Rubén Segura-Cayuela (BoAML) | We still expect a top-up of the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP) by another EUR500bn to stretch until end-2021- probably announced in December. That will be necessary to accommodate the economy. But it will not suffice to tackle long-term inflation dynamics and faltering expectations. More and longer policy support is needed, urgently.
DWS | There are a few reasons to think that unlike the economy, inflation could see a V-shaped recovery. Recently published inflation data seem to confirm this theoretical view. Without taking into account the energy component, which, thanks to the oil price, fluctuated wildly in 2020, the inflation rate in the Eurozone was 1.3% in June. That is exactly the same level as at the beginning of the year.
Yesterday, Eurostat published the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for June, which rose 0.3% year-on-year. This is a rebound in inflation in the region from the 0.1% rate recorded in May. The figures were in line with analysts’ expectations. However, even with the effect of the German VAT cut, European inflation should become negative again in July.
Miguel Navascués | The Fed is continuing to buy assets and issue money to chosen subjects (for the first time not just the banks). The purchases made so far are more than double those made in 2008. However, the speed of money circulation (i.e., GDP/M2), shows a decline to levels never seen before: each unit of money in circulation moves just $1.4 of GDP. Or, in other words, more and more money is needed to move the same amount of GDP.
Degussa | Most people these days think inflation is a rise in consumer goods prices of more than 2 per cent per year – a result of what mainstream economics has been teaching generations of students all around the world. However, equating inflation with changes in consumer goods prices is inadequate and highly deceptive for various reasons.
The yearly rate of inflation dropped by seven-tenths of a percentage point in March to 0%, after a monthly decline of 0.4%. The result was very close to expectations, and was mainly thanks to the fall in energy products due to the oil price collapse. The main deviation occurred in unprocessed foods’ prices which were inflated due to the increase in fresh fish, vegetables and pulses.
Degussa | Wherever you look: Prices for consumer goods, real estate, stocks and bonds are on the rise. That means that the purchasing power of money is on the decline. For if, say, stock prices go up, your money unit can buy fewer stocks. What it also means is: While people holding assets, whose prices increase, become “richer”, people holding money get “poorer”
J.L. M.Campuzano (Spanish Banking Association) | The European Central Bank (ECB) published on Thursday the statistics for monetary aggregates in January. In January specifically, the growth rate accelerated to 5.2% per year. This increase in the M3 money supply continues to exceed the theoretical level compatible with medium and long-term inflation of 2%. The main contribution was from credit to the private sector, with an increase of 3.4% over last year.
Would inflation rates in the Eurozone increase, if owner-occupied housing costs were introduced? Analysts at DWS doubt it. They put more faith in wages, which play an important role in the price of services (excluding rents).
With a monetary policy that has already used up almost all of its ammunition, the only factor that could restart the inflation would be a powerful tax stimulus. There is a path that is not being given enough attention and that could well be the missing link: the sustainable tax stimulus.