downturn

Eurozone in technical recession after all The latest revisions of the GDP figure for the first quarter resulted in a 0.1% drop. That makes for a second decline in a row. These declines are so minimal that current economic circumstances are better described as broad stagnation.   So, a technical recession after all. It just took the statistical offices a while to get there. The decline of 0.1% in both the fourth and first quarters is so minimal though, and the labour market is so strong that it’s hard to argue that this is a recessionary environment. The stagnation of the economy does mark a clear cut from the recent post-pandemic boom though.   The significant downward revision was mainly due to Germany revising down its numbers as new data came in. This fuels the idea that March activity was very weak, making a quick rebound in the second quarter unlikely. With May survey data being weak across the board, it is likely that we only get a modest uptick after the two quarters of downturn. Overall, the eurozone economy is very much back to muddling through, as monetary policy starts to weigh more heavily on activity, post-pandemic spending fades and the energy crisis looms.

Manufacturing PMIs point to contraction across the eurozone but euro remains steady US ISM Manufacturing PMI weakens US PCE Index slows but Fed still expected to hike in July EUR/USD is almost unchanged on Monday, trading at 1.0909.   Eurozone manufacturing continues to sputter The eurozone manufacturing sector has been in poor shape for months and the downturn worsened worse in June. The eurozone PMI slowed to 43.4 in June, down from 44.8 and shy of the consensus of 43.6 points. Germany, the largest economy in the bloc, looked even worse, as the PMI fell to 40.6, down from 43.2 and below the consensus of 41.0 points. Spain, Italy and France also reported readings below 50, which separates contraction from expansion. Manufacturing in the eurozone has now contracted for 12 straight months and the PMI reading was the lowest since May 2020. Customer demand has fallen sharply and manufacturing employment declined in June for the first time since January 2021. These latest numbers indicate that manufacturing is in trouble, but this is nothing really new and the euro shrugged off the weak numbers. The news wasn’t much better in the US, as ISM Manufacturing PMI eased to 46.0 in June, down from 46.8 in May. ISM Manufacturing Employment contracted as well, falling from 51.4 to 48.4 and missing the consensus of 50.5 points. The week wrapped up with inflation releases showing that deceleration is alive and well. On Friday, the PCE Price Index, which is the Fed’s preferred inflation indicator, declined from 0.4% to 0.1% in June. As well, UoM Inflation Expectations dropped to 3.3% in June, down from 4.2% in May and the lowest since March 2021. Inflation may be headed in the right direction, but the Fed is still widely expected to raise rates at the July 12th meeting. Traders have priced in a 25-basis point hike at 86%, according to the CME FedWatch tool.   EUR/USD Technical EUR/USD is putting pressure on support at 1.0908. This is followed by support at 1.0838 1.0980 and 1.1050 are the next resistance lines    

On Tuesday, the EUR/USD currency pair struggled to establish itself above the moving average line, failing to surpass the Murray level of "3/8"-1.0925, resuming its downward trend in the latter half of the day. However, to label this movement as a "decline" would be an overstatement, as the day's total volatility was merely 40 points. As such, the past week better embodies the idea of a "flat" market rather than a trending one. Currently, the currency market is experiencing a tranquil period.   The fundamental and macroeconomic landscapes are intact, but the market appears saturated by them. Time and again, macroeconomic reports are in line with market expectations. Statements by representatives of the Fed and ECB do not offer traders any new or crucial information. The euro continues to maintain a relatively high position but has been static in recent weeks. The subject of interest rates is becoming less pertinent to traders. It's worth noting that when a monetary tightening or easing cycle initiates, the market endeavors to anticipate it. If this happens concurrently in two or more countries, as is usually the case, the market also strives to consider all changes preemptively.     For instance, last year, the Fed began raising rates ahead of the ECB, resulting in an initial surge in the dollar's value (taking geopolitics into account). Subsequently, as inflation in the US began to ease, the euro began to appreciate. It has been on an upward trend for the past ten months, although it has been largely consolidating in the 1.05–1.11 range for the last 5–6 months. Consequently, we do not foresee any significant triggers for a sudden upswing in the value of the euro or the dollar.   The pair will likely continue to consolidate within the outlined range, and it might take considerable time before this process reaches completion. The market has already accounted for 90% of all forthcoming interest rate hikes by the Fed and ECB.   Currently, neither the euro nor the dollar holds a distinct advantage. Many experts have been forecasting a downturn, recession, and deceleration for the US economy, particularly for the labor market. These predictions have been circulating since last year, yet official statistics suggest no signs of a looming recession.   Over the past three quarters, the US economy has grown by at least 2%, significantly more than the growth observed in the European Union or Britain. The labor market continues to demonstrate robust performance month after month, even with the Fed's rate escalating to 5.25%. Unemployment has seen minimal growth, while Nonfarm Payrolls consistently reveal at least 200 thousand new job additions each month.     As such, the Fed can continue its monetary tightening policy as required, especially now that inflation has fallen to 4%. This factor might play against the dollar in the medium term. Since inflation is already approaching the target level, the Federal Reserve will begin to soften monetary policy in 2024. It is unknown when the ECB, dealing with higher inflation, will begin to soften. Nevertheless, inflation in the Eurozone continues to decrease steadily. It initially rose more than in the US. Hence, it needs more time to return to 2%. However, the ECB began raising the rate after the Fed. Thus, everything is in its place. The European regulator may start reducing the rate a few months later than the Fed.   The monetary policy of the Fed and the ECB currently does not imply a strong strengthening of the dollar or the euro. The average volatility of the euro/dollar currency pair for the last five trading days as of July 5 is 70 points and is characterized as "average." Thus, we expect the pair to move between levels 1.0779 and 1.0915 on Wednesday. A reversal of the Heikin Ashi indicator upwards will indicate a new round of upward movement.

