south africa

South Africa’s budget announcement yesterday should offer at least some near-term comfort to investors. The backdrop of a worsening energy crisis for the nation has increased scrutiny from investors on the need for a more comprehensive solution to state utility Eskom’s operating issues and debt troubles South Africa's budget offers substantial debt relief for public utility Eskom   South Africa’s 2023 budget has come into sharp focus for EM (Emerging Market) investors in recent months, given the backdrop of a worsening energy crisis for the nation. Rolling power cuts have increased in intensity, which has brought the need for a more comprehensive solution to state utility Eskom’s operating issues and debt troubles to the forefront. Despite multiple injections of support from the government and ongoing reform efforts, the outlook for the company, and consequently South Africa’s economic growth prospects, has deteriorated in recent years, leaving investor sentiment towards South African assets fairly negative heading into this year’s budget announcement. In this context, the budget announcement yesterday should offer at least some near-term comfort to investors. Significant front-loaded support for Eskom will increase government debt and debt-servicing costs, but offers optimism in reducing the company’s debt load, allowing it to focus on vital investments in order to ease the energy crisis. The outlook for economic growth remains downbeat and government debt levels remain high (and likely increasing in the coming three years at least), but the trend towards fiscal consolidation should continue, with a gradual increase in the government’s main budget primary surplus forecast after years of persistent deficits. Here are our key points to note from the budget announcement: 1 A strong signal of support for Eskom The government announced a significant debt relief programme for Eskom, amounting to ZAR254bn ($13.9bn, 3.8% of GDP) in total over the next three years. This will cover the entire debt servicing requirement for the company over this time horizon (ZAR168bn of capital and ZAR86bn in interest payments). The nature of this support will be in the form of interest-free subordinated loans and will be provided by tranches of ZAR78bn, ZAR66bn and ZAR40bn in financial years of 2024, 2025 and 2026 (FY26, ending 31 March). Provided loans will then be settled in Eskom shares rather than cash, subject to pre-announced conditions related to the use of debt relief proceeds, along with limitations on capital expenditure and a ban on new borrowing. The government will then also directly take on ZAR70bn of Eskom’s debt in the financial year of 2026. The net result should be an improvement in Eskom’s credit profile, with a reduction in debt stock, including government-guaranteed debt. This should free up capacity for Eskom to undertake the investment and maintenance needed to support the security of electricity supply of the country. 2 Government debt and financing needs to increase While Eskom’s balance sheet should improve on the back of the support package announced, the natural counterweight is that the South African government’s debt profile should weaken as it takes on the additional debt to its own balance sheet. This is highlighted by the change in the National Treasury’s forecast for the trajectory of government debt to GDP since last October’s update (2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement – MTBPS). Instead of a steady downtrend from this year, the government now projects gross debt to increase from 71.1% of GDP this year to a peak of 73.6% in FY26, before trending down in the longer term. These projections remain somewhat more optimistic than the broad market consensus, as well as those of the credit ratings agencies.  Government debt-to-GDP forecasts over time Source: National Treasury 2023 budget, ING; 2022 MTBPS is October 2022; Fiscal years run April-March   However, to mitigate some of the risks from South Africa’s high and rising government debt levels, there are some structural positives. The nation’s debt is largely denominated in local currency, and even the share of this domestic debt held by foreign investors has fallen significantly since peaking in 2018, meaning more reliance on a steadier domestic investor base. Investors in South Africa’s external bonds can take comfort that this situation is likely to persist, with the increased borrowing requirement to fund Eskom support (ZAR118bn over the next 3 years, adding to the ZAR66bn already provisioned in 2019’s medium-term expenditure framework) set to be financed domestically, meaning less risk of a significant uptick in international bond supply. Read next: Tesla Opens Its Global Engineering Headquarters In Palo Alto, California| FXMAG.COM Government & guaranteed debt stock, % of GDP Source: National Treasury, SARB, Stat SA, Macrobond, ING   Additionally, the impact on the consolidated public sector balance sheet in the coming years should be less significant, given the sizable amount of government-guaranteed debt (mostly for Eskom) at 8.6% of GDP that has largely been already considered a part of government debt by the credit rating agencies in particular. Shifting this guaranteed debt directly to the government’s balance sheet as it matures should therefore be viewed less negatively by both investors and ratings agencies in comparison to debt increases driven purely by regular government expenditure. 3 Gradual fiscal consolidation to continue At the headline level, the fiscal flow picture has slightly improved, with the main primary balance forecast to improve relative to last October, reaching a slight surplus in FY23. The consolidated deficit is projected to narrow from 4.6% of GDP in FY22 to 3.2% of GDP in FY26, with revisions in part driven by accounting changes in terms of support for Eskom now being shifted directly to the government’s borrowing requirement, rather than being classified as expenditure. Fiscal balance to GDP Source: National Treasury 2023 budget, ING   The general trend points toward gradual fiscal consolidation for South Africa continuing, with the main budget primary surplus forecast to increase from 0.1% of GDP this year, to 1.7% in FY26. However, risks will likely remain around the key issue of public sector wages, along with the potential for more support for Eskom and other struggling state-owned enterprises. 4 Growth outlook remains subdued South Africa’s economy was estimated to have grown by an upwardly revised 2.5% in 2022, slowing from 2021’s post-Covid rebound of 4.9%. The slight uptick in 2022 relative to October’s forecast was driven by better-than-expected performance of the agriculture and services sector. But more broadly the macro-outlook is fairly downbeat. Real GDP growth is forecast at 0.9% in 2023 (slightly more optimistic than 0.3% from the central bank), while growth is now projected to average just 1.4% from 2023 to 2025, compared with 1.6% in October, largely driven by structural constraints, especially the ongoing power cuts, and a less supportive global environment. The 2023 forecast is also weighed down by a negative fiscal thrust. National treasury real GDP growth forecasts and contributions (YoY%) Source: National Treasury 2023 budget, ING ;Upside scenario assumes a resolution of the electricity crisis and elimination of load-shedding by the end of 2023. Downside scenario assumes power cuts intensify in 2023 and 2024, with further delays in procuring new g   Within these forecasts, the government also laid out some alternative scenarios. Even in an upside scenario that sees a swift resolution of the power crisis this year, GDP growth is only seen as reaching 2.1% in 2025, while a downside scenario of more persistent power cuts could see growth average just 0.8% in the next three years. On this front, to address the key issue of power cuts, planned investments are intended to add 6,484 MW to the grid over the next 24 months. Priorities include: Improving Eskom’s plant performance, procuring power from existing independent power producers. An Energy Security Bill, which removes regulatory impediments for independent power producers. Supporting the rollout of rooftop solar for households with a tax incentive to encourage electricity generation (tax relief in the budget totalling ZAR13bn to support energy generation). Implementing grid capacity rules to provide certainty to private producers investing in energy projects. Read this article on THINK TagsSouth Africa Emerging Markets Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

