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Saturday, August 24

24th Aug - Weekly Links #4160


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EUROPE
Sandbu: Europe must be braced for a trio of trade shocks
– FT
It is high time for the EU to unlock the fiscal side of its macroeconomic armoury

Euro zone bank share meltdown brings prices to brink of 1980s – Reuters

Giugliano: The EU’s Next Bad Idea? A So-Called Sovereign Wealth Fund – BB
A $110 billion fund won’t help Europe’s lagging tech sector compete against the U.S. and China.

Bershidsky: Hungary Is Happy to Be Germany's Gatekeeper –
BB
In 1989, the Hungarians pushed an Iron Curtain open. This time, Orban has slammed it shut.

What paying Berlin to borrow for 30 years tells us about Europe – FT

Euro area: PMIs still painful – Nordea
The rebound in the Euro-area PMIs was mildly positive news, but the details remain worrying. The Euro-area economy is too weak to generate meaningful inflation pressures, which means the ECB needs to do more.

  EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

Gilbert: Is the ECB Poised to Fire Up the Whirlybird? – BB
For bond investors, the list of never-seen-before happenings is only getting longer.

ECB discussed changing inflation target as frustration mounts – FT
Governing council considered economic stimulus measures at July meeting, minutes show


ECB Watch: It will be a package deal – Nordea
The account from the July meeting confirmed that the ECB is preparing an easing package for the September meeting. While the central bank does not appear overly concerned about the outlook, it is determined to show it is not out of ammunition.

  ITALY
Editorial: Italian Politics Meet European Rigidity – BB
Italy’s governments are mostly to blame for the country’s problems — but the EU should tread carefully.

Giugliano: Italy's Leaders Leave Us All None the Wiser – BB
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is quitting, but don't expect that to put an end to the country’s political crisis.

Conte resignation shows stakes are high in Italy’s political crisis – FT
Elections or a fresh coalition may follow the prime minister’s departure

Rival Italian parties set out tough stances for deal – FT
Five Star insists on its reform agenda as country’s president considers options

  GERMANY
Germany Readying Stimulus Plan as Contingency for Deep Recession – BB
The German government is getting ready to act to shore up Europe’s largest economy.

Bershidsky: No, Germany Isn't About to Go on a Spending Spree – BB
Finance Minister Olaf Scholz's 50 billion-euro idea is only a contingency plan at this point.

Germany likely to tip into recession, Bundesbank warns – FT
Economy has gone from being the powerhouse of the region to one of its laggards

Dogma and complacency put the German economy at risk – FT
A lack of political ambition, reform and investment when times were good have hobbled the country

Giugliano: Germany Is Only Interested In Saving Itself – BB
It’s taken the threat of a German recession to get the promise of German stimulus. This isn’t how a monetary union like the euro zone is meant to work.

Germany: rethinking the national ideology of balanced budgets – FT
As the economy flirts with recession, Angela Merkel is under pressure to boost spending


Can Germans Get Over Their Allergy to Stimulus Before It’s Too Late? – BB
Merkel’s government has began debating measures, but needs to curry public support.

Germany in Uproar as Negative Rates Threaten Saving Obsession – BB
Finance minister looks into possible ban on deposit charges * Steps to limits banks’ options could escalate spat with ECB


UNITED STATES
Editorial: Steel Yourself for the Trump Slump – BB
It’s getting harder to ignore the threat this president poses to the U.S. and world economies.

Bershidsky: Trump Trolls the Nordics. They Troll Him Back – BB
The U.S. president’s canceled visit to Denmark is part of a weird fixation on the Nordic countries that hurts America’s interests.

  FEDERAL RESERVE

Fed Watch – A quicker pace of Fed rate cuts – ABN AMRO
We now expect the Fed to cut at all three remaining 2019 meetings

Why the Fed will keep cutting – ABN AMRO
The manufacturing sector – which tends to drive the business cycle – is weak and is likely to weaken further.  This is feeding through to slower jobs growth, dampening consumer confidence. This will ultimately drive a broader slowdown (but not a recession). Given the looming slowdown and in the absence of inflationary pressure, we now expect the Fed to cut 25bp at all three remaining FOMC meetings this year. Previously, we expected two further cuts by Q1 2020

Trump Urges Fed Cut of 100 Basis Points, Cites World Economy – BB
President Trump urged the fed to cut interest rates by at least 1 percentage point.

El-Erian: Powell’s Tricky Balance at Jackson Hole – BB
The Fed chairman’s speech on Friday is an opportunity to reset expectations in large or small ways.



OTHER

Global Economic Update – Danske Bank
Stuck in the mud but no hard landing yet
Dealing with the next downturn – BlackRock
From unconventional monetary policy to unprecedented policy coordination

The Hong Kong Dollar and the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg – Marc Chandler
The boldness and persistence of the demonstrators in Hong Kong have captured the attention of the world.

Coal industry stakes survival on carbon capture plan – FT
Is the technology more of a marketing stunt or part of the solution to global warming?


  TRADE WAR

Trump raises Chinese tariffs after stocks tumble – FT
President orders US companies to look for ‘alternative’ to China and faults Fed

Trump Raises Tariffs on China as Frustration Mounts Ahead of G-7 – BB
Tariffs on $250 billion in existing tariffs to go to 30% * Follows Chinese retaliation to earlier Trump tariff move
 

Time is running out for Trump to cut a trade deal – ING
The latest escalation of the trade war is no surprise, but Donald Trump should hurry up to secure a trade deal before his battle for re-election really takes off


Lowest trade levels since 2017 as China announces retaliatory tariffs – ING
World trade growth confirmed a negative trend in June as volumes declined by -1.4% month-on-month (CPB). The outlook for trade was already uncertain, but the additional Chinese tariffs of US$75bn announced today add to likely sluggishness in trade in the second half of the year

China hits back with surprise tariffs – ING
China has eventually retaliated with tariffs but this retaliation is far from the last. Very soon, we expect American companies to be included in China’s “unreliable entity list”. If the trade talks in September don't make much progress, we think USD/CNY to move closer to 7.10 level or even cross 7.10 briefly

  G7 MEETING

Inside Macron’s Plan to Control G-7 and Lecture Trump on Climate – BB
EU leader prepared a containment plan for U.S. president * Merkel sees Trump as wounded by fallout from China trade war

Macron Rips Up Agenda for His G-7 in a Fit of Climate Fury – BB
French president threatens to sink trade deal with Mercosur * Merkel says Macron’s threats are not appropriate response