Spain’s housing market is contracting, but a soft landing remains likely The Spanish housing market has experienced a notable decline recently. However, despite the sharp rise in interest rates, there are enough mitigating factors that make a soft-landing scenario likely. We forecast 1% average price growth this year and 0% next year.   Spanish housing market sees 21% drop in sales in April The Spanish housing market has entered a clear slowdown recently, with several factors contributing to reduced demand for property. Rising interest rates, tighter credit conditions and global economic uncertainties, including geopolitical instability, have all dampened housing demand. In April, mortgage demand fell below its five-year average for the first time and the number of transactions also showed a clear downward trend in the first few months of this year. The latest figures from notaries, which are usually ahead of the official figures, suggest that this downturn is likely to continue in the coming months. According to the General Council of Notaries, home sales fell 21% in April compared to the same period last year, while the number of mortgage loans to buy a home fell by 32% year-on-year. However, the downturn is much less severe than in other countries, where mortgage demand has fallen even more sharply. This can partly be attributed to increased interest from foreign buyers following the relaxation of Covid restrictions in 2020 and 2021. Property scarcity also remains a persistent problem. Demand has exceeded supply in recent years, slowing the downturn in demand. Moreover, Spain's economy has performed better than the eurozone average, helped by a rebound in tourism, which has also supported the housing market.    

What happens if central banks hike interest rates too much, and how a renewed crisis in the banking system could weigh on the global economy.   Aggressive interest rate hikes trigger a ‘hard landing’ Our base case: The most aggressive rate hike cycle in decades will no doubt take its toll. We’re more concerned about the US, where a tightening in lending standards post-banking crisis is likely to trigger more noticeable weakness in hiring and investment. Europe is currently enjoying the benefit of lower energy prices, which partly offsets the impact of higher rates in the short term. But the longer-term outlook for Europe remains one of subdued growth at best. In the US, we’re not expecting a deep downturn, and developed economies are insulated by the greater prevalence of fixed-rate mortgages relative to past crises. That makes for a longer/more drawn-out transmission to the economy. Stagnation is likely, and the impact of higher rates is less concentrated in any single quarter. Risk scenario and how it plays out: There are three ways things could be worse than we expect. Firstly, central banks hike more aggressively than currently expected – and with rates already well into restrictive territory, that would make deeper recessions in 2024 more inevitable. Rates at 6% or above in the UK and US, or 5% in the eurozone, would be challenging. Secondly, businesses begin to feel the pinch more acutely. Corporates have enjoyed pricing power over the past couple of years as economies emerge from Covid. But that’s fading as consumer demand – especially for goods – abates, and the impact of interest rates on unemployment could accelerate as debt servicing becomes a greater challenge. Finally, a high interest rate environment raises the risk of something breaking in the financial system. March’s banking crisis was a taster of that, and despite central banker assurances to the contrary, persistently higher interest rates clearly risk having knock-on effects for financial stability. The feedback loop could tighten lending standards yet further, adding to the pressure on smaller businesses as well as real estate and the construction sector. Wider economic impact: We’d expect to see many major economies enter recession through the early part of 2024, or perhaps earlier. Where economic weakness has so far been concentrated in manufacturing, we’d expect the service sector to enter a downturn too. That would see a corresponding easing in service-sector price pressure, via lower wage growth. Central banks would turn to rate cuts much earlier than we’re currently forecasting.  

Eurozone PMI paints worrisome growth picture Another weak PMI for the eurozone confirms a sluggish economy with recession as a downside risk. Inflation pressures for services remain stubborn as wage pressures continue to be a concern. The latter adds to our expectations that the ECB's hiking cycle is not over yet.   There is very little to like about today’s PMI. In recent months, the PMI has painted a worsening picture of eurozone activity, and August data are no different. The composite PMI dropped from 48.6 to 47 with the services PMI also dropping below 50. Inflationary concerns are not over though. The manufacturing sector has been in contraction for some time, with new orders falling and backlogs of work easing. This is helping inflationary pressures subside quickly. Services activity held up for a while but is now also showing contraction, according to the survey. While goods inflation is easing on the back of lower costs and weak demand, services inflation remains elevated for now due to increased wage cost pressures – despite weakening demand. The economic picture that we're seeing is quite worrisome. Growth in the bloc was decent at 0.3% quarter-on-quarter between April and June, but strong Irish growth masked a lot of underlying weakness. While we expect tourism to have contributed positively to third-quarter growth, business surveys like the August PMI show a picture of deteriorating activity. This makes a recession a realistic downside risk to the outlook. The main concern that the European Central Bank will have with this reading is the inflationary effect of wage pressures. The economy is cooling off significantly, but hawks on the ECB board will be tempted to push for one more hike as wage pressures are translating into elevated inflation pressures for services. The fact that the selling price inflation indicator from the PMI inched up this month clearly leaves the door open to another ECB rate hike.