 Brigitte Bardot, the "impossible dream of married men", will be 80 years of age tomorrow. Now a great grandmother, in a birthday interview for Paris Match, Ms Bardot claimed “I have loved a lot, passionately madly and not at all. Yet, I only keep one man in mind : the next one”. I feel much the same way about economic forecasts. I love a lot, passionately and madly, some not at all. I only keep one forecast in mind - the next one. Especially the next forecasts resulting from the GDP revisions out next Tuesday. The inclusion of drug dealing and prostitution for the first time, will no doubt, boost output and productivity in the UK economy. UK growth forecasts for the year will be revised as a result. The productivity dilemma resolved, understanding economic agents, burn a spliff, lie back and think of England as they contribute to economic growth. Forecast Revisions … Good news from Spain this week, as forecasts of growth have been revised up. The Finance Minister, Luis de Guindos has suggested growth this year will be 1.3% and 2% next. Still some way to go to full employment, the government now expects the unemployment rate to be 22.9% in 2015, down from prior forecasts of 23.3%. In the USA, growth in the second quarter has also been revised up! The annualised rate of growth revised higher to 4.6% from the previous 4.2%. The underlying growth rate (year on year) revised to 2.6% in the quarter. We now expect US growth of 2.5% for the year as a whole, following the slow start in the first quarter. The Manchester Index™, In the UK, the economy is on track for growth of 3.1% this year slowing to 2.8% next according to the latest data from GM Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey and the influential Manchester Index™. The Manchester Index™ index moderated from 33.6 in Q2 to 32.0 in the third quarter largely as a result of the change in outlook for exports. The index remains above the pre recession average for the period 2005 - 2007. The outlook for home orders and deliveries improved slightly in both the service sector and the manufacturing sector. Exports, on the other demonstrated a significant fall in deliveries in both manufacturing and services. Service sector orders fell but the drop in export manufacturing orders was particularly marked. Overall confidence in turnover and profits was maintained and the prospects for employment and investment was particularly marked. Borrowing figures … Government borrowing figures were released this week. Public sector net borrowing was £11.6 billion in August, an increase of £0.7 billion compared with August 2013. For the year to date, total borrowing was £45.4 billion, an increase of £2.6 billion compared with the same period in 2013/14. Receipts in the month were boosted by Stamp duty up 24% and VAT receipts with a recovery in income tax payments, up by 2.4%. The cautionary note, expenditure £54 billion increased by 3.3%. The government is off track to meet the deficit targets this year. The good news, borrowing was revised down for 2013/14 to £99.3 billion. The reduction to £95 billion this year, less of a challenge as a result but there is still much to do with seven months to go before the end of the financial year if the targets are to be hit. So what of base rates … The Governor delivered a speech in Wales this week. “With many of the conditions for the economy to normalise now met, the point at which interest rates also begin to normalise is getting closer. In recent months the judgement about precisely when to raise Bank Rate has become more balanced. While there is always uncertainty about the future, you can expect interest rates to begin to increase. We have no pre-set course, however; the timing will depend on the data.” So what does this mean for UK rates? As we said last week, weak growth in Europe, monetary accommodation in the US, low inflation and earnings data in the UK, will push the increase in UK base rates into 2015. Despite the schism on the committee, the MPC will be reluctant to move ahead of the Fed. The timing will depend on the data. The inflation and pay data says “don’t move yet but February is the best bet”. So what happened to sterling this week? Sterling slipped against the dollar to $1.624 from $1.630 but up against the Euro at 1.280 from 1.270. The Euro closed against the dollar at 1.269 (1.270). Oil Price Brent Crude closed down at $96.83 from $98.08. The average price in September last year was $111.60. Markets, moved down. The Dow closed at 17,017 from 17,291 and the FTSE closed down at 6,649 from 6,837. UK Ten year gilt yields move up to 2.46 from 2.55 and US Treasury yields closed at 2.53 from 2.62. Gold moved sideways at $1,221 from $1,218. That’s all for this week. 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 The prospect of a UK base rate rise before the end of the year receded this week with the release of latest data on inflation and earnings … Retail Prices … Retail price inflation CPI basis slowed to 1.5% in August from 1.6% prior month. Falls in the prices of motor fuels and food provided the largest downward contributions to the change in the rate. Markets expect CPI inflation to average 1.7% over the final quarter of the year, significantly below the MPC benchmark 2% target. Don’t worry about deflation too much, service sector inflation actually increased to a rate 2.7%, as goods inflation fell to 0.6%. Manufacturing Prices … Manufacturing output prices actually fell in August, down by -0.3% compared to a fall of -0.1% in July. Input costs, price of materials and fuels bought by UK manufacturers, fell -7.2% in the year to August, compared with a fall of -7.5% in the year to July. Crude oil costs were down by 14% as price of energy and import costs generally benefited from the weakness of world commodity and trade prices. The appreciation of Sterling helped, up by 8% against the dollar in the month. Home food material costs were down by -10%. Evidence that weak food prices at retail level are not really attributable to supermarket food wars after all. For the moment, inflation, or lack of it, is always and everywhere an international phenomenon. World trade prices are weak. Oil price Brent Crude is trading below $100 per barrel compared to $112 last year. Sterling closed at $1.63 this week up by just 3% compared to September last year. A warning perhaps, the currency contribution may be eroding and the dramatic fall in manufacturing costs may soon be reversed. Unemployment data … The number of people unemployed, claimant count basis fell below 1 million in August, the actual figure was 966,500 and a rate of 2.9%. Over the last six months over 200,000 have left the register. At this rate, job centres will be closing by the end of 2017, there will be no one looking for work. Despite the surging jobs market, pay data remains remarkably weak. Average earnings increased by 0.7% in July. Surprising given the rate of jobs growth. Some evidence of compression is more evident in manufacturing pay, up almost 2% and construction, up by 4%. Retail Sales ... Retail sales rallied in August as volumes increased by 3.9% year on year and values increased by 2.7%. Online sales volumes were up by 8.3% accounting for 11% of all retail transactions. Households are spending and will continue to do so. The August ©GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer confirms households are more optimistic, feel better off and believe it is a good time to spend. So what of base rates …? Janet Yellen, head of the Fed, gave additional guidance on the direction of US rates this week. “The Committee