South Africa A very quiet week with PPI the only notable release. Inflation is falling back towards target and the PPI may offer insight into whether those pressures are continuing to head in the right direction.   Turkey Thursday’s 6.5% rate hike suggests Turkey is on the path back to a conventional monetary policy approach. Markets were pricing in a lot more but with President Erdogan openly against hiking rates – despite replacing the Governor who was happy to cut on his behalf – the CBRT may be treading a little carefully. As we’ve seen before, Erdogan will not hesitate to sack a Governor so perhaps his new appointment simply has ambitions to still be employed in September. No major economic releases next week.   Switzerland There are a few data releases next week, but SNB Chair Thomas Jordan’s appearance will probably be the highlight. The SNB hiked rates by 25 basis point this past week and markets believe there’s another in the pipeline. Jordan previously hinted at the neutral rate being 2% and the SNB indicated on Thursday that another hike may follow. With inflation forecast to stay above 2% for the next couple of years, only a drop in it over the next couple of months may change the SNBs mind.   China Not much action on the economic data front with the only key data on manufacturing and services activities to digest. On Friday, we will have the release of the NBS Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing PMIs for June. Manufacturing PMI is forecasted to rebound slightly to 49.0 after it contracted to a five-month low of 48.8 in May. In contrast, the growth trajectory of Non-Manufacturing PMI is forecasted to dip to 53.7 in June from 54.5 in May. If it turns out as expected, it will be the third consecutive month of a growth slowdown in services activities. These data will be closely watched to determine and gauge the next move from China’s top policymakers as market participants wait eagerly for the amount and scope of an impending new fiscal stimulus measure that the State Council stopped short of giving out any details about it last week. India A couple of key data to take note of on Friday; bank loan growth, Q1 current account where its deficit is forecasted to narrow to -$16 billion from $-18.2 billion recorded in Q4 2022, and Q1 external debt that is forecasted to edge lower to US$602 billion from $613.1 billion recorded in Q4 2022.

Russia A few data releases on the agenda next week including unemployment, retail sales, industrial output and monthly GDP.   South Africa A very quiet week with PPI the only notable release. Inflation is falling back towards target and the PPI may offer insight into whether those pressures are continuing to head in the right direction.   Turkey Thursday’s 6.5% rate hike suggests Turkey is on the path back to a conventional monetary policy approach. Markets were pricing in a lot more but with President Erdogan openly against hiking rates – despite replacing the Governor who was happy to cut on his behalf – the CBRT may be treading a little carefully. As we’ve seen before, Erdogan will not hesitate to sack a Governor so perhaps his new appointment simply has ambitions to still be employed in September. No major economic releases next week.   Switzerland There are a few data releases next week, but SNB Chair Thomas Jordan’s appearance will probably be the highlight. The SNB hiked rates by 25 basis point this past week and markets believe there’s another in the pipeline. Jordan previously hinted at the neutral rate being 2% and the SNB indicated on Thursday that another hike may follow. With inflation forecast to stay above 2% for the next couple of years, only a drop in it over the next couple of months may change the SNBs mind.   China Not much action on the economic data front with the only key data on manufacturing and services activities to digest. On Friday, we will have the release of the NBS Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing PMIs for June. Manufacturing PMI is forecasted to rebound slightly to 49.0 after it contracted to a five-month low of 48.8 in May. In contrast, the growth trajectory of Non-Manufacturing PMI is forecasted to dip to 53.7 in June from 54.5 in May. If it turns out as expected, it will be the third consecutive month of a growth slowdown in services activities. These data will be closely watched to determine and gauge the next move from China’s top policymakers as market participants wait eagerly for the amount and scope of an impending new fiscal stimulus measure that the State Council stopped short of giving out any details about it last week.   India A couple of key data to take note of on Friday; bank loan growth, Q1 current account where its deficit is forecasted to narrow to -$16 billion from $-18.2 billion recorded in Q4 2022, and Q1 external debt that is forecasted to edge lower to US$602 billion from $613.1 billion recorded in Q4 2022.

According to the latest study by software company ConsenSys, as many as 92% of people around the world have heard of cryptocurrencies. In a study conducted on a group of 15,158 people in 15 countries, it turned out that despite high awareness, understanding of blockchain technology is much lower.   This proves that digital currencies such as Bitcoin have become a household name. However, only 8% of respondents could confidently say that they knew the general concept of Web3, the decentralized Internet of the future. Although cryptocurrencies and blockchain have gained mainstream awareness, most people do not fully understand what it is all about and need to update their knowledge on the subject. The results of the study show that developing regions of the world show the greatest awareness and interest in cryptocurrencies. Nigeria, South Africa and Brazil lead on this issue. With 99% of Nigerian respondents showing crypto awareness and over 70% correctly defining what blockchain is.     Technical Market Outlook: The BTC/USD pair has made a new swing high at the level of $31,002, but the Doji candlestick pattern was made at the top of the move on the H4 time frame chart. The market reversed and is now back inside the trading range. The intraday technical support is seen at the level of $29,556 and the intraday technical resistance is located at $30,328.   Moreover, the bulls had broken above the technical resistance located at $28,446 and now this level will work as the technical support. The momentum is strong and positive on the H4 time frame chart and on a Daily time frame chart, so the bulls are ready for another wave up. The next target for bulls is still seen at the level of $32,350.  

US It will be an eventful week, the ISM manufacturing report, the fourth of July Holiday, the Fed Minutes, and the nonfarm payroll report.  Wall Street is starting to believe in those Fed dot plots and this week’s economic data points may provide more evidence for the hawks.  The ISM manufacturing report is expected to show activity is stabilizing.  The Fed minutes will emphasize the fear that core inflation is proving to be stickier.  The June US jobs report is expected to show hiring cooled from the 339,000 pace to 200,000 jobs. The unemployment rate however is expected to improve from 3.7% to 3.6%.  Wage pressure is also expected to remain steady with a 0.3% increase from a month ago.    We will hear from a couple of Fed speakers this week. Williams participates in a moderated discussion at the 2023 annual meeting of the Central Bank Research Association at the New York Fed. Logan speaks on a panel about the policy challenges for central banks at the Central Bank Research Association annual meeting at Columbia University.     Eurozone Eurozone inflation data on Friday was very promising and while it likely won’t influence whether the ECB hikes or not in July – Lagarde previously strongly hinted they will – if followed by further signs of disinflation over the summer, it could see the central bank consider a pause in September.  Next week is a little short of tier-one releases but final PMIs on Monday and Wednesday will be of interest, as will another appearance by ECB President Christine Lagarde on Friday.   UK  Very little data of note next week with final PMIs the only highlight. That aside, central bank speak will be followed closely although in the absence of better inflation data, their hands are seemingly tied. The real question ahead of the next meeting is whether they’ll hike by 25 basis points or 50 again.   Russia A relatively quiet week with PMIs on Monday and Wednesday as the only notable releases. That aside there’s the Russian central bank financial congress on Thursday and Friday so we may hear from Governor Elvira Nabiullina.   South Africa The whole economy PMI is the only notable economic release or event next week.   Turkey With the CBRT pivoting toward more conventional monetary policy in the aftermath of the election, the economic data becomes increasingly relevant and next week we’ll get June inflation numbers on Wednesday. The CPI is expected to remain close to 40% but with the currency in freefall, the inflation outlook is likely to get worse before it gets sustainably better. The central bank has stepped back from burning through reserves to support the lira and effectively pay for bad policy choices and that has sent the lira to record lows, falling more than 20% in the last month, alone.

