NAB Morning Call

Friday 20th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABIt’s been a year of surprises. US exceptionalism has long been talked about, but this year it particularly exceptional, particularly in relation to the rest of the world. Growth has picked up, the dollar has strengthened, and the share market has repeatedly hit new highs, driven by Trump, tech and the AI revolution. So, what does 2025 have in store?The entire NAB Morning Call team - Sally, Skye, Ray, Rodrigo, Gavin, Tapas, Taylor and Ken - join Phil to crystal ball gaze on 2025. Will Trump push ahead with his tariff threat? What will that mean for international trade? Will China manage to find the ways and means to stimulate its domestic economy and, it not, what’s the impact on the CNY and the Aussie dollar? Could the Aussie fall below 60 US cents next year?They also discuss the path of central banks next year. Speculation has been rife this year about who will cut when and by how far. There’s no clear agreement on the neutral rate that each bank is striving for. Does that mean we’ll see smaller movement in bond market.A myriad of questions tackled in this special 40-minute episode, the final Morning Call of 2024. We’re back on January 13th, by the way. Usual time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 20th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABAs we recovered in the later editions of the Morning Call yesterday there was a strong market response to the Fed yesterday -from the statement and the press conference. As NAB’s Taylor Nugent explains, there’s been a slight reversal in equity markets today, but nothing significant, and the US dollar continues to push higher. Since then, the Bank of Japan has done as expected, but still managed to weaken the Yen, perhaps because some are now wondering whether a rate rise won’t happen until March. The Bank of England kept on hold, but with a divided board. The Norges Bank and Riksbank did as expected. Meanwhile a s surprise in yesterday’s New Zealand GDP. Good news or bad?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 19th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABThe Fed has cut interest rates as expected, and they have halved the number of cuts they expect next year. As NAB’s Gavin Friend points out, there was only one dissenter, wanting to keep rates on hold. That seems highly likely next time, as the Fed dot plot sees just two cuts next year, eventually aiming for an expected neutral rate close to 3 percent.Also, UK CPI didn’t surprise, and the Bank of England isn’t expected to either, keeping rates on hold, as inflationary pressures, though falling, remain high. The Bank of Japan also meets today. Another case of hold, but an expectation of a small rise early next year. And New Zealand’s economy is expected to show a second quarterly decline this morning.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday 17th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABMarkets were surprised overnight by the increased in UK wages. Alongside the weakness in European data lately, the yield spread between the UK and Germany is now at its highest level since the reunification of Germany in 1990. Other data was less surprising. US retail sales rose, but as much as many had anticipated. Canada’s inflation fell. Aussie consumer confidence was down a little, but not by much and after two months of solid growth. NAB’s Skye Masters talks through the day’s news and looks ahead to the Fed meeting. What could surprise the markets this time tomorrow? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monday 16th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABUS growth continues to lead the way. The latest PMIs showed services growth for Europe and the UK, but not as much as the US. In all cases, though, there’s a fall in the manufacturing PMI. The US strength helped push equities higher - with new highs for the NASDAQ and S&P - and strengthened the US dollar and pushed Treasury yields higher. The data doesn’t stop flowing, even though it’s only a week till Christmas. UK employment data today might do little to influence the Bank of England this week, but if wages growth remains high it’ll support their reticence to cut too quickly. Australian consumer confidence is out today as well. NAB’s Taylor Nugent talks through the numbers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monday 16th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABThe Fed and four other central banks meet this week. NAB’s Ray Attrill says the Fed and the Riksbank will cut rates, whilst the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan and the Norges Bank will all keep rates on hold. Today PMIs are released, which are likely to show a widening gap between US exceptionalism and European gloom. France has a new Prime Minister and Moody’s joining the agencies downgrading their credit rating, assuming the government will be able to do very little to reduce debt in the short term. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 6th December 2024Please note this communication is not a research report and has not been prepared by NAB Research analysts. Read the full disclaimer here.Next year the Australian economy will see slow and measured improvement, according to NAB's CEO Andrew Irvine. It’ll be boosted, though, by the first rate cut, which Andrew says will have a significant impact on the psyche of businesses and consumers.In his first appearance on The Morning Call the NAB boss talks about housing affordability, productivity and how NAB will stand up against its competitors in the banking sector. He gives his views on where Australia will stand in five years’ time, the opportunities we need to engage with, and what’s holding the country back.In many cases he shares his observations of Australia in relation to Canada, a country he knows well. When it comes to productivity and housing, he thinks we can learn a few things. But he admits, the coffee is a lot better here.Join Phil talking to Andrew Irvine in his first at-length interview since taking the role. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 13th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABToday, NAB’s Taylor Nugent talks through the market response to the unexpected fall in Australian unemployment numbers yesterday, with the drop most significant in Victoria. The Swiss National Bank provided another surprise, with a 50bp rate cut, with a 25bp cut from the ECB, accompanied by lacklustre growth forecasts for the next few years. Today, the RBA’s Sarah Hunter is speaking at a lunch in Adelaide, with a Q&A session where the media will undoubtedly ask about the fall in unemployment and how that impacts their rate cut trajectory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 12th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABUS equities pushed higher today as US CPI provided no surprises, or any reason for the fed to deviate from their expected rate cut next week. The Bank of Canada managed a 50bp rate cut yesterday, but it’s likely that cuts will be less frequent and smaller now, as they try to find the neutral rate. The Swiss National Bank, managing an economy that suffered very little from the blight of inflation, could well engineer a 50bp cut today as well. Meanwhile, NAB’s Gavin Friend suggests the ECB, who are expected to cut again today, could move into stimulatory territory next year. Locally, all eyes will be on Australia’s employment data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday 11th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABMarkets have responded to what some have seen as a dovish pivot by the RBA, in the wording of their statement yesterday and the post-meeting press conference. But JBWere’s Sally Auld says there are still inflation concerns, hence NAB is sticking with its expectation that a cut probably won’t happen till May. Still, the Aussie and NZ dollars both took a hit yesterday and are still well down this morning. The US dollar, meanwhile, has been boosted by a sharp rise in small business sentiment in the latest NFIB survey. It’s clearly a Trump bounce. Will his delivery match expectations? And the second dove of Christmas? Well, presumably the Bank of Canada. You can’t get more dovish than a 50bp rate cut, which is what’s expected tonight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tuesday 10th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABBeijing has announced more in the way of fiscal and monetary stimulus to get the Chinese economy back on its feet. NAB’s Ken Crompton says it’s still light on the detail, but it caught markets a little off-guard, with nothing expected till later in the week. The response was most pronounced in Chinese equities, but oil is also higher and so is the Australia and NZ dollars.  Today the RBA is likely to announce that rates won’t budge, but the detail will come from the press conference that follows. The NAB Business Survey is also out today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monday 9th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABWe can expect three central banks to cut rates this week, and one to hold steady. No surprises that the RBA is the one firmly expect to stand pat, but NAB’s Taylor Nugent says a higher-than-expected unemployment rate in Canada saw pricing increase for a 50bpcut by the Bank of Canada this week. Friday’s US non-farm payrolls also increased slightly expectations for a 25bp cut by the Fed next week. US CPI numbers are out middle of the week, but Fed speakers won’t be able to comment with the pre-meeting lockdown in place. The Aussie dollar was the worst performer of the major currencies last week, in part because of Aussie GDP numbers, but also because of global geopolitical uncertainty. There’s even more of that now with the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria and the unknown implications from of the power vacuum it creates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 6th December 2024Please note this communication is not a research report and has not been prepared by NAB Research analysts. Read the full disclaimer here.Have Australians who ignored the rise of the Magnificent Seven lost out? NAB’s Gemma Dale says they will have still done pretty well with Australian equities, which have performed better than many other parts of the world, like the UK and Europe, for example. But how will investors cope with the uncertainties of the next 12 months? How do you plan for Trump’s trade policies, subsequent changes to supply chains and the rising US dollar? How do you look for winners  before they hit the big time? Or do you, as many Aussie investors tend to, simply look for opportunities and buy the dip. Phil talks to Gemma about the year we’ve been through for Australian equity investors and what the next year will bring.