BoK likely to go for a rate cut

May 14, 2015 10:19 am UTC| Commentary

The BoKs two day meeting starts today. It is expected to leave rates at 1.75%, but there is a small minority (2 out of 10) expecting a 25bps rate cut.With growth and inflation subdued, BoK remains under pressure and the...

US retail sales slowdown but recovery expected

May 14, 2015 08:59 am UTC| Commentary

US core retail sales growth has slowed, on a 3-month basis, to 3.9% (3.4% y/y on the month), which adjusted for inflation is around 2 ½%. Not a disaster, more a return to the trundling growth rate of 2012-2104 than...

Bank of England seems happy with the adjustment in market rate expectations

May 14, 2015 08:57 am UTC| Commentary

Prior to the release of the report by Bank of England there had been some market discussion that the MPC might want to continue the process of signalling to the market that it felt the money market was too flat.Recall that...

UK experiences less sanguine on the supply side but output gap still ½%

May 14, 2015 08:54 am UTC| Commentary

In UK economy, one might expect that lower growth path to lead to a revision of the output gap estimate but in fact it has remained at ½% of GDP.The MPC has also updated its view of the supply side of the economy in...

UK growth profile lower, inflation unchanged at the forecast horizon

May 14, 2015 08:51 am UTC| Commentary

The MPC was confident that the Q1 dip in growth was purely temporary and that much of it would be revised away. The backcast (the Banks forecast of what will be thefinal estimate of GDP for each quarter) shows Q1 growth at...

Data-dependent BoK likely to cut policy rate in June

May 14, 2015 08:47 am UTC| Commentary

The Bank of Korea (BoK) to hold the policy rate at 1.75% at the May MPC meeting. But policymakers cautious stance on further stimulus and the relatively unclearactivity data for March reduced the chances of a cut in...

BCCh to keep rate unchanged at its May meeting

May 14, 2015 06:14 am UTC| Commentary

The BCCh paused in November after having reduced the overnight rate by a total of 200bp to 3.0% since October 2013 and no changes are expected in this stance through this year. The central banks recent statements,...