The Weekly Briefing from Capital Economics

This latest wobble in the bond market almost certainly won’t be the last. Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing and Chief Markets Economist Jonas Goltermann join David Wilder on the latest episode of the Weekly Briefing to discuss the forces that have driven bond yields to multi-year highs. 
They examine shifting perceptions around inflation as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drags on, the fiscal worries gnawing away at investor sentiment across the advanced economies and we're entering a world where inflation settles structurally higher than the 2% era policymakers once took for granted. And with Japan’s yield curve steepening sharply, they also discuss whether investors are beginning to question the Bank of Japan’s grip on reflation. 
Also on the show, India economist Shilan Shah calls in from Mumbai to discuss how record temperatures and the global energy shock are complicating the Reserve Bank’s efforts to contain inflation pressures. He discusses the risks7 facing the rupee, the prospect of tighter monetary policy, and how the current dilemma compares with crises past.
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Westminster is gripped by the game of thrones around Labour's slow-mo leadership drama, which could deliver the UK's seventh prime minister in ten years. But for markets and the economy, the stakes are very real. Chief UK Economist Paul Dales tells David Wilder why. 
He says all the leading contenders to replace Starmer would, to varying degrees, open the spending taps but also explains why the bond market is likely to push back hard. Paul also makes the case for the UK's medium-term outlook looking brighter than many assume, though not because of who's in charge of the country.

Also on the show, Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing discusses why the latest activity data suggest the global economy has so far proved surprisingly resilient in the face of the Iran conflict – and why that resilience could soon be tested.

Donald Trump travels to Beijing next week for a long-awaited summit with Xi Jinping that carries huge geopolitical significance, but one where investors should keep expectations firmly in check.
Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing and Head of China Economics Julian Evans-Pritchard join David Wilder to assess the state of the US-China relationship and why any apparent thaw in tensions may prove superficial. They discuss issues including:
 Why Beijing increasingly sees the US as a power in relative decline, and how that is shaping Chinese strategy; 
 Why the structural forces pushing the US and China apart are likely to outlast any short-term diplomatic reset; 
 What’s driving the recent improvement in China’s economy, and how that could exacerbate global tensions. 
Also on the show, Chief Europe Economist Andrew Kenningham returns from client meetings in Germany to explain why those who had been expecting an economic turnaround last year have been left disappointed, but to also argue that the prevailing gloom around both the German economy and its politics has become excessive.
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Register: Drop-In: Is the energy shock supercharging the Chinese export boom?
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Read: Taking stock of the German fiscal stimulus
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Read: Fiscal stimulus won’t fix Germany’s economy
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A day after Brent crude surged above $120 per barrel, Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing and Deputy Chief Emerging Markets Economist Jason Tuvey discuss how long the conflict in the Middle East could continue and why Iran’s collapsing economy is not a reliable guide to when the regime might capitulate.
Speaking with David Wilder, they also explore how central bankers are navigating the inflation risks posed by a prolonged disruption to energy supply, as well as what the UAE’s departure from OPEC could mean for oil markets and what it signals in a world of intensifying US–China competition.

And in a packed week for equities investors, Chief Markets Economist Jonas Goltermann assesses how key Big Tech earnings reports have landed and explains why bonds have not been performing nearly as well as equities.
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The Iran conflict is approaching its third month, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and oil is back above $100 per barrel. How safe is the assumption that this will all be resolved soon, and what happens to commodity prices, growth and inflation if it isn’t?

In the latest episode of The Weekly Briefing, Chief Global Economist Jennifer McKeown and Chief Climate & Commodities Economist David Oxley join David Wilder to unpack the macro and market assumptions behind our ‘adverse’ conflict scenario. They discuss how far commodity prices could rise and whether that risks tipping the global economy into recession – but also why some of the latest data suggest the initial macro hit from the energy shock may not have been as severe as first feared.

Also on the show, the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting could mark Jerome Powell’s final one as Chair. With Kevin Warsh waiting in the wings, Chief North America Economist Stephen Brown considers Powell’s legacy, but also the policy implications of a change in Fed leadership. That includes why Warsh could push for a different inflation gauge to target, but also why tensions with the White House may not go away.
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Iran conflict: Global macro and market implications
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