Economy in Brief: 2024

Global inflation trends have been in concert for major money center countries/areas- excluding Japan, of course. Inflation flared after Covid struck and in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It continued to ramp up more than central bankers thought. Interest rates were raised from very low levels- the U.S. led the pack in terms of rate hike speed, getting its key rate up to its prevailing inflation rate in record time after a long period of being asleep at the switch. It said it stood prepared to hold rates ‘higher longer.’ Then the next unexpected thing happened; inflation fell sooner and more sharply than expected and it did this globally, not just in the U.S. However, we are now into phase three of this process: inflation went up more and longer, inflation then fell more and faster and now inflation is off peak but not back were we want it—and it is looking stubborn. This is more or less a global money center country/area description of inflation. Inflation that went through its boom-bust phase, as you clearly see from the sequential growth rates of the German PPI is now up from its lows. The headline price level is falling but losing momentum. The core PPI is only falling in its ‘legacy’ 12-month rate.

German PPI inflation falls by 2.8% over 12 months, falls at a 3.4% annual rate over six months, and falls at a 1.2% rate over three months. Core PPI inflation falls by 0.7% over 12, months then rises at a 0.7% annual rate over six months and three months. The core points the way for trend.

The NSA (not seasonally adjusted) sequential data show acceleration across and three major PPI sectors: consumer goods, investment goods and intermediate goods. Prices only fall over 12 months for intermediate goods. All other sectors trends show increases by period and all show acceleration in progress.

German CPI data show higher inflation over three months than over 12 months for the headline and the core with a dip in between – not a steady state acceleration but a clear hint at where things are headed and with German inflation rates clearly above the EMU-wide 2% mark.

Registrations for cars in Europe for March fell by 8.8% month-to-month after falling by 1% in February. January, however, had been a strong month for registrations in Europe. The sequential trends are mixed and do not show a clear way forward. The 12-month change in sales/registrations falls 4.7%. Over six months registrations fall harder at an 11.9% annual rate, but then over three months registrations gain at a 7% annual rate. These data are prone to volatility. To adjust for that, I execute the same calculations on three-month average data to smooth out the volatility and let the trend shine through. Unfortunately, this procedure still does not produce a clearer picture of trend.

Chart 1, executed on year-over-year growth rates, shows registrations gradually losing momentum among reporting countries. Sequential growth rates across countries finds Germany and Spain with accelerating sales/registrations. France and Itay with fairly clear trends showing decelerating sales. Meanwhile, the U.K. trend shows confusion with no clear pattern emerging.

Looking very broadly, all reporting countries show registrations lower in March everywhere except for France, in 2024 compared to January 2020 before Covid struck. France is the lone exception that shows registrations in March higher by just 2.2% than they were over four years ago. That is not exactly a stunning success.