Main Macro Events This Week
The US June jobs report was another “Goldilocks” set of numbers for the markets, drawing back in workers from the ranks of the long-term unemployed. Broadbased strength in employment not only helped Wall Street rally but the surge in the labor force and tame wage gain allowed Treasury yields to drift lower, since the report offered no incentive for the FOMC to deviate from its “gradual pace” of normalization. Looking forward, inflation data will dominate in the week ahead, with the Fed comfortably close to its 2% target now. The Fed will also release its Monetary Policy Report on Friday with Chairman Powell’s key follow-up semi-annual testimony on July 17.
United States: The US Economic calendar will zero in on inflation statistics for the week of July 9. Modest gains in the CPI and PPI are expected, with the y/y readings remaining above the Fed’s 2% target given hard comparisons. The Import Price Index may reveal weakness related to declining oil prices in the month, but export prices should post a modest gain. Consumer Credit (Monday) is projected to rise $12.0 bln in May, following a $9.3 bln gain in April. JOLTS job openings are due (Tuesday). Headline CPI (Wednesday) is expected to rise 0.2% in June, following a similar gain in May, while core prices are estimated to rise 0.2% as well, the same as in May. Wholesale inventories are expected to rise 0.5% in May (Wednesday), as revealed in the advance report, following a 0.1% gain in the prior month, and sales are estimated to rise 0.5% as well, after a 0.8% gain in April. CPI is forecast to rise 0.2% in June (Thursday), following a similar gain in May. Core prices are estimated to rise 0.2% as well, the same as in May. Initial jobless claims are estimated to fall 18k to 213k in the week ended July 7 (Thursday), reflecting an expected early-July drop related to auto retooling, and the Treasury budget gap may hit to -$133 bln in June. A 0.2% decline is expected in the Import Price Index in June (Friday), due to crude oil weakness, following a 0.6% gain in May, while export prices are expected to continue to move up 0.1%.
Fedspeak kicks back into gear with just a week to go before Chairman Powell’s semi-annual testimony, which will be preceded by the Monetary Policy Report (MPR) on Friday, July 13 at 11:00 ET.
Canada: Canada is focused squarely on the BoC meeting (Wednesday), which it is expected to result in a 25 basis point boost to a 1.50% rate setting. The accompanying monetary policy report should be consistent with additional rate increases, but at a gradual pace. The focus will be on Bank’s view on the ongoing trade/tariff issues, labor market slack and the inflation outlook. A housing-heavy data docket will be an afterthought this week. Housing starts (Tuesday) are expected to moderate to a 190.0k pace in June from 195.6k in May. Building permit values are seen dropping 2.0% in May after the 4.6% contraction in April. The New Home Price Index (Thursday) is projected to reveal a 0.1% dip (m/m, sa) in May after the flat reading in April. Existing home sales for June are expected on Friday. The Teranet/National Bank Housing Price Index for June is also scheduled for Thursday.
Europe: ECB tried to inject calm and prevent rate hike expectations from running ahead when it pledged to keep key rates steady through the summer of next year. But with growth indicators confirming that the recovery is not dead yet and inflation jumping higher, officials are now trying to regain control especially over the short end. ECB speakers will be important in this context. President Draghi will testify to the European Parliament in Brussels (Monday). It will be interesting to see whether he backs recent “source” stories suggesting ECB is eyeing the first rate hike in September/October next year, which would also be the last meetings for Draghi as President.
Final Eurozone June inflation data is expected to confirm the German HICP rate (Thursday) at 2.1% y/y. The French reading (Tuesday) also is at a 2.1% y/y rate which should leave the overall Eurozone number (due July 18) on course to be confirmed at 2.0% y/y. German data in particular bounced back strongly with May production and orders figures. Yet, while ongoing political uncertainty and risks of an escalating trade war have weighed on some confidence measures, there is some room for an upside surprise in German ZEW confidence (Tuesday). Still, this is investor confidence data which is more impacted by uncertainties and concerns about political events and at least the latest real sector numbers out of Germany have been very encouraging. Indeed, after German production growth was reported at 2.6% m/m in May, rebounds are expected in French (Tuesday), Italian (Tuesday) and Eurozone Production figures (Thursday). The calendar also has trade data for Germany.
UK: The calendar is fairly quiet in terms of economic releases, highlighted by the June BRC Retail Sales survey (Tuesday), and May Industrial Production and Trade data (also Tuesday).
The government has — after more than two years from vote-to-leave the EU — finally worked out what it wants from a post-Brexit deal with the EU. This was hammered out in a climactic Cabinet meeting on Friday, which saw the hard Brexiteers give up ground to reach a compromise. The government will seek a “EU-UK free trade area which establishes a common rule book for industrial goods and agricultural products,” which essentially means a single market for goods, along with a “facilitated customs arrangement” to address the need for a frictionless border in Ireland. It remains doubtful that the EU will agree to the free market for goods part, however, having maintained that the UK will not be able to cherry pick which parts of the single market to take part in. It also remains uncertain how effective the proposed frictionless customs arrangement will be. There are now only 5 negotiating weeks left until October, when both the EU and UK are looking to have an agreement in place.
Japan: The May Machine Orders (Wednesday) are seen contracting 5.0% m/m, essentially halving the April 10.1% climb. The May Tertiary Industry Index (Wednesday) is pencilled in slipping 0.1% after rising 1.0% in April. June PPI (Wednesday) should warm up to 2.9% y/y from 2.7%. Also slated is the final May reading on Industrial Production (Friday). It declined 0.2% in the preliminary report, after gains of 0.5% in April, 1.4% in March, and 2.0% in February.
China: It’s the June Trade Report (Friday) that will be the focal point. Inflation reports are also due with June CPI and PPI (Tuesday). CPI is expected to accelerate a bit to a 2.0% y/y pace versus 1.8% y/y previously, with PPI rising to 4.5% y/y from 4.1%. June loan growth and new Yuan loans are tentatively due Tuesday as well.
Australia: In Australia, Housing Investment (Wednesday) features on a thin data docket. A 3.0% drop is expected in May after the 1.4% gain in April. RBA Assistant Governor (Financial System) Bullock speaks at the 5th Bund Summit on Fintech from Shanghai, China (Sunday). The RBA held rates steady last week and maintained expectations for no change for an extended period.
New Zealand: Retail Card Spending (Tuesday) is the only release of note and it is expected at a 0.7% gain (m/m) in June after the 0.4% rise in May. At the June meeting, the RBNZ held rates at 1.75% and opened the door to a rate cut if necessary. The next move is expected to be a rate increase. The next meeting is on August 9.
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Andria Pichidi
Market Analyst
HotForex
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