currently anticipates that economic conditions may, for some time, warrant keeping the target federal funds rate below levels the Committee views as normal in the longer run”. “A highly accommodative stance remains appropriate”. There was no real change in the police stance. Markets rallied and the Dow closed above 17,000. Analysts do not expect a rate rise in the USA before June next year. So what does this mean for UK rates? Weak growth in Europe, monetary accommodation in the US, low inflation and earnings data in the UK, will push the increase in UK base rates into 2015. Despite the schism on the committee, the MPC will be reluctant to move ahead of the Fed. No escape from Planet ZIRP just yet, we may regret the delayed take off in the years ahead. So what happened to sterling this week? Sterling rallied against the dollar to $1.630 from $1.626 and well up against the Euro at 1.270 from 1.254. The Euro was down against the dollar at 1.270 (1.297). Oil Price Brent Crude closed down at $98.08 from $97.62. The average price in September last year was $111.60. Markets, move up. The Dow closed at 17,291 from 16,978 and the FTSE closed down at 6,837 from 6,806. UK Ten year gilt yields moved 2.55 from 2.49 and US Treasury yields closed at 2.62 from 2.60. Gold drifted lower at $1,218 from $1,227. That’s all for this week. Join the mailing list for The Saturday Economist or forward to a friend. John © 2014 The Saturday Economist by John Ashcroft and Company. Economics, Strategy and Social Media ... Experience worth sharing. Disclaimer The material is based upon information which we consider to be reliable but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. We accept no liability for errors, or omissions of opinion or fact. In particular, no reliance should be placed on the comments on trends in financial markets. The receipt of this email should not be construed as the giving of investment advice. If you do not wish to receive any further Saturday Economist updates, please unsubscribe using the buttons below or drop me an email at [email protected]. If you enjoy the content, why not forward to a colleague or friend. Or they can sign up here 
 USA ... When will US rates rise? According to the latest survey in the Wall Street Journal, most economists expect the Fed to raise rates in June next year. 40% expect rates to rise in the second quarter and almost half expect the rise to be delayed until the second half of the year. Positive about the prospects for growth in the US, economists believe concerns about Europe and challenges in the Ukraine suggest the Fed will be anxious to hold the rate rise for as long as possible and well into the year ahead. Mark Carney in Liverpool … The Governor was in Liverpool this week speaking to the TUC Annual Congress. Reassuring union members he and 3,600 staff in the Bank of England were paid a living wage, the governor went on to explain the “judgement about precisely when to raise Bank Rate has become more balanced”. “With no pre set course, the timing would depend on the data.” This week, the data suggests there will be no pressure to increase rates anytime soon and probably not before the end of the year. Oil Price … Fears of inflation abate, as the oil price fell below the $100 dollar mark. Despite turmoil in Iraq and Syria, Oil Price Brent Crude closed at $97.62. The average price in September last year was $112. UK manufacturing prices and headline inflation rates will soften as a result. For the moment, the Saudi swing producers are relaxed. The seasonal low will impact and prices will take the hit. Restoration to the $100 - $110 band will follow in the Autumn, demand and supply will adjust to ensure this is the case. Manufacturing … UK Manufacturing output increased by just 2.2% in July after growth of 3.5% in the first half of the year. Output of capital goods and consumer goods was surprisingly week in the month. We have downgraded our forecasts for the third quarter and the year as a whole (3.4%) as a result. Construction output ... UK Construction output growth slowed to 2.6% in July after growth of 6% in the first half of the year. Strong growth in new housing (both public and private) up by 27% and in private industrial (up by 20%) was offset by weakness in infrastructure and related public sector projects. For the year as a whole we expect growth of 4.6% slightly down on the June forecast of 5.1%. UK Trade Figures … The trade deficit (goods) increased to £10.2 billion in July offset by a £6.8 surplus in services. Our forecasts for the year as whole - unchanged as a result. We expect the deficit (trade in goods) to be £30.8 billion in the quarter and £112.5 billion for the year as a whole. Is this a threat to recovery? Not really. The trade in services surplus will reduce the combined deficit in the year, to around £30 billion. Less than 2% of GDP, the deficit is easily funded. No pressure on policy makers to increase rates, assuming overseas dividends recover to finance the shortfall. Growth in the UK … Despite the soft figures in manufacturing and construction in July, our forecast for growth in the UK in the Q3 and for the year as a whole remains unchanged around 3.1% So what of base rates … Last week, base rates were held at 50 basis points. The chances of a rate rise before the end of the year are receding. Next week’s inflation and retail figures will be soft but the labour stats will suggest further tightening in the claimant count and vacancy rates. There will be nothing in next week’s data to precipitate a rate rise this year. So what happened to sterling this week? Sterling fell against the dollar to $1.626 from $1.630 and down against the Euro at 1.254 from 1.259. The Euro was up against the dollar at 1.297 (1.295). Oil Price Brent Crude closed down at $97.62 from 100.98. The average price in September last year was $111.60. Markets, move down slightly. The Dow closed down at 16,978 from 17,103 and the FTSE closed down at 6,806 from 6,855. UK Ten year gilt yields move up to 2.55 from 2.49 and US Treasury yields closed at 2.60 from 2.44. Gold was further tarnished at $1,227 from $1,265. That’s all for this week. Join the mailing list for The Saturday Economist or forward to a friend. John © 2014 The Saturday Economist by John Ashcroft and Company. Economics, Strategy and Social Media ... Experience worth sharing. Disclaimer The material is based upon information which we consider to be reliable but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. We accept no liability for errors, or omissions of opinion or fact. In particular, no reliance should be placed on the comments on trends in financial markets. The receipt of this email should not be construed as the giving of investment advice. If you do not wish to receive any further Saturday Economist updates, please unsubscribe using the buttons below or drop me an email at [email protected]. If you enjoy the content, why not forward to a colleague or friend. Or they can sign up here 