Russia Inflation data on Wednesday is expected to show pressures heating up which may explain why the CBR has been hinting that the next interest rate move may be higher rather than lower. The extent to which the CPI number rises will likely determine the urgency with which the central bank will respond. The rouble remains under pressure and rate hikes may help to address both problems. South Africa No major economic data or events next week. Manufacturing production and the business confidence survey are the only notable releases. Turkey The lira remains under immense pressure after the government abandoned its unsustainable and unconventional policy of monetary easing and market interventions, which triggered an enormous spike in inflation. Inflation eased slightly last month but that won’t likely last as the currency has fallen to new record lows. Data next week include unemployment, industrial production, and current account.  Switzerland No major releases or events next week, with PPI on Friday as the only thing on the calendar

Russia The Russian central bank is expected to hike the key rate by 50 basis points on Friday, taking it back to 8%. This comes as inflationary pressures are building and the rouble has been falling against the dollar. It hit its lowest level since March last year, recently, which is also more than 10% below its pre-invasion levels.   South Africa The SARB is expected to leave its repo rate unchanged next week at 8.25% after what has been a very aggressive tightening cycle. It’s risen 4.75% since September 2021 but with inflation now close to target – fresh data for June will be released a day earlier on Wednesday – the time to pause may have arrived. Of course, a nasty shock from the CPI could change that.   Turkey The CBRT will announce its latest interest rate decision on Thursday and another wide range of forecasts are likely ahead of the event. The central bank broke away from the unconventional policy approach adopted prior to the election and almost immediately abandoned after, so a large hike is likely on the cards. But the new CBRT Governor was more conservative than many expected at the last meeting and could be again this time. The lira remains near record lows though so the pressure is on.    Switzerland No major releases or events next week.   

Russia No major economic releases or events next week. Industrial output and central bank reserves are the only items on the agenda. South Africa The SARB paused its tightening cycle in July while stressing it is not the end – although it likely is as both headline and core inflation are now comfortably within its 3-6% target range – and that future decisions will be driven by the data. With that in mind, next week is looking a little quiet with the leading indicator on Tuesday and PPI figures on Thursday. Turkey Next week offers mostly tier three data, with the only release of note being the quarterly inflation report. Against the backdrop of a plunging currency and a central bank that finally accepts it needs to raise rates but refuses to do so at the pace required, it should make for interesting reading. Though it likely won’t do anything to restore trust and confidence in policymakers to fix the problems. Switzerland Next week consists of just a couple of surveys, the KOF indicator and investor sentiment. China No key economic data but keep a lookout for a possible announcement of more detailed fiscal stimulus measures in terms of monetary amount, and scope of coverage. Last week, China’s top policymakers announced a slew of broad-based plans to boost consumer spending and support for private companies in share listings, bond sales, and overseas expansion but lacking in detail. India No major key data releases. Australia Several pieces of data to digest. Firstly, flash Manufacturing and Services PMIs for July out on Monday. Forecasts are expecting a further deterioration for both; a decline in Manufacturing PMI to 47.6 from 48.2 in June, and Services PMI slip to contraction mode at 49.2 from June’s reading of 50.3. Secondly, the all-important Q2 inflation data out on Wednesday where the consensus is expecting a slow down to 6.2% year-on-year from 7% y/y printed in Q1. Even the expectation for the less volatile RBA-trimmed median CPI released on the same day is being lowered to 6% y/y for Q2 from 6.6% y/y in Q1. These latest inflationary data will play a significant contribution in shaping the expectations of the monetary policy decision outlook for the next RBA meeting on 1 August. Based on the RBA Rate Indicator as of 21st July, the ASX 30-day interbank cash rate futures for the August 2023 contract have priced in a 48% probability of a 25-bps hike to bring the cash rate to 4.35%, that’s an increase in odds from 29% seen in a week ago. Lastly, retail sales for June out on Friday where the forecast is expected a decline to -0.3% month-on-month from 0.7% m/m in May. New Zealand One key data to note will be the Balance of Trade for June out on Monday where May’s trade surplus is being forecasted to reverse to a deficit of -NZ$1 billion from NZ$ 46 million. Japan On Monday, we will have the flash Manufacturing and Services PMI for July. The growth in the manufacturing sector is expected to improve slightly to 50 from 49.8 in June while growth in the services sector is forecasted to slip slightly to 53.4 from 54.0 in June. Next up, on Friday, the leading Tokyo CPI data for July will be released. Consensus for the core Tokyo inflation (excluding fresh food) is expected to slip to 2.9% year-on-year from 3.2% y/y in June, and Core-Core Tokyo inflation (excluding fresh food & energy) is forecasted to dip slightly to 2.2% y/y from 2.3% y/y in June. Also, BoJ’s monetary policy decision and latest economic quarterly outlook will be out on Friday as well. The consensus is an upgrade of the FY 2023 inflation outlook to be above 2% and a Reuters report out on Friday, 21 July stated that it is likely no change to the current band limits of the “Yield Curve Control” (YCC) programme on the 10-year JGB yield based on five sources familiar with the BoJ’s thinking. Prior to this Reuters news flow, there is a certain degree of speculation in the market place the BoJ may increase the upper limit of the YCC to 0.75% from 0.50%. Singapore Two key data to watch out for. Firstly, inflation for June is out on Monday. Consensus is expecting core inflation to cool down to 4.2% year-on-year from 4.7% y/y in May. If it turns out as expected, it will be the second consecutive month of a slowdown in inflationary pressure. Next up, industrial production for June out on Wednesday, another month of negative growth is expected at -7.5% year-on-year but at a slower magnitude than -10.8% y/y recorded in May.  

Would a larger bloc mean faster de-dollarisation? The BRICS grouping of major emerging economies, Brazil, India, China, South Africa and Russia, is holding its fifteenth summit later this month. Up for discussion: an expansion of the bloc, greater use of local currencies and the possibility of a BRICS currency which may have the potential to challenge the dominance of the US dollar. Any expansion of the BRICS grouping could determine the speed with which the bloc adopts commercial and financial systems outside of the dollar sphere. Speculation is rife as to how many countries, if any, will join the club – for the first expansion in a decade.   In order to evaluate how the political ambitions correlate with underlying economic trends, we take a closer look at the overall evolution of the US dollar’s role in the various areas of the global economy and markets. Here are the observations so far: There has been a drop in the dollar’s share of central banks’ FX reserves, but dollar usage has held up very well in commerce, private assets, debt issuance, and generally on the global FX market. Among the potential dollar challengers, the euro may seem like a runner-up, but its dominance is seen only in Europe. Looking at the BRICS, China’s amplification of renminbi swap lines seems to have helped promote the use of its currency in trade and international reserves, and Russia’s geopolitical aversion to the dollar gave CNY an additional boost, but China’s capital controls and low issuance of panda bonds remain an obstacle. The rising usage of alternative currencies does not seem to be threatening the dollar but rather increasing the competition among the regional currencies amid fragmentation of the trade and capital flows. No currency has made any inroad to the dollar’s pre-eminent status as the issuance currency of choice. Having been a major factor in removing sterling’s crown last century, challenging the dollar’s status in the international debt market has to be a central strategy for the young pretenders.     Overall, we do not see any conclusive evidence that the dollar is on the path of structural decline at this point. However, it is still facing challenges, stemming from both economics and geopolitics.

However, more recently even this dynamic has become less certain when looking forward. Issuers in the CEE region (that over the past decade had largely shifted to local debt, or in EUR when needed) have ramped up their USD sovereign bond issuance since late 2022, preferring the large potential investor base and better liquidity in this market. While it is unlikely to mark a long-term trend and reverse the dynamic seen in the past decade, in the coming few years USD bond issuance will remain an active area for most EM sovereigns.   Another area of ‘de-dollarisation’ that can be observed across some emerging markets in within domestic banking systems (Figures 29 and 30). A key aim for many governments in reducing vulnerabilities to a crisis has been to reduce the share of FX loans and deposits within their banking systems, which in practice has been reducing the role of the dollar (or the euro for some EM Europe economies). Within the BRICS economies, we can observe a general downtrend in the FX share of loans within the banking system since around 2015, and a similar story for Russia, India and South Africa in terms of FX liabilities.        

