May 19, 2015 20:40 pm UTC| Commentary
Westpac Research notes:NZ swap yields 1 day: Given the movements in interest rates in key markets overnight, the NZ 2yr should open up 1bp at 3.44% while the 10yr should open up 3bp at 4.02%.NZ swap yields 1-3 month: Short...
U.S. housing starts surged twenty percent in April
May 19, 2015 19:08 pm UTC| Commentary
U.S. housing starts surged twenty percent in April, the highest since Nov 2007, and the biggest percent increase since 1991. Housing is a significant driver of jobs with its multiplicative impact on consumer discretionary...
UK households well-placed to endure renewed fiscal squeeze
May 19, 2015 18:54 pm UTC| Commentary
UK households have rarely had it so good - no inflation, strong jobs growth, reviving earnings, a breather from austerity and falling borrowing costs. As a result, Capital Economics expects that real household spending...
Australia Westpac consumer confidence index to gauge households’ reaction to the Federal Budget
May 19, 2015 18:25 pm UTC| Commentary
The Australia Westpac consumer confidence index (01.30 BST) will be one of the first opportunities to gauge households reaction to the Federal Budget.The small business package in particular appears to have been well...
Fall in ZEW investor sentiment dents Germany's economic outlook
May 19, 2015 18:02 pm UTC| Commentary
Mays fall in German ZEW investor sentiment, from +53.3 to +41.9, suggested that growing fears over Greece together with the recent rise in bond yields and appreciation of the euro exchange rate have damaged the economic...
Price pressures remain extremely weak in the euro-zone
May 19, 2015 17:47 pm UTC| Commentary
Marchs euro-zone trade data suggest that the weakness of the euro has still had little impact on net exports.Although exports rose by 1.7% m/m, this was offset by a 3.9% m/m increase in imports. This brought the...
US natural gas prices set to rise further
May 19, 2015 17:27 pm UTC| Commentary
The price of US natural gas has risen sharply since the end of last month and is now back above $3 per mBtu for the first time since the start of March. This is mainly due to slightly colder weather in the US recently...