Energy, Inflation and a Crucial Week for Global Central Banks

Energy prices are reshaping the global inflation and interest-rate outlook, with oil and natural gas feeding through to bond markets and central-bank expectations. Matt Jones and Neil Staines discuss the week ahead, beginning in the UK, where July GDP surprised to the upside. Neil remains cautious about extrapolating the rebound, however, as renewed rises in oil and, importantly for Europe, natural gas tighten financial conditions and contribute to higher gilt yields. Attention turns to UK employment, inflation and retail sales, alongside a Bank of England meeting that is expected to leave rates unchanged, with November increasingly in focus. The ECB raised rates by 25 basis points to 2.5%, with Christine Lagarde highlighting downside risks to growth and upside risks to inflation. Markets are now pricing further tightening, while next week also brings a closely watched Bank of Japan meeting, China data, inflation releases from India and Poland, and a Brazilian policy decision. In the US, renewed geopolitical tensions and higher oil prices have contributed to a sharp rise in Treasury yields and wider pressure across global bond markets. The US inflation print will be critical for the Federal Reserve outlook, while still-low volatility across equities, credit and FX leaves Neil focused on the potential value of long-volatility strategies. **Chapters** 00:00 Welcome and introductions 00:27 UK growth and Bank of England outlook 02:38 ECB takeaways and the global policy outlook 04:37 US inflation, the Fed and bond-market risks 06:41 Weekend sports roundup 07:30 Closing and disclosures The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of Eurizon SLJ Capital, Eurizon Capital, or the Intesa Sanpaolo Group. The information and opinions shared are intended solely for professional investors and should not be relied upon by other investors. Please note that the information provided in this recording is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be complete or constitute an offer to buy or sell securities or any derivatives. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research. It does not constitute research on investment matters and should not be construed as containing any recommendation, advice or suggestion, implicit or explicit, for any investment strategy or financial instruments, the issuers of any financial instruments, or a solicitation, offer or financial promotion relating to any securities or investments. ESLJ and its affiliates do not assume any liability whatsoever for the contents of this podcast and do not make any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in this communication.