US The main event for next week will be the Kansas City Fed’s Jackson Hole Symposium.  Fed Chair Powell’s speech will reiterate that more rate hikes might be needed and that rates should stay higher for longer.  With the recent surge with real yields, Fed Chair Powell can acknowledge that policy is restrictive and that future rate cuts could eventually be warranted as long as inflation has been defeated. The economic data starts on Tuesday with the July existing homes sales report, which should show signs of stabilizing.  Wednesday contains the flash PMIs, which could show manufacturing remains in contraction territory and softness with the service sector continues.  On Thursday, we will get both initial jobless claims and the preliminary look at durable goods, which is expected to show weakness in July. Friday contains the release of the final reading of the University of Michigan sentiment report, with most traders wanting to know if inflation expectations had any major revisions. Earnings for the week include results from Baidu, Lowe’s, Nvidia, and Snowflake,   Eurozone As the ECB is poised to continue delivering more rate hikes to combat inflation, the risks of a hard landing are growing.  There’s no shortage of economic releases next week but the one that stands out is the flash PMI readings. The manufacturing sector is clearly going to remain in contraction territory for all the key regions(Germany, France, eurozone), while the service sector steadily weakens, fighting to stay in expansion territory.  Traders will also pay attention to both the German IFO business climate report as that could show expectations might be stabilizing and what should be another soft consumer confidence report. Thin trading conditions in Europe could occur on Tuesday as some banks (France, Italy) are closed for Assumption Day.   UK Next week is mostly about the UK flash PMI survey, as the composite PMI collapse in July is expected to be followed by further weakness in August. The manufacturing PMI is expected to weaken further from 45.3 to 45.0, the service reading to drop from 51.5 to 50.8, while the composite drops from 50.8 to 50.3.   The UK economy is still expected to barely show growth in Q3, but the momentum is fading as the BOE’s rate hiking cycle starts to weigh on the economy.   Russia Following the plunge in the ruble and an emergency rate hike, the focus on Russia will shift back to the war in Ukraine and the BRICS summit.  Russia was having a growing influence in Africa, but that might get tested as President Putin will be absent given his indictment by the ICC. The economic calendar is light with two releases, industrial production data on Wednesday and money supply on Friday.   South Africa The one notable release will be the July inflation report.  Inflation is expected to stay in the SARB’s target range between 3-6%.  The annual headline reading is expected to drop from 5.4% to 4.9%, while the monthly reading rises from 0.2% to 1.0%.  The monthly core reading is also expected to see a rise from 0.4% to 0.6%.   Turkey With inflation out of control, the CBRT is expected to deliver its 3rd straight rise, bringing the 1-week report rate to 19.50%.  The consensus range is to see the rate rise from 17.5% to anywhere between 18.50% and 20.5%. The 19.0% level was a key level in the past as that triggered the sacking of Governor Agbal.   Switzerland Another quiet week with Money supply data released on Monday and export data on Tuesday.   China One sole key economic data to watch will be on Monday, the monetary policy decision on its one-year and five-year loan prime rates that commercial banks used as a benchmark to price corporate, household loans and housing mortgages respectively. After a surprise cut of 15 basis points (bps) on the one-year medium-term lending facility rate to 2.50% last Monday, its lowest level since late 2009 to defuse the potential contagion risk in China’s financial system triggered by a major trust fund that failed to make timely payments to holders of its wealth management products which are backed by unsold properties of indebted property developers; forecasts are now calling for a similar 15 bps cut on the one and five-year loan prime rates to bring it down to 3.4% and 4.05% respectively. Market participants will also be on the lookout for more detailed fiscal stimulus from China’s top policymakers after recent “morale-boosting piecemeal rhetoric measures” that have failed to break the negative feedback loop in the China stock market; the benchmark CSI 300 index has given up all its ex-post Politburo gains from 25 July after the top leadership group promised to implement “counter-cyclical” measures to defuse the deflationary risk spiral in China. For earnings report releases, a couple of major companies to take note of; Sunny Optical Technology (Tuesday), Country Garden Services (Tuesday), China Life Insurance (Thursday), NetEase (Thursday), Meituan (Friday).   India A quiet calendar with only foreign exchange reserves and fortnightly bank loan growth data out on Friday.   Australia Flash Manufacturing and Services PMIs for August will be out on Wednesday.   New Zealand Balance of Trade for July out on Monday is forecasted to shrink to a deficit of -NZ$0.4 billion from a surplus of NZ$9 million posted in June. If it turns out as expected, it will be its first trade deficit since March 2023 due to a weak external demand environment. Q2 retail sales will be out on Wednesday where its prior Q1 negative growth of -4.1% y/y is forecasted to narrow to -0.9% y/y.   Japan Two key data releases to monitor. Firstly, flash Manufacturing and Services PMIs for August out on Wednesday; manufacturing activities are forecasted to improve slightly to 49.9 from 49.6 printed in July while growth in the services sector is expected to come in almost unchanged at 53.6 versus 53.9 in July  Next up, the significant leading Tokyo area consumer inflation data for August out on Friday; both Tokyo core inflation (excluding fresh food) as well as its core-core inflation (excluding fresh food & energy) are forecasted to be unchanged at 3% y/y and 2.5% y/y respectively. Both inflation measures have remained elevated especially the core-core rate which has soared to a 31-year high. Market participants will be keeping a close watch on the USD/JPY as it rallied past a key resistance zone of 145.50/146.10 despite rising concerns on possible BoJ’s FX intervention to negate the current bout of JPY weakness.   Singapore Two key data to focus on. July’s consumer inflation out on Wednesday where the core inflation rate is expected to be almost unchanged at 4.1% y/y versus 4.2% y/y in June. On Friday, industrial production for July is forecasted to show an improvement; -2.5% y/y from -4/9% y/y printed in June. Despite this forecasted improvement, it is still ten consecutive months of negative growth which increases the risk of a recession for Singapore in Q3 due to a weak external demand environment.      

FX Daily: Manning the renminbi barricade In quiet summer FX markets, the top story remains Chinese authorities' defence of the renminbi, This stands to be a long campaign given that USD/CNY is trading near 7.30 for good reason. Elsewhere, tech stocks are making US equities look bid even though steadily higher US Treasury yields pose a challenge. And looks out for BRICS expansion news today.   USD: 'We've got tech stocks' US equity markets continue to outperform. This seems largely down to the rally in tech stocks on the AI bandwagon, where Nvidia's 2Q results are widely anticipated for tomorrow. US equity performance is adding to the sense of 'US exceptionalism', backed also by better growth numbers and a central bank that has more reason than most to stay hawkish late into its tightening cycle. There is only second-tier US macro data today, but with US Treasury yields continuing to push higher, headwinds to the equity rally are growing, and temporarily parking funds in the dollar paying 5.30% in overnight rates doesn't seem like a bad idea. Equally, we expect the dollar to stay largely bid into Friday's Jackson Hole speech from Fed Chair, Jay Powell. Two other highlights today. The first is the People's Bank of China's battle to keep USD/CNY under the 7.30 area. In addition to representing their displeasure with USD/CNY levels by printing very low onshore fixings (7.1992 last night), yesterday it seemed as though the focus was on the funding side where 1m CNH implied yields spiked over 5% (the highest since 2018) making it more expensive to run CNH short positions. As mentioned recently, Chinese FX intervention is opaque, but another measure to support the renminbi would be cutting the required reserves on FX deposits. Brief dips in USD/CNH see the dollar offered across the board, but with Chinese authorities cutting official interest rates, we suspect any CNH gains will be limited and temporary. Also today we see the start of the BRICS summit in South Africa. Expansion tops the agenda and names in the frame we think could be the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bangladesh - all of which joined the BRICS New Development Bank in 2021. It would be a massive surprise were Saudi Arabia to join the grouping - which would inevitably lead to speculation over oil being priced in non-dollar currencies and a headline that may temporarily hit the dollar. DXY looks very comfortable within the 102.70-103.70 range.

