Blokland’s daily sketch
Further disinflation in China
Chinese inflation numbers disappointed again in January. Headline inflation fell to 1.7%, the second consecutive month that CPI came in below 2%, while producer prices rose just 0.1%, the slowest increase since September 2016. The PPI number, in particular, reveals that it’s too early to expect a major reversal of company performance. Producer prices are strongly linked to Chinese company earnings and it will take a while, and preferably some kind of trade deal with the US, before we see more signs of improvement. In addition, China’s PPI number is positively correlated to global inflation. Inflation expectations have plummeted in recent months, forcing central banks to take a more dovish stance on future monetary policy. The latest reading of Chinese producer prices emphasizes that these central banks, including the Federal Reserve, are unlikely to shift policy again any time soon.
As a senior portfolio manager I use charts to illustrate financial issues every day. I tweet my favorites as @jsblokland and was named 'one of the 50 most important people for investors to follow in 2018' by MarketWatch.
Previous editions of the daily sketch can be found on my personal financial markets blog. All graphics provided are collected from Bloomberg data and public websites. They do not always reflect my personal opinion and may also not necessarily reflect the opinion of Robeco. Please cite all references or quote the original source if replicating content.