 No surprise this week as MPC votes to hold rates … It’s that time of month again …The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to maintain Bank Rate at 0.5%. The Committee also voted to maintain the stock of purchased assets at £375 billion. The minutes of the meeting will be published on the 17 September. Can’t wait! The hawks views may have been subdued by the latest data on retail sales and earnings data but the economics news this week remains bullish about growth this year. Car Sales … Car sales in August were up by 9% in the month and just over 10% in the year to date. The UK is on track to sell 2.45 million cars this year. That’s higher than the pre crash levels recorded in 2007. Commercial vehicle sales were up almost 12% in August, increasing by 13% for the year to date. The car market remains a powerful indicator of consumer confidence and spending trends. August, with registrations of just 72,000, is no longer a big month for sales. September is the one to watch with over 400,000 new car sales recorded last year, 425,000 a hurdle number! UK Survey Data … The Markit/CIPS UK PMI® surveys for August were released this week. Chris Williamson, Chief Economist at Markit, claimed “An acceleration of growth in the services sector and an on-going construction boom offset a weakened performance in manufacturing in August. The three PMI surveys indicate that the economy grew at the fastest rate since last November, providing further ammunition for policymakers arguing for higher interest rates.” In the service sector, activity growth was the strongest for ten months. The headline Business Activity Index recorded 60.5 up from 59.1 in July, representing the sharpest monthly improvement in activity since October 2013. In the construction sector, output appears to have risen at the fastest pace for seven months. The key index recorded a level of 64.0 in the month, up from 62.4 in July. Residential construction posted the fastest growth in activity. News from the manufacturing sector disappointed slightly. The Manufacturing PMI index posted 52.5 in August, down from 54.8 in July. Albeit a 14 month low, the index is still in growth (above 50) territory. Domestic sales dominate, export demand is strong in North America, the Middle East and China but obvious problems in European order books persist. So what of the rest of the world? US jobs disappoint but Fed still on track to tighten … The US labour market added 142,000 new jobs in August, significantly below consensus expectations and well below the 225,000 average over the prior six months. The unemployment rate fell to 6.1%. Positive news on car sales and manufacturing output also hit the headlines … “The data doesn’t say the economy is slowing down but it does not suggest it is accelerating much either” according to Steven Blitz chief economist at ITG Investment Research. Nor we would add, is there much in the data to suggest the Fed will stray from the path of gently monetary tightening in the first half of 2015. In Europe … The ECB adopted further measures in an attempt to stimulate the slow recovery and low inflation in the Eurozone. Growth in Q2 increased by 0.7% compared with Q2 last year with some evidence of a slow down in Germany. Inflation fell to 0.3% and unemployment remained stubbornly high at 11.5%. The ECB lowered policy rates by 10 basis points, the refinancing rate moved down to 0.05%, the marginal lending facility fell to 0.3% and the deposit rate was pushed further into negative territory, dropping to -0.2%. No escape from Planet ZIRP in prospect! Despite the concerns about deflation, GDP is forecast to increase by 0.9% in 2014 and 1.6% in 2015. Low prices are an international phenomenon, not confined to Europe. Negative rates and QE are unlikely to provide the solution to low commodity prices. A slow for recovery for Europe is in prospect. Marooned on Planet ZIRP, digging up the runway will not improve the timetable for takeoff and escape. There is an old Iberian imprecation, “May the builders be in your home”. Far worse - the curse “May the academics be in your central bank”. So what of base rates … In the UK base rates were held at 50 basis points with no additions to the asset purchase programme. The chances of a rate rise before the end of the year are receding. Hot money is moving to February for the first rate hike but if the bad news from Europe continues, the hike may be post hustings after all. Is this at odds with the latest data? Of course. Demand conditions are strong, the labour market is tightening, recruitment challenges are increasing and skill shortages are ubiquitous. Pay and earnings remain subdued and international energy and commodity prices remain low. For the moment the inflation target remains within reach, easing the grip of the hawks on monetary policy. So what happened to sterling this week? Sterling fell against the dollar to $1.630 from $1.658 and down against the Euro at 1.259 from 1.261. The Euro was down against the dollar at 1.295 (1.314). Oil Price Brent Crude closed down at $100.98 from 102.19. The average price in September last year was $111.60. Markets, move up slightly. The Dow closed up at 17,103 from 17,084 and the FTSE closed up at 6,855 from 6,819. UK Ten year gilt yields move up to 2.49 from 2.37 and US Treasury yields closed at 2.44 from 2.33. Gold was slightly tarnished at $1,265 from $1,286. That’s all for this week but we would like to introduce the Bracken Bower Prize to our readers! John Introducing the Bracken Bower Prize The Financial Times and McKinsey & Company, organisers of the Business Book of the Year Award, want to encourage young authors to tackle emerging business themes. They hope to unearth new talent and encourage writers to research ideas that could fill future business books of the year. A prize of £15,000 will be given for the best book proposal. The Bracken Bower Prize is named after Brendan Bracken who was chairman of the FT from 1945 to 1958 and Marvin Bower, managing director of McKinsey from 1950 to 1967, who were instrumental in laying the foundations for the present day success of the two institutions. This prize honours their legacy but also opens a new chapter by encouraging young writers and researchers to identify and analyse the business trends of the future. The inaugural prize will be awarded to the best proposal for a book about the challenges and opportunities of growth. The main theme of the proposed work should be forward-looking. In the spirit of the Business Book of the Year, the proposed book should aim to provide a compelling and enjoyable insight into future trends in business, economics, finance or management. The judges will favour authors who write with knowledge, creativity, originality and style and whose proposed books promise to break new ground, or examine pressing business challenges in original ways. Only writers who are under 35 on November 11 2014 (the day the prize will be awarded) are eligible. They can be a published author, but the proposal itself must be original and must not have been previously submitted to a publisher. The proposal should be no longer than 5,000 words – an essay or an article that conveys the argument, scope and style of the proposed book – and must include a description of how the finished work would be structured, for example, a list of chapter headings and a short bullet-point description of each chapter. In addition entrants should submit a biography, emphasising why they are qualified to write a book on this topic. The best proposals will be published on FT.com. Full rules for The Bracken Bower prize are available here or here http://membership.ft.com/PR/brackenbower/ © 2014 The Saturday Economist by John Ashcroft and Company : Economics, Corporate Strategy and Social Media ... Experience worth sharing. The material is based upon information which we consider to be reliable but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. We accept no liability for errors, or omissions of opinion or fact. In particular, no reliance should be placed on the comments on trends in financial markets. The receipt of this email should not be construed as the giving of investment advice. 
 Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day Teach a man to fish - and you feed him for a lifetime! Yep - The old proverbs are great at summation but sometimes over looking the broader implications of the proposition. For the fisherman, thrusting a rod into hands is not enough. We have to preserve fish stocks, avoid pollution and ensure the piscators have a boat to reach the offshore shoals. A bit of international regulation helps, to guarantee the floating fish factories don’t suck away the livelihood of the locals. Yes, you can teach a man to fish but you leave him with nothing more than a stick in his hands and a soft line dangling into empty waters, unless broader policy issues are addressed. The great enemy of the truth is … What has this got to do with economics you may ask? We have to ensure the first principles of any proposition are covered in depth. JFK would say, “The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie - deliberate, contrived and dishonest but the myth - persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.” I feel the same way about QE, as I do about fishing. Allegedly stimulating growth and inflation, QE is a process in which central bankers buy debt from the debt management office underwritten by Treasury. In the UK HMT can then claim back the yield coupon eliminating the cost of debt issuance. It’s “money for nothing, gilts for free” a form of Dire Straits economics, which does little or nothing for growth or inflation. It is a combination of debt monetisation and financial repression. Ten year gilt yields at 2.3% are symptoms of the malaise, a combination of an over long stay on planet ZIRP with a toxic dose of QE, from time to time, in a misguided attempt to sustain life. QE is not the answer for Europe … In the UK, QE, intellectually discredited, came to an abrupt end in 2012. The Fed will terminate the US experiment in October this year. In Japan the nonsense persists. Kuroda, the Governor of the Bank of Japan continues with a QE programme worth $1.4tn (£923bn) despite the damage to the international gilt curve. This is the economy which introduced a sales tax in April, to stimulate inflation, ignoring the impact on demand and output. The impact on revenues muted in the process. In Europe, the torpor of the Euro economy continues, with news of rising employment and falling inflation. The Economist leads with “That Sinking Feeling Again” but what can Draghi do? Interest rates at the floor, Draghi can do no more, than talk down the Euro with a hint of QE to come. Why hold back? The ECB well understand, if there is nothing more powerful than idea whose time has come, there can be nothing more impotent or futile as an idea, for which the time has been and gone. So it is with QE, in part the problem of deflation lies elsewhere …. No Carnival in Brazil … In South America the bad news continues, a technical default in Argentina, major challenges in Venezuela and a down grade of growth forecasts in Brazil to just over 1% this year. An awful lot of coffee but no pick me up in Brazil as the world cup damaged output. Let them eat cacao but not watch football, the lesson from history. The latest data on world trade suggest that growth increased by 3.2% in the second quarter compared to 2.7% in Q1. The US recovery is assisting the process with news of a US GDP revision in the second quarter to growth of 2.5% compared to the earlier estimate of 2.4%. The world is recovering … So what of world prices? Deflation may be the spectre that haunts Europe but world price trends are partly to blame. World trade prices increased by just 0.4% in the second quarter after a fall of 1% in Q1. Oil, energy and commodity prices remain subdued. No rising prices as yet, so rates may be on hold for a bit longer … So what of base rates … Flip flops are becoming the footwear of choice for central bankers. Mark Carney, the unreliable boyfriend, started the fad, closely followed by Janet Yellen, fishing for answers in Wyoming last week. The consensus is for UK rates to rise by 25 basis points in February, as a rate rise before the end of the year is ruled out. So what happened to sterling this week? Sterling closed unchanged against the dollar at $1.658 from $1.657 but up against the Euro at 1.261 from 1.252. The Euro was down against the dollar at 1.314 (1.324). Oil Price Brent Crude closed down at $102.19 from 102.32. The average price in August last year was $111.28. Markets, rallied on the fishing report from Wyoming. The Dow closed up at 17,084 from 17,031 and the FTSE closed up at 6,819 from 6,775. UK Ten year gilt yields slipped to 2.37 from 2.41 and US Treasury yields closed at 2.33 from 2.34. Gold was slightly tarnished at $1,286 from 1,302. That’s all for this week. Join the mailing list for The Saturday Economist or please forward to a friend. John © 2014 The Saturday Economist by John Ashcroft and Company. Economics, Strategy and Social Media ... Experience worth sharing. Disclaimer The material is based upon information which we consider to be reliable but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. We accept no liability for errors, or omissions of opinion or fact. In particular, no reliance should be placed on the comments on trends in financial markets. The receipt of this email should not be construed as the giving of investment advice. If you do not wish to receive any further Saturday Economist updates, please unsubscribe using the buttons below or drop me an email at [email protected]. If you enjoy the content, why not forward to a colleague or friend. Or they can sign up here *|MC:SHARE|* 
 Deficits with inky blots and rotten parchment bonds sustained - of Balance of Payments and Public Sector Finances.