Xi meets Ramaphosa and discuss how to bolster trade in their own currencies Yuan still weakens despite PBOC’s most forceful fixing on record BRICS might lead to more investment in Africa, potentially bolstering rand   The annual BRICS Summit begins in Johannesburg with China’s President Xi meeting South African President Ramaphosa.  China and India have enjoyed 25 years of diplomatic ties and are looking to bolster trade and investment with more countries.  The three-day summit will be attended by leaders of China, India, Brazil and South Africa, as well as 30 African leaders. Russian President Putin will be participating via video conference as he has an international arrest over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.  Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov will represent Russia at the summit. BRIC nations make up a quarter of the global economy, so their voice will clearly be listened to, especially if they expand.  So far, 22 other countries have formally applied to join the bloc, but it seems difficult for the institution given they do not have a BRICS currency that can challenge the dollar.  The current members have lots of challenges to go all-in with de-dollarization and embrace a BRICS currency.  India does not want a China-led initiative. Given all the sanctions Russia is facing, they have billions of rupees that are stranded. There is no easy solution that can address all the problems facing the key members, which means they will take small steps, which include expanding use of a development bank to help with lending.   5-year USD/CNH, USD/INR, and USD/BRL The 5-five year chart above shows how robust the dollar has been against the yuan and rupee in 2023, with Brazil and their attractive interest differential being the one standout.  Alternatives to the dollar in trade will grow, but for now the big risk is the great refinancing that will occur over the next year could lead to extreme turmoil for emerging markets and that might keep the dollar supported against most of the BRIC currencies. The weekly USD/CNH and USD/INR chart below exemplifies how overbought this dollar trade has become.  There is a lot of macro risk on the table this week and FX markets could see either a strong extension of dollar strength or a major pullback.    

US Now that we heard from Fed Chair Powell at the Kansas City Fed’s Jackson Hole Symposium, the focus shifts back to the data. This week is filled with data that will outline how quickly the economy is weakening. Consumer data will show personal income growth is not keeping up with spending, while confidence holds steady. The Fed’s favorite inflation reading is also expected to show subdued growth is holding steady on a monthly basis. Friday’s NFP report will show private sector hiring is cooling.    Over the weekend, the spotlight will be on US-China relations.  US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will meet with Chinese officials, striving to lower tensions between the world’s two largest economies.  The week will also be filled with Fed speak.  On Monday and Tuesday, Barr speaks about banking services. On Thursday, we hear from both Bostic and Collins, while Friday contains appearances by Bostic, a couple of hours before the NFP report, and Mester on inflation later in the morning.   Eurozone Next week is data-heavy but there are a few releases that stand out. The most notable is the HICP flash estimate for the eurozone on Thursday which is expected to drop slightly at the headline and core levels. There will be individual country releases in the days running up to this which may signal whether Thursday’s data will likely beat or fall short of expectations. ECB accounts are also released on Thursday which will be of interest considering markets now view the rate decision at the next meeting as a coin toss between 25 basis points and no change.    UK  The week starts with a bank holiday and it doesn’t get much more exciting from there. There are a few tier-three data releases and Huw Pill from the Bank of England will make appearances on Thursday and Friday. Russia A selection of economic data is on offer next week including unemployment on Wednesday, GDP on Thursday, and the manufacturing PMI on Friday.  South Africa No major events next week with PPI on Thursday the only notable release. It follows CPI data this past week which fell to 4.8%, well within the SARB 3-6% target range, following a much lower 0.9% monthly reading in July.  Turkey The CBRT surprised markets last week by hiking rates far more aggressively than expected, taking the repo rate to 25%, up from 17.5%. The move may cost people at the central bank their jobs if history is anything to go by, with President Erdogan openly no fan of higher rates. That said, he did employ these people shortly after his election victory so perhaps with that behind him, he may be more open to it while remaining vocally against. This week offers very little, with GDP on Thursday the only release of note. Switzerland Inflation data on Friday is expected to show prices rising 1.5% on an annual basis, slightly lower than in July and well below the SNB 2% target. The central bank hasn’t appeared satisfied though and markets are fully pricing in a hike in September, with 32% chance of it being 50 basis points. The manufacturing PMI will also be released on Friday, with retail sales on Thursday, and the KoF economic barometer and economic expectations on Wednesday. China Only three key economic releases to monitor for the coming week. First up, the NBS manufacturing and services PMIs for August will be out on Thursday. Another contractionary print of 49.5 is expected for the manufacturing sector, almost unchanged from July’s reading of 49.5. If it turns out as expected, it will be the fifth consecutive month of negative growth for manufacturing activities as China grapples with a weak external environment and domestic financial contagion risk that has been triggered by debt-laden property developers. Secondly, the NBS services PMI for August is forecasted to remain surprisingly resilient at 51, almost unchanged from 51.5 in July. The services sector is still in an expansionary mode albeit at a slower pace that is likely being supported by domestic tourism. Thirdly, the private sector-focused Caixin manufacturing PMI for August which consists of small and medium enterprises will be released on Friday, 1 September. Consensus is still expecting a contractionary reading of 49.5, almost unchanged from July’s print of 49.2. If it turns out as expected, it will be the second consecutive month of negative growth. A slew of key earnings releases to take note of starting this Saturday, 26 August will be China Merchants Bank, and Bank of Communications followed by; BYD (Monday, 28 August), Ping An Insurance, NIO, Country Garden (Tuesday, 29 August), Agricultural Bank of China (Wednesday, 30 August), ICBC, Bank of China, China Minsheng Bank (Thursday, 31 August). Also, market participants will be on the lookout for fiscal stimulus measures to defuse the $23 trillion debt bomb owed by local governments, financial affiliates, and property developers. On Friday, 25 August, China policymakers unveiled a further easing of its home mortgage policies that scrap a rule that disqualifies first-time homebuyers who had a mortgage that is fully repaid from being considered a first-time buyer in major cities in an attempt to boost up residential property transactions.  India Two key data to focus on. Q2 GDP on Thursday where the consensus is expecting a further economic growth expansion to 7% y/y in Q2, a further acceleration from 6.1% y/y recorded in Q1. Lastly, the manufacturing PMI for August will be released on Friday where it is being forecasted to come in at 57, almost unchanged from the July reading of 57.7 which will indicate a 26th straight month of growth expansion for manufacturing activities. Australia Retail sales for July will be out on Monday, with a recovery to 0.3% m/m from -0.8% m/m in June. On Wednesday, the important monthly CPI indicator for July will be out and the consensus forecast is another month of cooling to 5.2% from 5.4% in June. If it turns out as expected, RBA may have more reasons to justify its current pause at 4.1% for two consecutive meetings. Its next monetary policy meeting will be on 5 September, and as of 24 August, the ASX 30-day interbank cash rate futures have priced in a 12% chance of a rate cut to 3.85% (25 bps cut).  New Zealand A quiet week with the only focus on the ANZ business confidence indicator for August on Thursday followed by ANZ consumer confidence for August on Friday. Japan The action comes mid-week. Consumer confidence for August is released on Wednesday and is expected to be almost the same at 37.2 versus July’s 37.1. On Thursday, we will have retail sales and industrial production for July. Growth in retail sales is expected to slip slightly to 5.4% y/y from 5.9% in June. Meanwhile, industrial production is expected to contract to -1.4% m/m from 2.4% m/m in June, and -0.7% y/y is forecasted from 0% y/y recorded in June. Singapore The sole key data to monitor will be the producer prices index for July out on Tuesday with another month of negative growth forecasted at -9% y/y, a slower pace of contraction from -14.3% recorded in June. It would be the 7th consecutive month of decline.