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 6th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABThe US releases non-farm payrolls data later today, but NAB’s Rodrigo Catril says if anything is going to shift expectations for a cut by the Fed this month it will be the upcoming CPI data. Meanwhile words from Jerome Powell, that the economy was doing better than expected, can be added to the list of reasons for a pause in the new year. A new PM for France hasn’t been decided yet but will be in the next few days. The turmoil just adds to the European woes, with more lacklustre data over the last 24 hour. And OPEC+, as expected, has pushed back the increase in production and the length of the ramp in those increases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 5th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABAustralia’s growth numbers yesterday were a bit slower than most had expected, although in-line with NAB’s expectations. Nonetheless it was below consensus and NAB’s Gavin Friend says that was brought forward expectations for a rate cut, although that could easily slip back. The short-term impact has been a weaker Aussie dollar against a US dollar which itself falling after a downside surprise on the Services ISM read overnight. A rare bit of soft US economic data, says Gavin. As we pressed record today France was going to vote on the government’s no-confidence motion, whilst Jerome Powell was taking part in a panel discussion that markets have been holding out for. We cover off some of the early take-outs from both. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday 4th December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABIt was a hectic session for geopolitics but, as NAB’s Skye Masters discusses, it hasn’t had much impact on markets. There wasn’t much of a reaction to the imposition of martial law in Korea, which was shortly afterwards overturned by parliament, but placing a question mark over the political life of the President. France has it’s no-confidence vote today, but European uncertainty seems to be priced in. In the US markets paid more attention to the Fed’s Christopher Waller than the rise in job openings and quits. Tonight, Jerome Powell could seal-the-deal as far, as markets are concerned, for a December rate cut. Locally, Australian GDP is the key number. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tuesday 3rd December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABWill Marine Le Penne push all the way to bring down the Barnier government in France? She said on Monday she would support a n confidence vote in the government but, as NAB’s Rodrigo Catril points out, that would force a more constrained default budget, offering none of what her National Party has been fighting for.  Markets are responding to the possibility of a French government collapse this week. Elsewhere, US ISM’s overnight showed the continued strength in the US economy, raising questions about why the need to rush into cuts. Markets are expecting that if there is a rate cut this month, it’ll almost certainly be followed by a pause. Plus, what can we take out from Australian data yesterday, including stronger retail sales. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monday 2nd December 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABThe US is back at work after a long Thanksgiving weekend for many, back just in time for the week of non-farm payroll and other US jobs data, ahead of the Fed this month. Retail sales numbers will be highlight for Australian data today, with NAB’s Tapas Strickland suggesting Friday’s business credit provided further evidence that the RBA’s rates are currently not restrictive, making cuts even less likely in the short term. Also, on Friday hotter than expected Tokyo CPI data could encourage the Bank of Japan to move faster on a rate hike. Plus, the latest download on Trump policies, threats and claims. And today could be decision day for the French budget. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 29th November 2024Please note this communication is not a research report and has not been prepared by NAB Research analysts. Read the full disclaimer here.A weak Yen and low interest rates had been fuelling the Japanese Carry Trade, as retail investors – the Mrs Watanabes – prospered from higher returns overseas. They took a hit from the rising Yen in the third quarter of this year, but Harry Ishihara says they are back, just a little more cautious this time. Harry is a macro strategist for Macrobond and Japan Exchange Group. He talks to Phil about the importance of Japanese retail investors, the continued confidence in Japan’s future, with strong inward investment, and the challenges posed by the new Trump administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 29th November 2024NAB Markets Research Disclaimer Financial Services Guide | Information on our services - NABThe message from the RBA continues to be that there is no rush to drop rates. NAB’s Tapas Strickland highlights a chart presented by Michelle Bullock last night, which showed Australia’s interest rate compared to other leading economies, relative to the expected nominal neutral rate. And the decision on how much and when will be made by a new group next year, as the board of the RBA splits in two, with one responsible purely for monetary policy decisions. Inflation in Germany has slowed a little, but probably not enough for the ECB to make a 50bp cut. Europe continues to be in a world of worry, particularly France, where 10-year yields momentarily fell below Greek yields for the first time ever. But good news for Americans, whose Thanksgiving dinner will have been a bit cheaper this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.