ING Economic and Financial Analysis

January CPI data in Japan confirmed inflation remains above the Bank of Japan's 2.0% target. The yen “survived” the release, but remains around very weak levels and in FX intervention...

Key points The money available for tax cuts – so-called “headroom” – now equals £18bn, up from £13bn in November, according to our estimates. That's lower than...

Inventories of base metals and steel increased in China over the last week, reflecting slower demand and ample supply in the short termMetals – Global Steel Output FallsSteel inventories at...

We expect an above-consensus 0.4% core PCE read on Thursday, which should support the dollar this week. Eurozone inflation numbers will also be in focus. We expect a decline in the core rate below...

The Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) led equity rally may now have to face the reality of higher rates, and we suspect high-beta currencies are at risk of corrections. Today, the focus will remain on Germany's...

Even if US yields do slip into the weekend, as is quite possible, there are elements next week that will keep the bear phase element to the fore for bonds (watch core PCE carefully). The ECB simply...

US crude oil inventories increased for a fourth consecutive week pushing stocks closer to five-year average levels as domestic demand remains soft. Meanwhile, US natural gas inventory withdrawals...

Gas prices have fallen sharply and that means lower consumer bills The UK energy regulator has announced that household electricity and gas bills will fall by 12% at the start of April, on the back...

In a quiet week for the US events calendar, last night's release of the January FOMC meeting minutes served as a reminder that the Fed is in no rush to cut rates. That was not much of a surprise to...

US crude oil inventories increased more than expected last week, marking the second straight week of larger buildsEnergy: Brent Time Spreads StrengthenThe oil market managed to move higher in the...

Some unfamiliar strength in Chinese equity markets is providing a little strength to non-dollar currencies. And the FX options market hints that investors may not be that pessimistic on EUR/USD after...

US natural gas prices jumped this morning as a major shale driller announced production cuts for the year. In metals, aluminium surged on speculation the White House is planning fresh sanctions on...

The ingredients for more rangebound trading are all there, especially given an uninspiring US data calendar and no impact of Chinese news. However, the ECB’s negotiated wage growth indicator is...

US: Existing home sales and leading index the highlights of next week Federal Reserve interest rate cut expectations have been significantly scaled back in the wake of strong GDP, jobs and consumer...

The UK retail sector started the year on a high. Retail sales bounced by more than 3% in January, fully offsetting a sharp fall in spending over Christmas. Those December figures raised a few eyebrows...

The fall in UK GDP reflects a lot of volatility beneath the surface The UK economy fared worse than expected in the final quarter of last year, and the 0.3% drop in activity in the three months to...