US The month started with a bang with the US jobs report but the following week is looking a little more subdued, starting with the bank holiday on Monday. Economic data is largely made up of revisions and tier-three releases. The exceptions being the ISM services PMI on Wednesday and jobless claims on Thursday. That said, revised productivity and unit labor costs on Thursday will also attract attention given the Fed’s obsession with input cost, wages in particular. We’ll also hear from a variety of Fed policymakers including Susan Collins on Wednesday (Beige Book also released), Patrick Harker, John Williams, and Raphael Bostic on Thursday, and Bostic again on Friday.  Eurozone Next week is littered with tier-three events despite the large number of releases in that time. Final inflation, GDP and PMIs, regional retail sales figures and surveys, and trade figures make up the bulk of next week’s reports. Not inconsequential, per se, but not typically big market events unless the PMI and CPI reports bring massive revisions. We will hear from some ECB policymakers earlier in the week which will probably be the highlight, including Christine Lagarde, Fabio Panetta, Philip Lane, and Isabel Schnabel. UK  Next week offers very little on the data front but the Monetary Policy Report Hearing in front of the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday is usually one to watch. While the committee’s views are typically quite polished by that point, the questioning is intense and can provide a more in-depth understanding of where the MPC stands on interest rates.  Russia Inflation in Russia is on the rise again and is expected to hit 5.1% on an annual basis in August, up from 4.3% in July. That is why the CBR has started raising rates aggressively again – raised to 12% from 8.5% on 15 August. Even so, the ruble is not performing well and isn’t too far from the August highs just before the superhike. We’ll hear from Deputy Governor Zabotkin on Tuesday, a few days before the CPI release. South Africa Further signs of disinflation in the PPI figures on Thursday will have been welcomed by the SARB but they won’t yet be declaring the job done despite the substantial progress to date. The focus next week will be on GDP figures on Tuesday, with 0.2% quarterly growth expected, and 1.3% annual. The whole economy PMI will be released earlier the same day. Turkey CPI inflation figures will be eyed next week, with annual price growth seen hitting 55.9%, up from 47.8% in July. The CBRT is all too aware of the risks, hence the surprisingly large rate hike – from 17.5% to 25% – last month. The currency rebounded strongly after the decision but it has been drifting lower since, falling back near the pre-meeting levels. There’s more work to be done. Switzerland Another relatively quiet week for the Swiss, with GDP on Monday – seen posting a modest 0.1% quarterly growth – and unemployment on Thursday, which is expected to remain unchanged. Neither is likely to sway the SNB when it comes to its next meeting on 21 September, with markets now favoring no change and a 30% chance of a 25 basis point hike. China Two key data to focus on for the coming week; the non-government compiled Caixin Services PMI for August out on Tuesday which is expected at 54, almost unchanged from July’s reading of 54.1. If it turns out as expected, it will mark the eighth consecutive month of expansion in China’s services sector which indicates resilience despite the recent spate of deflationary pressures and contagion risk from the fallout of major indebted property developers that failed to make timely coupon payments on their respective bonds obligations. Next up will be the balance of trade data for August on Thursday with export growth anticipated to decline at a slower pace of 10% y/y from -14.5% y/y recorded in July. Imports are expected to contract further by 11% y/y from -12.4% y/y in July.   Interestingly, several key leading economic data announced last week have indicated the recent doldrums in China will start to stabilize and potentially turn a corner. The NBS manufacturing PMI for August came in better than expected at 49.7 (consensus 49.4), and above July’s reading of 49.3 which makes it three consecutive months of improvement, albeit still in contraction.   In addition, two sub-components of August’s NBS manufacturing PMI; new orders and production are now in expansionary mode with both rising to hit their highest level since March 2023 at 50.2 and 51.9 respectively. Also, the Caixin manufacturing PMI for August has painted a more vibrant picture with a move back into expansion at 51 from 49.2 in July, and above the consensus of 49.3; its strongest pace of growth since February 2023. Hence, it seems that the current piecemeal fiscal stimulus measures have started to trickle down positively into China’s economy. India The services PMI for August will be released on Tuesday where the consensus is expecting a slight dip in expansion to 61 from 62.3 in July, its highest growth in over 13 years. Capping off the week will be August’s bank loan growth out on Friday. Australia The all-important RBA monetary policy decision will be released on Tuesday. A third consecutive month of no change in the policy cash rate is expected, at 4.1%, as the recently released monthly CPI indicator has slowed to 4.9% y/y from 5.4% y/y, its slowest pace of increase since February 2022 and below consensus of 5.2% y/y. Interestingly, the ASX 30-day interbank cash rate futures on the September 2023 contract have indicated a 14% chance of a 25-basis point cut on the cash rate to 3.85% for this coming Tuesday’s RBA meeting based on data as of 31 August 2023. That’s a slight increase in odds from a 12% chance of a 25-bps rate cut inferred a week ago. On Wednesday, Q2 GDP growth will be out where consensus is expecting it to come in at 1.7% y/y, a growth slowdown from 2.3% y/y recorded in Q1. To wrap up the week, the balance of trade for July will be out on Thursday where the consensus is expecting the trade surplus to narrow to A$10.5 billion from a three-month high of A$11.32 billion recorded in June.  New Zealand Two data to watch, Q2 terms of trade on Monday and the global dairy trade price index on Tuesday. Japan A quiet week ahead with the preliminary leading economic index out on Thursday and the finalized Q2 GDP to be released on Friday. The preliminary figure indicated growth of 6% on an annualized basis that surpassed Q1’s GDP of 3.7% and consensus expectations of 3.1%; its steepest pace of increase since Q4 2020 and a third consecutive quarter of annualized economic expansion. Singapore Retail sales for July will be out on Tuesday with another month of lackluster growth expected at 0.9% y/y from 1.1% y/y in June; its softest growth since July 2021 as the Singapore economy grappled with a weak external environment. On a monthly basis, a slower pace of contraction is expected for July at -0.1% m/m versus -0.8% m/m in June.  