Earlier this month is his speech at the Mansion House, Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, referenced the Sterling Crisis of 1931 and imbalances within the economy. “We need balance. One has only to look back to 1931 when Britain’s economic prospects were strained by a large budget deficit and a deteriorating balance of payments. In the ensuing crisis, the government of the day resigned, sterling was forced off the gold standard" [and the Governor of the day went back to Canada.] In 2014, despite significant internal and external deficits, neither the resignation of the government, nor the repatriation of the Governor of the Bank of England appears imminent. It is however, worth revisiting 1931 and recalling the worlds of Sir Warren Fisher, permanent secretary to the Treasury. In September of that year, Sir Warren Fisher, warned Cabinet, of the Balance of Payments Crisis and the National Budget problem - "Deficits with inky blots and rotten parchment bonds sustained". He could easily have been talking of the present day, QE and debt monetisation. Trade Deficit ... Fisher 1931: The seriousness of the financial difficulties which are engaging public attention is perhaps not fully realised. The root cause of the "run on Sterling" on the part of the foreign depositor is the fact of our living beyond our means as evidenced by our ordering from abroad more goods than we could pay for and therefore our owing to other countries more in dollars and francs than they owe to us in sterling.” Public Sector Finances … Fisher 1931: Closely associated with this fact in the foreign mind is the question of our national Budget. After the war a certain number of countries continued to have difficulties in balancing their budgets and instead of pulling in their belts, resorted to the expedient of meeting deficits by printing innumerable bank or currency notes. Whenever this was done, the national currency lost much or all of its value i.e. purchasing power, and with the corresponding rise in prices, hardship, even hunger, was widespread. Consequently, when any of these countries subsequently desired financial assistance from other countries before the citizens of the latter could be induced to lend, they insisted on the borrowing country balancing its budget. And no one was more emphatic than ourselves in preaching this doctrine. National Budget … Fisher 1931: A national Budget has thus come to be regarded as a touchstone of a country's financial stability second only in importance to its international balance of trade; and if, as the case at present with us, we are "down" on our balance of trade with other countries, foreigners to whom we owe money automatically turn a microscope on to our Budget. And if the Budget is not really balanced, but is merely dressed up to look as though it were, the distrust abroad of our soundness would be intensified. Any expectation that we might continue on a "rake's progress" would complete the destruction of international confidence and thus result in the final collapse of our greatest asset, i.e. our credit. Living beyond our means … Fisher 1931: The remedy is to reverse the process which has been responsible for the trouble, and this means that instead of living at a level which has entailed ordering abroad more goods than we can pay for, we must relate our orders to our capacity to pay. And unless we can produce and sell abroad more goods (including "services") than we have been doing, we shall be forced to cut down our orders abroad, and our and our standard of living must be reduced accordingly. Consequences ... If not the epitaph of us English of to-day will be written by historians to come in Shakespeare' words (Richard II , Act 2, Scene l ) "England, bound in with the triumphant sea, Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege of watery Neptune, Is now bound in with shame, with inky blots and rotten parchment bonds. That England, that was won’t to conquer others, hath made a shameful conquest of itself". Lessons from History And so history is revisited. With inky blots and rotten bonds sustained. The latest data on the Public Sector Finances is hardly reassuring and the trade deficit will continue to present a problem for an economy growing faster than major trading partners. Note "By the Secretary, The attached memorandum by Sir Warren Fisher is circulated to the Cabinet by instructions from the Prime Minister. (Signed) M. P. A. HANKEY Secretary, Cabinet, Whitehall Gardens, SW1. September 14th, 1931. Footnote : Up to this time the pound sterling, has for international purposes been valued and accepted as the equivalent of a gold pound or of 4.00 dollars or 124 Francs. The Financial and Economic Position of the United Kingdom 1931. Memo to Cabinet from Sir Warren Fisher, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury September 1931. Deficits with Inky Blots and Rotten Parchment Bonds sustained. This article was originally published John Ashcroft.co.uk in July 2009. References : Fun with the National Archives : Cabinet Papers  The MPC left rates on hold this week. We will have to wait a few weeks to find out if the vote was unanimous. For the moment the consensus view is likely to have held. But for how long will this be the case? Forward Guidance is already becoming confused by statements from Martin Weale and Charlie Bean. By the Autumn, the Bank may adopt Dr Doolittle’s pushmi.pullyu animal as a mascot. So thin - the margin of spare capacity - for consensus. The timing of rates is likely to become more polarised amongst MPC members. Who will make the first move? The “Wad is on Weale” to be the first to break ranks. UK data suggest rates may rise sooner … The UK data continues to suggest rates may have to rise sooner than forward guidance implies. Car sales in of May were up by almost 8% in the month and by 12% in the year to date. According to Nationwide, house prices increased by 11% in the twelve months to May. The Halifax House Price data suggested house prices increased by almost 9% over the same period. According to Stephen Noakes, Halifax Mortgages Director : “Housing demand is very strong and continues to be supported by a strengthening economic recovery. Consumer confidence is being boosted by a rapidly improving labour market and low interest rates”. Christine Lagarde and the IMF squad were in the UK this week. The IMF has warned that house prices pose the greatest threat to the UK recovery. It called on the Bank of England to enact policy measures "early and gradually" to avoid a housing bubble. The Fund's annual health check, suggested the UK economy has "rebounded strongly” confirming growth would "remain strong this year at 2.9%”. The IMF also suggested growth is becoming “more balanced” but … Trade deficit deteriorates … There was no evidence of rebalancing in the trade figures for April. The trade deficit in goods increased to £2.5 billion in the month as the deficit (trade in goods) increased to almost £10 billion. OK, someone forget to include all the oil data in the month, which may have under stated exports by £700 million but this is a minor detail. We expect the deficit (trade in goods) to be between £112 billion and £115 billion offset by a £50 billion service sector surplus this year. No rebalancing on the trade agenda, as we have long explained. Markit/CIPS UK PMI® Survey Data The Markit/CIPS UK PMI® survey data was also released this week. “The UK manufacturing upsurge continued”. The Manufacturing PMI index was 57.0 in May, down slightly from 57.3 in April. The survey noted strong growth in output and new orders. There was also a sharp rise in construction output. House building remained the strongest performing area of activity. The headline index was signaling growth for the thirteenth successive month at 60.0, compared to 60.8 prior month. The headline