March): 1.7% m/m vs 1.4% expected (prior: 0.7% revised from 0.6%)

  • Sales were boosted by gasoline stations (15.5% m/m); sales data are in value terms, driven by both volumes and price changes.
  • Sales were also stronger in value terms for food, furniture, electronics, building materials and internet sales.
  • Core sales (sales ex autos, building materials, food and gasoline) were up by 0.7% m/m after 0.6% m/m prior week. Prior months data were also revised up.
  • Sales at face value were stronger than expected and pointed to a resilient consumer, but these nominal data also incorporated part of the rise in prices over the month.

 

US: Business inventories (Feb.): 0.4% m/m vs 0.3% expected (prior: 0% revised from -0.1%)

  • Rises in inventories were strong in wholesalers, up by 0.8% m/m (-0.3% m/m prior month); total sales were up by 1.7% m/m, driven by activity in the wholesale sector.

 

US: Pending home sales (March): 1.5% m/m vs 0.5% expected (prior: 2.5% revised from 1.8%)

  • Pending sales were mixed over the month, with two districts down over the month and two districts up.

 

Germany: Zew (April): -73.7 vs -70.5 expected (prior: -62.9)

  • Sentiment among the financial community has sharply declined over the month; expectations have also sharply decreased over the month, back to the lows seen in 2025.
  • By sector, opinions have increased for banks, insurance, utilities and IT, while they declined for autos, steel, chemical and retail sectors.

 

Poland: Industrial production (March): 17.2% m/m vs 11.4% expected (prior: 2.5% revised from 2.7%)

  • Activity has rebounded further over the month; while production in utility was down, production has rebounded for the second month in all other sectors.

 

Switzerland: M3 (March): 4.4% y/y (prior: 4.8% revised from 4.9%)

  • M1 was up by 16.7% y/y after 19.3% y/y the prior month; M2 was up by 11.6% y/y after 13.6% y/y prior month.
  • Time deposits continued to decline, while pace of growth of saving deposits has slowed down at 2.0% y/y after 2.9% y/y the prior month.

 

Switzerland: Trade balance (March): 2.7 Bn CHF (prior: 4.4Bn)

  • Trade surplus has decreased over the month.
  • Real exports were down by 3.4% m/m (-0.1% m/m prior week); real imports up by 3.1% m/m (-5.1% m/m prior month).

 

UK: Unemployment rate (ILO) (Feb.): 4.9% vs 5.2% expected (prior: 5.2%)

  • Unemployment rate has decreased while claimant count has slightly increased from 4.3% prior month to 4.4%.
  • Jobless claims have increased by 26.8 k after 17.1 k prior month and payrolls decreased by 11k after -6 k the prior month.
  • Part-time jobs have decreased over the month; vacancies remained on a downward trend.
  • The decline in unemployment ratio is largely due to lower participation while signals remained in favor of a weakening trend in labor.

 

UK: Average earnings incl. Bonus (Feb.): 3.8% y/y vs 3.6% expected (prior: 4.1% revised from 3.9%)

  • Wage growth has slowed down in all sectors over the month.
星期一, 四月 20

German PPI on the rise due to energy

Germany: PPI (March): 2.5% m/m vs 1.4% expected (prior: -0.5%)

  • Energy prices (fuels, heating oil, gas and electricity prices) have surged over the month, while PPI ex-energy was up by 0.4% m/m.
  • Yearly trend has increased from -3.3% y/y prior month to -0.2% y/y.
星期四, 四月 16

US business confidence in rebound (Philly fed); higher eurozone inflation with energy prices

US: Initial jobless claims (April 11): 207k vs 213k expected (prior: 218k revised from 219k)

  • Continuing claims: 1818 k after 1787 k prior week.

 

US: Philadelphia Fed. (April): 26.7 vs 10 expected (prior: 18.1)

  • Business sentiment has strongly rebounded from the prior month.
  • On current situation, sentiment has rebounded on new orders, shipments and delivery time has decreased; on the negative side, views on employment have decreased and prices paid and received have increased further.
  • The 6-M index was just slightly more positive, thanks to higher capex while opinions have decreased on new orders, employment and prices paid.

 

US: Industrial production (March): -0.5% m/m vs 0.1% expected (prior: 0.7% revised from 0.2%)

  • Manufacturing production was down by 0.1% m/m after 0.4% m/m the prior month.
  • By sector, production was down over the month in autos, machinery and utilities.

 

Eurozone: CPI (March): 1.3% m/m vs 1.2% expected (prior: 0.6%)

  • Final data were higher than initially estimated.
  • The monthly rebound was due to higher energy prices (7% m/m after 0.6% m/m prior month) and rising good prices (1.8% m/m after 0.7% m/m prior month). Services were up by 0.3% m/m after 0.8% m/m in Feb., and food prices up by 0.1% m/m after 0.3% m/m in Feb.
  • Yearly trend has accelerated from 1.9% to 2.6% y/y due to energy prices (5.1% y/y after -3.1% y/y); core prices remained contained (2.3% y/y after 2.4% y/y prior month) thanks to marginal decline in services (3.2% y/y after 3.4% y/y in Feb.).
  • Upside risks on inflation remained in place for April data, while future inflation pattern depends on ongoing negotiations in the Middle East.

 

Italy: CPI (March): 1.7% m/m vs 1.6% expected (prior: 0.5%)

  • Inflation has rebounded due to higher energy-transport prices and to a seasonal rebound in prices of clothes. Prices of hotels-restaurants have declined over the month, after the rises due to Olympic Games.
  • Yearly trend has regained from 1.5% y/y to 1.6% y/y.

 

Switzerland: PPI-import prices (March): 0.2% m/m (prior: -0.3%)

  • Import prices have increased by 0.3% m/m (0.2% m/m prior month) and have less declined on yearly trend: -3.2% y/y after -3.5% y/y prior month.
  • Producer prices were up by 0.1% m/m (-0.5% m/m prior month) and remained in negative territory at -2.4% y/y (-2.3% y/y prior month).

 

UK: Industrial production (Feb.): 0.5% m/m vs 0.2% expected (prior: -0.1%)

  • Production was driven higher by energy (2.2% m/m) and construction (1.0% m/m) while manufacturing activity was down by 0.1% m/m (0.2% m/m prior month).
  • Within manufacturing sector, production of non-durable and intermediate goods has contracted over the month.
  • Separately, services were up by 0.5% m/m (0.1% m/m prior month) thanks to transport-trade, finance and hotels-leisure.