Episode Details

Kia ora,

Welcome to Tuesday’s Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.

I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.

Today we lead with news the market pressure on US benchmark interest rates is easing now.

First, an updated Dallas Fed survey showed the Texan manufacturing sector contracted less in November, the least in 2½ years. This was driven by the outlook mood which improved sharply, post election. But this may just be a partisan hope. New order levels actually fell to their worst shrinkage in a year, and continuing a two year trend of shrinkage in this oil-patch region.

And the broader Chicago Fed National Activity Index decreased in October from September to its lowest in nine months in a surprise result that was much worse than market forecasts. This index suggested US economic growth decreased. Current forecasts are that the US economy is growing at just under +2%, although the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow model has it at +2.6%. Anywhere else that sort of expansion would be considered very good for a developed economy.

There was another large US Treasury bond auction this morning, again very well supported. The yield was 4.24% at this event, and higher than the 4.07% median yield at the prior equivalent event a month ago - but not the sort of rise we have seen recently in other maturities.

Singapore’s inflation rate eased to 1.4% year-on-year in October from 2% in the previous month, and below market expectations of 1.8% gain. This marked the lowest inflation rate since March 2021, as prices moderated for housing and utilities.

Taiwanese retail stopped expanding in October after a long run of expansion that started in August 2021.

But Taiwanese industrial production is still growing at a healthy rate, although that rate of growth is slowing. It was up +8.5% in October from a year ago, down from an +11% rise in the year to September. A year ago in October 2023 it was falling +2.3%, so they have come a long way since then.

In China, their central bank injected ¥900 bln into financial institutions via a one-year medium-term lending facility yesterday at an unchanged rate of 2.0%. That compared with the ¥1.45 tln of MLF loans due this month, marking a net cash withdrawal of ¥550 bln.

After the March to August rises, the German IFO sentiment survey returned to its lows for other than the GFC or the pandemic. Analysts see a fading of strength in an economy that was only recently an engine of Europe. And overnight, ThyssenKrupp, the largest steel maker in Germany, said it would cut its workforce by up to 11,000