service sector index continued in positive territory at 58.6 compared to 58.7 last month. Service sector employment growth increased at the fastest rate in 17 years. Interest rate outlook … The strong growth in consumer spending, retail sales, car sales and the housing market continues. The outlook for output remains strong in construction, manufacturing and the service sector. We expect investment activity to increase this year. The unemployment rate will continue to fall, placing greater pressure on wage settlements, leading to an increase in earnings into the second half of the year. The trade deficit will continue to deteriorate albeit at a rate which is offset by the strength of the service sector surplus. Sterling will probably hold at current levels for the rest of the year. Inflation, will remain around target, such is the weakness of international energy and commodity prices for the near future. With such a strong outlook for the domestic economy, rates should probably be on the rise by the Autumn of this year. However the MPC will be reluctant to move ahead of the Fed and the ECB. USA and Europe ... In the USA, Friday’s strong jobs report confirmed the economy is improving following the slight setback in the first quarter. Non farm payroll increased by over 200,000 as the unemployment rate held at 6.3%. For the year as a whole, the Fed may downgrade the growth forecast to around 2.7% from 3% currently. For the moment, forward guidance suggests US rates may begin to rise in the second quarter of 2015 but the outlook may be shortened, if the job trends continue. In Europe, the ECB is heading in another direction. The growth forecast within the Eurozone is just 1% this year but officials are concerned about the prospect of deflation. The latest HICP figure confirmed prices increased by just 0.5% compared to 0.7% prior month. The ECB decided to lower the interest rate on the main refinancing operations of the Eurosystem by 10 basis points to 0.15% and the rate on the marginal lending facility by 35 basis points to 0.40%. The rate on the deposit facility was lowered by 10 basis points to -0.10%. To support bank lending to households and business, excluding loans for house purchase, the ECB will be conducting a series of targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTROs) valued at €400 billion over a four year period. The scheme follows the success of the UK Funding for Lending Scheme. So what of forward guidance … Domestic considerations suggest UK rates should be on the rise towards the end of the year. For the moment, forward guidance in the UK and the USA suggests rates will be held until the second quarter of 2015. This may change, if the trends in job growth continue here and in the USA. In Europe, forward guidance is more concerned with the prospects of deflation and a “lost decade”. An increase in rates is not on the “horizon” nor even in the appendix. So what happened to sterling this week? The pound closed up against the dollar at $1.679 from $1.675 and unchanged against the Euro at 1.231 (1.230). The dollar closed broadly unchanged at 1.364 from 1.362 against the euro and at 102.53 (101.80) against the Yen. Oil Price Brent Crude closed down at $108.48 from $109.35. The average price in June last year was $102.92. It is summer after all. Markets, the Dow closed up at 16,899 from 16,682 and the FTSE moved up to 6,858 from 6,852. UK Ten year gilt yields closed at 2.64 (2.56) and US Treasury yields closed at 2.55 from 2.46. Gold held at $1,250 from $1,251. That’s all for this week. Join the mailing list for The Saturday Economist or forward to a friend. John © 2014 The Saturday Economist by John Ashcroft and Company. Experience worth sharing. The material is based upon information which we consider to be reliable but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. We accept no liability for errors, or omissions of opinion or fact. In particular, no reliance should be placed on the comments on trends in financial markets. The receipt of this email should not be construed as the giving of investment advice.   It may have taken some time but households across Britain have finally come to terms the with strength of the recovery. According to GfK, the UK Consumer Confidence Barometer increased to levels last seen in the early part of 2005. Rejoice - we are having a recovery - would have been the Conservative mantra under Prime Minister Thatcher. Confidence in the economic situation of the country, increased to the highest level EVER, since records released in 2004. The propensity to spend is back to levels of 2006, even though the financial situation of households index is still below pre recession numbers. No surprise, perhaps, but with interest rates at such low levels, there is no real uptick in the intentions to save - for the moment at least. Interest Rates set to rise … Maybe households are waiting for the rates to rise. According to Markit®, nearly one in four households expect a rate rise within the next six months … almost half expect rates to rise within the next twelve months. Chris Williamson, Chief Economist at Markit® said, “the recent upbeat news-flow on the economy, strong economic growth in the first quarter, record employment growth and surging house prices, means an increasing number of people think it inevitable that policymakers will be forced into an earlier rate hike than previously envisaged.” Quite right! In fact almost ten per cent, think rates are set to rise within the next three months! So much for forward guidance from the Bank of England. Charlie Bean and Baby Steps … Charlie Bean, the outgoing (as in departing) deputy governor of the Bank of England has suggested “The argument for gradual rises suggests rates should start to go up sooner. The rise could start with “baby steps to avoid making mistakes”. “There’s a case for moving gradually because we won’t be quite certain about the impact of tightening the Bank rate, given everything that has happened to the economy.” The sentiment was also echoed by MPC member Martin Weale, this week. "We can wait a bit longer. How long that 'bit longer' will be I'm not sure.” Ah yes, the merits of forward guidance and a clear steer on monetary policy. Governor Carney will have to whip the MPC troops into line if we are to avoid complete confusion on the direction of rates. The Bank would still have us believe rates will rise in the second quarter of next year. UK rates should rise in the Autumn … In our Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Economic Quarterly Outlook, to be released next week, we begin to caution, UK rates should be on the rise in the Autumn, if the present trends in household spending, retail sales and the housing market continue. From an international perspective, the MPC will be reluctant to act ahead of the Fed and the ECB. In the first quarter, US GDP recorded growth of just 2% year on year, postponing, perhaps, the inevitable rate rise. In Europe, fears of deflation may force the ECB to act, to ease, rather than tighten, monetary conditions still further in the June meeting. Japan ends fears of deflation … In Japan, fears of deflation have been assuaged by Abenomics. The solution to fears of falling prices - increase the rate of sales tax and push up prices! Japanese inflation increased by over 3% in April, half of which is explained by the hike in taxes! Fears may later emerge about the slow down in growth, such is the Ground Hog day experience of the lost decade but for the moment, rejoice - the deflationary spiral has been broken in the East! Good News for growth in the UK … Good news for growth in the UK continued this week according to today’s Financial Times. Drugs and prostitution will add £10 billion to the UK economy. Yes, the news that prostitution and drugs will be included in the calculation of the