US This week is all about the US CPI report and retail sales data. If the US demand for goods didn’t weaken that much and if inflation heated up, rate hike expectations for the November meeting might become the consensus.  The inflation report might not be as clear as headline inflation will obviously rise given the surge in gasoline prices, but core might deliver another subdued reading.  Moderation with consumer spending will be the theme as Americans deal with higher energy prices, rising debt levels, and as confidence softens.   Investors will also pay close attention to the University of Michigan’s inflation expectations on Friday. The 1-year outlook for prices may drop from the 3.5% August reading.  Fed speak will be nonexistent as the blackout period begins for the September 20th policy meeting.   Eurozone The European Central Bank meets next week and it’s not clear at this stage what decision they will come to. Refinitiv is pricing in around a 65% chance of a hold, which may signal the end of the tightening cycle – not that the ECB would in any way suggest that at this stage – but expectations do differ. There’s every chance the committee will push through one more, at which point the data is expected to improve regardless making a Fed-style exit all the more difficult. Ultimately, it will likely come down to the projections which will be released alongside the decision. ZEW surveys aside, on Tuesday, the rest of the week is made up of tier-three data. UK  Potentially a big week for the UK ahead of the next monetary policy meeting on 21 September. Andrew Bailey and his colleagues this past week hinted that the decision is in the balance and not the foregone conclusion many expect. Markets are pricing in a more than 70% chance of a hike and more than 50% of another after that by February. If what they said is true, then the labor market report on Tuesday could be hugely significant as further slack could give those on the fence the reassurances they need that past measures, among other things, are working and more may not be needed. Huw Pill also speaks on Monday while Catherine Mann will make an appearance in Canada on Tuesday. GDP on Wednesday could also be interesting, with the rest of the week made up of less influential releases. Russia The CBR is expected to leave the key rate unchanged at 12% on Friday. It hiked very aggressively at the last meeting – from 8.5% – so there is scope for another surprise, with inflation having risen again last month to 5.1%. The rouble has also been in steady decline after rebounding following the last announcement, to trade not far from its recent lows against the dollar.  South Africa A relatively quiet week ahead, with manufacturing figures due on Monday and retail sales on Wednesday. Turkey The CBRT is desperately trying to get inflation under control again with successive large interest rate hikes. In response the currency has stopped making new lows but it has drifted lower again over the last couple of weeks since the surprisingly large last hike. It’s sitting not far from the pre-meeting lows now and inflation data this past week won’t have helped, rising to 58.94% annually. More rate hikes are likely on the way. Next week the focus is on unemployment and industrial production figures on Monday. Switzerland A very quiet week to come, with PPI inflation the only economic release. We’ve been seeing some deflation in recent months in the PPI data which will be giving the SNB some comfort that price pressures are back under control. Another rate hike is no longer viewed as guaranteed, with markets slightly favoring a hold over the coming meetings but it is tight.  China The much sought-after consumer and producers’ price inflation data for August will be released this Saturday where market participants will have a better gauge of the current deflationary conditions in China. After a slight improvement in the two sub-components of August’s NBS Manufacturing PM where new orders and production rose to their highest level since March at 50.2 and 51.9 respectively coupled with an improvement in export growth for August that shrunk to a lesser magnitude of -8.8% y/y from -14.5% y/y in July, there are some signs of optimism that the recent eight months of deflationary pressures may have started to abate. The August CPI is expected to inch back up to 0.2% y/y from -0.3% y/y in July and the PPI is forecast to shrink at a lesser magnitude of -3% y/y in August versus -4.4% in July. If the PPI turns out as expected, it will be the second consecutive month of improvement from a persistent loop of deflationary pressure in factory gate prices since November 2022. Other key data to focus on will be new yuan loans and M2 money supply for August which will be released on Monday. It will provide a sense of whether China’s economy is slipping into a liquidity trap despite the current targeted monetary and fiscal stimulus measures enacted by policymakers. Lastly, the housing price index, industrial production, retail sales, and the unemployment rate for August will be released on Friday with both retail sales and industrial production expected to show slight improvement; 2.8% y/y for retail sales over 2.5% y/y recorded in July, 4% y/y for industrial production versus 3.7% in July. Market participants will be keeping a close eye on youth unemployment for August after July’s figure was temporarily suspended by the National Bureau of Statistics without any clear timeline for the suspension. The youth joblessness data in China is of key concern after the youth unemployment rate skyrocketed to a record high of 21.3% in June, around four times more than the national unemployment rate of 5.3%. Lastly, China’s central bank, the PBoC, will announce its decision on a key benchmark interest rate, the 1-year medium-term lending facility rate on Friday and the expectation is no change at 2.50% after a prior cut of 15 basis points.  India Inflation and balance of trade for August will be the focus for the coming week. Inflation data is released on Tuesday and is expected to dip slightly to 7% y/y from 7.44% in July, the highest since April 2022. Balance of trade will be released on Friday and the expectation is for the deficit to widen slightly to -$21 billion from -$20.67 billion in July.   Australia On Monday, the Westpac consumer confidence change for September is expected to improve to 0.6% m/m from a reading of -0.4% m/m in August, following three consecutive interest rate pauses from RBA. The key employment change data for August will be released on Thursday with 24,300 jobs expected to be created, an improvement on the 14,600 reduction in July. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is expected to slip to 3.6% from 3.7% in July. New Zealand Electronic retail card spending for August is due on Tuesday and is forecast to dip to 1.4% y/y from 2.2% in July. That would represent a declining trend in growth in the past five months. Next up, food inflation for August will be released on Wednesday; its growth rate is expected to slow to 7.8% y/y from 9.6% in July. That would be the slowest growth in food inflation since June 2022. Japan A couple of key data points to note for the coming week. Firstly, the Reuters Tankan Index on manufacturers’ sentiment on Wednesday; after a big jump to +12 in August – its highest level recorded so far this year – sentiment is expected to taper off slightly to +10 for September. Producers’ price index for August will be released on Wednesday and a slight dip is expected to 3.2% y/y from 3.6% in July. Lastly, on Thursday, we will have data on machinery orders from July with the consensus expecting a further decline of 10.7% y/y from -5.8% in June. Singapore One key data to focus on is the balance of trade for August which will be out on Friday. The trade surplus is being expected to increase slightly to $7 billion from $6.49 billion in July. That would be the fourth consecutive month of expansion in the trade surplus.  

