Hard data supportive of CEE exchange rates

The trend in calendar-adjusted IP levels in CEE countries remains stable so far. Some of the latest dips represent recent month-on-month declines, but these are not sharp enough to raise questions about the trend.

Earlier in the month, we saw stable Polish data even after months of decline in the Polish PMI and GDP data this week is also likely to show a robust 3.8% y/y increase. Hungarian IP data for December record a strong 9.4% y/y increase in headline terms, although falling 0.7% m/m after seasonal and working day adjustments.

However, PMI's have been declining in key countries such as Poland and Turkey for several quarters now and is edging lower in Hungary as well. Whether the data merely reflects geo-political risk perceptions rather than demand conditions is yet to be confirmed.

"We remain vigilant for signs of deceleration based on what we have observed with the German Ifo, but for now, the hard data remain supportive of CEE exchange rates." notes Commerzbank in a research note.