National Accounts from September onwards, adding a new dimension to the “Service Sector” offer. The change will add almost £10 billion to the National Accounts. Hookers will contribute £5.3 billion to “output” (GDP(O)) and drug addicts will add £4.4 billion to the calculation of expenditure (GDP(E). According to ONS research, in 2009, 60,879 prostitutes serviced 25 clients per week at an average spend of £67.19. Don’t you just love economics! If only "tricks" paying 19p could be persuaded to spend more … that would be a recovery! So what happened to sterling this week? The pound closed down against the dollar at $1.675 from $1.682 and down against the Euro at 1.230 (1.234). The dollar closed broadly unchanged at 1.362 from 1.363 against the euro and at 101.80 (101.97) against the Yen. Oil Price Brent Crude closed down at $109.35 from $110.52. The average price in May last year was $102.30. Markets, the Dow closed up at 16,682 from 16,593 and the FTSE moved up to 6,852 from 6,815. The markets are set to move higher. UK Ten year gilt yields closed at 2.56 (2.63) and US Treasury yields closed at 2.46 from 2.52. Gold moved down to $1,251 from $1,293. That’s all for this week. Join the mailing list for The Saturday Economist or forward to a friend. John © 2014 The Saturday Economist by John Ashcroft and Company. Experience worth sharing. The material is based upon information which we consider to be reliable but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. We accept no liability for errors, or omissions of opinion or fact. In particular, no reliance should be placed on the comments on trends in financial markets. The receipt of this email should not be construed as the giving of investment advice. 
 It was one of those heavy weeks for economics releases. Inflation, retail sales, government borrowing plus the eagerly awaited second estimate of GDP. Add in ONS house price information and a heady cocktail of excited headlines was to be expected from the financial pages. Inflation data as expected … It began quietly enough with the inflation data. No surprises, CPI inflation edged up to 1.8% in April from 1.6% in the prior month. The large rise in service sector inflation to 2.8% from 2.3% was offset by a small decline in goods inflation, falling to 0.9% from 1.0%. The uptick was marginally reflected in producer prices, increasing to 0.6% from 0.5%. The more volatile input costs, fell at a slower rate -5.5%, from -6.3% prior month. Energy and oil prices, were again significant in the reduced input costs. Imported metals, chemicals, parts and equipment fell significantly assisted by the 10% appreciation of sterling against the dollar. For the year as a whole, we think inflation will hover close to the target for the best part of the year. The risk remains to the upside in the final quarter. A rise in international prices, and domestic demand, boosted by compression in the labour market is likely to push prices higher. No risk of deflation on the UK horizon, a real risk to the upside is developing. House Prices .. UK house prices increased, according to the ONS data, by 8% in the twelve months to March. “The house market may derail the recovery", the headline. “Carney believes that house prices are the biggest risk to the economy” the great caution. No matter, that house prices increased by over 9% in the prior month or that house prices outside London are increasing by just 4% on average. In the North West prices increased by just over 3%, in Scotland prices hardly increased at all. In London, house prices increased by 17%. Foreign cash buyers at the top end of the market may be confusing the overall trend. However, significant volume and price escalation in the mid tier market is also impacting on price averages. Governor Carney has made it clear interest rates will not rise to combat rising house prices. The remit to action lies with the Financial Policy Committee. Already, action has already been taken to modify the Funding for Lending Scheme away from mortgage lending. Discussions between the Bank and Treasury will continue to consider modifications to the “Help to Buy Scheme”. Implementation of the Mortgage Market Review will also curb lending into 2014. There is a structural problem in the housing market. Mark Carney, Governor of Threadneedle Street, points out that Canada has half the population of the UK but builds twice as many houses. No wonder there is a supply issue. But is the Bank of England prepared to help out? Not really. The Little Old Lady will not turn a sod, grab a hod nor build a single house this year. “We are not in the business of building houses” the Governor’s mantra. The Bank of England will not build a single house in this cycle but neither will it allow the housing market to derail the recovery, provoking a premature move in base rates. Retail Sales … Retail sales figures, on the other hand, suggest rates may have to rise much sooner than expected. Retail sales volumes increased by 6.8% in April compared to prior year. It was May 2004 when retail sales volumes increased at a similar rate. Base rates were 4.75% at the time rising to over 5% within eighteen months. Retail sales values increased by just over 6%. Online sales increased by 13%, accounting for 11% of total action. Consumer confidence is back to the pre recession levels, car sales are up by 8% this year and retail sales are soaring. From a UK perspective, rates should be on the move by the Autumn of this year. The MPC will be reluctant to move ahead of the Fed and the ECB. The international context suggests the rate rise may be delayed until the second quarter of 2015. Thereafter, for those who would argue the forward horizon has 2.5% cap, the retail sales figures and base rate history should provide a warning of surprises to come. GDP Second Estimate … No surprises in the second estimate of GDP release for Q1. No revisions. The UK economy grew by 3.1% boosted by an 8% surge in investment activity. Manufacturing and Construction increased by over 3% and 5% respectively. The economy is rebalancing … well a little bit! Our May Quarterly Economics Update on behalf of GM Chamber of Commerce is released next week. The outlook for the year remains broadly unchanged. We expect the UK economy to grow by around 3% this year and 2.8% in the following year. The surge in retail activity has been a surprise, as is the continued strength in employment. The outlook remains much the same. Growth up, inflation rising slightly, employment increasing and borrowing, despite the blip in April, set to fall. Just the trade figures will continue to disappoint as we have long pointed out. So what happened to sterling? The pound closed broadly unchanged against the dollar at $1.682 from $1.683 and up against the Euro at 1.234 (1.227). The dollar closed at 1.363 from 1.370 against the euro and at 101.97 (101.54) against the Yen. Oil Price Brent Crude closed up at $110.52 from $109.91. The average price in May last year was $102.3. Markets, the Dow closed up at 16,593 from 16,447 but the FTSE adjusted to 6,815 from 6,855. The markets are set to move, the push before the summer rush perhaps. UK Ten year gilt yields closed at 2.63 (2.56 and US Treasury yields closed at 2.52 from 2.51. Gold was unchanged at $1,293 from $1,293. That’s all for this week. Join the mailing list for The Saturday Economist or forward to a friend. John © 2014 The Saturday Economist by John Ashcroft and Company. Experience worth sharing. The material is based upon information which we consider to be reliable but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. We accept no liability for errors, or omissions of opinion or fact. In particular, no reliance should be placed on the comments on trends in financial markets. The receipt of this email should not be construed as the giving of investment advice. 