US This week is all about the US CPI report and retail sales data. If the US demand for goods didn’t weaken that much and if inflation heated up, rate hike expectations for the November meeting might become the consensus.  The inflation report might not be as clear as headline inflation will obviously rise given the surge in gasoline prices, but core might deliver another subdued reading.  Moderation with consumer spending will be the theme as Americans deal with higher energy prices, rising debt levels, and as confidence softens.   Investors will also pay close attention to the University of Michigan’s inflation expectations on Friday. The 1-year outlook for prices may drop from the 3.5% August reading.  Fed speak will be nonexistent as the blackout period begins for the September 20th policy meeting.   Eurozone The European Central Bank meets next week and it’s not clear at this stage what decision they will come to. Refinitiv is pricing in around a 65% chance of a hold, which may signal the end of the tightening cycle – not that the ECB would in any way suggest that at this stage – but expectations do differ. There’s every chance the committee will push through one more, at which point the data is expected to improve regardless making a Fed-style exit all the more difficult. Ultimately, it will likely come down to the projections which will be released alongside the decision. ZEW surveys aside, on Tuesday, the rest of the week is made up of tier-three data. UK  Potentially a big week for the UK ahead of the next monetary policy meeting on 21 September. Andrew Bailey and his colleagues this past week hinted that the decision is in the balance and not the foregone conclusion many expect. Markets are pricing in a more than 70% chance of a hike and more than 50% of another after that by February. If what they said is true, then the labor market report on Tuesday could be hugely significant as further slack could give those on the fence the reassurances they need that past measures, among other things, are working and more may not be needed. Huw Pill also speaks on Monday while Catherine Mann will make an appearance in Canada on Tuesday. GDP on Wednesday could also be interesting, with the rest of the week made up of less influential releases. Russia The CBR is expected to leave the key rate unchanged at 12% on Friday. It hiked very aggressively at the last meeting – from 8.5% – so there is scope for another surprise, with inflation having risen again last month to 5.1%. The rouble has also been in steady decline after rebounding following the last announcement, to trade not far from its recent lows against the dollar.  South Africa A relatively quiet week ahead, with manufacturing figures due on Monday and retail sales on Wednesday. Turkey The CBRT is desperately trying to get inflation under control again with successive large interest rate hikes. In response the currency has stopped making new lows but it has drifted lower again over the last couple of weeks since the surprisingly large last hike. It’s sitting not far from the pre-meeting lows now and inflation data this past week won’t have helped, rising to 58.94% annually. More rate hikes are likely on the way. Next week the focus is on unemployment and industrial production figures on Monday. Switzerland A very quiet week to come, with PPI inflation the only economic release. We’ve been seeing some deflation in recent months in the PPI data which will be giving the SNB some comfort that price pressures are back under control. Another rate hike is no longer viewed as guaranteed, with markets slightly favoring a hold over the coming meetings but it is tight.  China The much sought-after consumer and producers’ price inflation data for August will be released this Saturday where market participants will have a better gauge of the current deflationary conditions in China. After a slight improvement in the two sub-components of August’s NBS Manufacturing PM where new orders and production rose to their highest level since March at 50.2 and 51.9 respectively coupled with an improvement in export growth for August that shrunk to a lesser magnitude of -8.8% y/y from -14.5% y/y in July, there are some signs of optimism that the recent eight months of deflationary pressures may have started to abate. The August CPI is expected to inch back up to 0.2% y/y from -0.3% y/y in July and the PPI is forecast to shrink at a lesser magnitude of -3% y/y in August versus -4.4% in July. If the PPI turns out as expected, it will be the second consecutive month of improvement from a persistent loop of deflationary pressure in factory gate prices since November 2022. Other key data to focus on will be new yuan loans and M2 money supply for August which will be released on Monday. It will provide a sense of whether China’s economy is slipping into a liquidity trap despite the current targeted monetary and fiscal stimulus measures enacted by policymakers. Lastly, the housing price index, industrial production, retail sales, and the unemployment rate for August will be released on Friday with both retail sales and industrial production expected to show slight improvement; 2.8% y/y for retail sales over 2.5% y/y recorded in July, 4% y/y for industrial production versus 3.7% in July. Market participants will be keeping a close eye on youth unemployment for August after July’s figure was temporarily suspended by the National Bureau of Statistics without any clear timeline for the suspension. The youth joblessness data in China is of key concern after the youth unemployment rate skyrocketed to a record high of 21.3% in June, around four times more than the national unemployment rate of 5.3%. Lastly, China’s central bank, the PBoC, will announce its decision on a key benchmark interest rate, the 1-year medium-term lending facility rate on Friday and the expectation is no change at 2.50% after a prior cut of 15 basis points.  India Inflation and balance of trade for August will be the focus for the coming week. Inflation data is released on Tuesday and is expected to dip slightly to 7% y/y from 7.44% in July, the highest since April 2022. Balance of trade will be released on Friday and the expectation is for the deficit to widen slightly to -$21 billion from -$20.67 billion in July.   Australia On Monday, the Westpac consumer confidence change for September is expected to improve to 0.6% m/m from a reading of -0.4% m/m in August, following three consecutive interest rate pauses from RBA. The key employment change data for August will be released on Thursday with 24,300 jobs expected to be created, an improvement on the 14,600 reduction in July. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is expected to slip to 3.6% from 3.7% in July. New Zealand Electronic retail card spending for August is due on Tuesday and is forecast to dip to 1.4% y/y from 2.2% in July. That would represent a declining trend in growth in the past five months. Next up, food inflation for August will be released on Wednesday; its growth rate is expected to slow to 7.8% y/y from 9.6% in July. That would be the slowest growth in food inflation since June 2022. Japan A couple of key data points to note for the coming week. Firstly, the Reuters Tankan Index on manufacturers’ sentiment on Wednesday; after a big jump to +12 in August – its highest level recorded so far this year – sentiment is expected to taper off slightly to +10 for September. Producers’ price index for August will be released on Wednesday and a slight dip is expected to 3.2% y/y from 3.6% in July. Lastly, on Thursday, we will have data on machinery orders from July with the consensus expecting a further decline of 10.7% y/y from -5.8% in June. Singapore One key data to focus on is the balance of trade for August which will be out on Friday. The trade surplus is being expected to increase slightly to $7 billion from $6.49 billion in July. That would be the fourth consecutive month of expansion in the trade surplus.  

  Vodafone H1 24 –14/11 – the Vodafone share price has been in a slow decline for the last 5 years, falling to a 25-year low, below 70p in the summer of this year. Since those lows, we've seen a slow recovery as new CEO Margherita Della Valle looks to try and turn the ailing business around. Almost all of its European businesses have proved to be a drain on the balance sheet, which makes the decision last year to reject an €11bn bid last year by Iliad for its underperforming Italian business.   That is now ancient history with the new CEO looking to focus more on the UK business, after announcing last month a €5bn deal to offload its Spanish business to Zegona for €5bn. The increased focus on the UK and German businesses has seen the company agree a deal with Hutchison Holdings take over the running of its UK Three network, while also agreeing an 18-year roaming deal with 1&1 Mobilfunk in Germany.  In Q1 the company reported revenues of €10.74bn, a decline of 4.8%, with declines in all its major markets except the UK, which saw organic services revenues rise 5.7% to £1.7bn. Germany, Italy and Spain all saw revenues decline by 1.3%, 1.6% and 3% respectively. Its smaller South Africa market managed to see a gains of 9%. For H1 revenues are expected to come in at €21.6bn with organic services of €18.4bn, a 5% decline from the same period last year, with Spain expected to see the biggest decline of -3.4%. The UK business is forecast to see a 5.78% rise in organic growth to $2.8bn.   Burberry H1 24 – 16/11 with the share price hitting record highs back in April the outlook was looking good for Burberry, with the shares getting a lift on decent returns from the likes of LVMH, Hermes and the wider luxury sector as Asia demand surged in the wake of the relaxation of lockdown measures in China at the end of last year. Those heady highs seem a long way away now given the sharp declines seen in the luxury sector in the months since then, on the back of a sharp slowdown in demand across all of its markets, and China in particular, with the shares slipping to one-year lows earlier this month. When Burberry reported in Q1 the retailer reported an 18% rise in Q1 sales, pushing quarterly revenue up to £589m, which was below consensus forecasts.   Mainland China saw an increase of 46%, while south Asia Pacific rose 39% and Japan 44%. A poor performance from its US markets saw an 8% decline and it was this that appeared to disappoint along with the fact that various other luxury retailers have reported sharp slowdowns in luxury spending that appears to have dragged the sector lower. Burberry also left full year guidance unchanged in Q1 saying that they still expected to see low double-digit revenue growth for full year 2024.