 UK … This week, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to maintain Bank Rate at 0.5%. The Committee also voted to maintain the stock of QE assets at £375 billion. No real surprise, UK rates are expected to remain on hold until the second quarter of 2015. For the moment, UK policy is relatively clear cut. USA … Over in the USA, matters became a little more diffuse. Tapering is expected to continue, concluding the asset purchase programme in September or October this year. But then what happens next? In March, Janet Yellen head of the Fed, gave a clear indication US rates would begin to rise within six months of the end of tapering. Markets reacted badly and the FOMC was minded to recant. This week, testifying before the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, Chairman Kevin Brady pushed pushed Yellen for more clarity on when the FOMC would raise interest rates. The Fed chair would not be drawn on this occasion. “There is no mechanical formula for when that would occur” - the somewhat mechanical and evasive response. Oh yes, a month is a long time in the formulation of monetary policy. Europe … In Europe, Mario Draghi, President of the ECB, faced the opposite dilemma. With modest growth forecast for Euroland this year, inflation below target at less than 1% and a Euro strengthening against the dollar ($1.375), the Italian banker is under pressure to alleviate European monetary conditions still further. Playing for time, Draghi stated policy makers at the bank were comfortable with action in early June. Action awaits the “staff projections” for growth and inflation next month, before considering the next step. Draghi must hope forecasts are revised upwards. Having promised to “do what it takes” to stimulate growth, the President is clearly at a loss, as to what can be done next. A reduction in base rates to the zero floor would have little economic impact. Experimentation with negative rates is a high risk strategy. The move would thrill academic economists but cause trauma in the markets. This is no time for experimentation with central bank novelties. QE is muted as a possibility but with German and French long rates at 1.45% and 1.9%, there seems little cause to push rates lower. Ten year bond rates in Spain and Italy are this week trading within 25 basis points of UK gilts. MPC Dilemma … So here in a way is the dilemma for the MPC. The UK economy is growing at 3% a year, unemployment is falling at such a rate, we may have to close the job centres in 2017. Inflation is below target but as Mario Draghi pointed out this week, it is the weakness in international commodity prices, oil, energy and food, the real determinants of low inflation. Low inflationary pressure exacerbated or assisted by the rise in the Euro (and Sterling) against the Dollar. The UK is caught in the Dollar Euro vortex, with basic economics pushing monetary policy in opposing directions apparently. The MPC cannot move ahead of the Fed or much in advance of Europe for that matter without pushing Sterling still higher. Deflation the illusion - OECD World Forecasts This month the OECD forecast a recovery in world growth this year to 3.4% in 2014 and almost 4% in 2015. The Euro area is set to grow by 1.2% and 1.7% over the period. Euro inflation is set to rise above 1.2% next year. Commodity prices (base metals) are demonstrating a price basing action, Oil Brent Crude basis is trading ahead of last year. The international price profile can change quickly and dramatically. The threat of deflation - an illusion - which may quickly dissipate. A strong ECB president should do nothing. The US must accept rates will rise within six months of the end of tapering. This would leave the MPC free to begin the inevitable rate rise in the second quarter of next year. Want to here more, don’t miss the quarterly economics presentation on Wednesday at DWF next week. The multi media roadshow rolls on! So what happened to sterling this week? The pound closed unchanged against the dollar at $1.685 from $1.687 and up against the Euro at 1.224 (1.217). The dollar closed at 1.375 from 1.377 against the euro and at 101.18 (102.23) against the Yen. Oil Price Brent Crude closed at $108.16 from $108.50. The average price in May last year was $102.3. Markets, the Dow closed unchanged at 16,544 from 16,542 and the FTSE also closed up at 6,821 from 6,814. The markets are set to the move, the push before the rush. UK Ten year gilt yields closed at 2.68 (2.72) and US Treasury yields closed at 2.62 from 2.72. Gold moved down $1,287 from $1,296. That’s all for this week. Join the mailing list for The Saturday Economist or forward to a friend. John © 2014 The Saturday Economist by John Ashcroft and Company. Experience worth sharing. The material is based upon information which we consider to be reliable but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. We accept no liability for errors, or omissions of opinion or fact. In particular, no reliance should be placed on the comments on trends in financial markets. The receipt of this email should not be construed as the giving of investment advice. It's just for fun, what's not to like! Dr John Ashcroft is The Saturday Economist. 
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