Tuesday

The Chinese Caixin Manufacturing PMI for December beat expectations:

  • Manufacturing PMI 50.8 vs. 50.4 expected and 50.7 prior.
  • Output and new orders both increase at quicker rates.
  • firms maintain a cautious approach to employment.
  • Inflationary pressures remain soft.
China Caixin Manufacturing PMI
China Caixin Manufacturing PMI

The Canadian Manufacturing PMI for December fell further into contraction:

  • Manufacturing PMI 45.4 vs. 47.7 prior.
  • Lowest reading since May 2020.
Canada Manufacturing PMI
Canada Manufacturing PMI

Wednesday

The Switzerland Manufacturing PMI for December improved slightly although it remains well in contraction territory:

  • Manufacturing PMI 43.0 vs. 42.1 prior.
Switzerland Manufacturing PMI
Switzerland Manufacturing PMI

Fed’s Barkin (neutral – voter) acknowledged the progress on inflation highlighting the 6-month Core PCE rate falling below the 2% target:

  • We're 'making real progress' on inflation while economy healthy.
  • Six-month PCE inflation now 'just below' 2% target'.
  • 'You can see the case' for a soft landing developing but it is not inevitable.
  • Risks include delayed impact of high rates on credit, outside shocks, services inflation getting stuck and strong demand.
  • Potential for additional hikes remains on the table.
  • Suggests less focus on path of rates and more on whether inflation continues to fall, and economy remains strong.
Fed's Barkin
Fed's Barkin

The US ISM Manufacturing PMI for December slightly beat expectations with general upbeat comments although the New Orders index fell further:

  • ISM Manufacturing PMI 47.4 vs. 47.1 expected and 46.7 prior.
  • Prices paid 45.2 vs. 49.9 prior.
  • Employment 48.1 vs. 45.8 prior.
  • New orders 47.1 vs. 48.3 prior.
  • Inventories 44.3 vs. 44.8 prior.
  • Production 50.3 vs. 48.5 prior.
US ISM Manufacturing PMI
US ISM Manufacturing PMI

The US Job Openings for November missed expectations with inside data looking even worse since the hiring rate fell below the pre-pandemic levels. It’s worth noting that this report is from November, so it doesn’t capture the December Fed’s pivot nor the massive easing in financial conditions:

  • Job Openings 8.790M vs. 8.850M expected and 8.852 prior (revised from 8.733M).
  • Hires 3.5% vs. 3.7% prior.
  • Separations 3.4% vs. 3.6% prior.
  • Quits 2.2% vs. 2.3% prior.
US Job Openings
US Job Openings

The Fed released the Minutes of its December FOMC Monetary Policy Meeting:

  • Participants saw upside risks to inflation as having diminished.
  • Participants viewed policy rate as likely near its peak.
  • Members generally viewed addition of 'any' to statement as an indication that rates likely near peak.
  • 'A number' of participants highlighted uncertainty around how long restrictive policy would need to be maintained.
  • Those participants pointed to downside risks to economy associated with an overly restrictive stance.
  • Participants observed progress on inflation had been uneven across components, noted core services prices still rising at elevated pace.
  • Several participants observed that circumstances might warrant keeping policy rate at current level longer than they currently anticipate.
  • Several participants noted the decline in the use of overnight reverse repo facility, saw this reflecting portfolio shifts by money market funds.
  • Several participants noted the risk that, if labor demand were to weaken substantially further, the labor market could transition quickly from a gradual easing to a more abrupt downshift in conditions.
  • Several participants suggested it would be appropriate to begin discussing technical factors about slowing balance sheet run-off well before such a decision was reached.
Federal Reserve
Federal Reserve

Thursday

The Chinese Caixin Services PMI for December beat expectations:

  • Caixin Services PMI 52.9 vs. 51.6 expected and 51.5 prior.
  • Solid increase in service sector activity at end of 2023.
  • aided by the fastest rise in new work since May.
  • Slight increase in employment.
China Caixin Services PMI
China Caixin Services PMI

The US Challenger Job Cuts for December slowed further:

  • Job Cuts 34.82K vs. 45.51K prior.
  • The least in five months, although overall there was a 98% increase in 2023 compared to 2022.
US Challenger Job Cuts
US Challenger Job Cuts

The US ADP for December beat expectations:

  • ADP 164K vs. 115K expected and 101K prior (revised from 103K).

Change in annual pay:

  • Job stayers 5.4% vs. 5.8% prior.
  • Job changers 8.0% vs. 8.3% prior.
US ADP
US ADP

The US Jobless Claims beat expectations across the board with Initial Claims hovering around cycle lows and Continuing Claims stabilising around the 1850-1900K level:

  • Initial Claims 202K vs. 216K expected and 220K prior (revised from 218K).
  • Continuing Claims 1855K vs. 1883K expected and 1886K prior (revised from 1875K).
US Jobless Claims
US Jobless Claims

Friday

The Eurozone CPI for December missed slightly expectations:

  • CPI Y/Y 2.9% vs. 3.0% expected and 2.4% prior.
  • CPI M/M 0.2% vs. -0.6% prior.
  • Core CPI Y/Y 3.4% vs. 3.5% expected and 3.6% prior.
  • Core CPI M/M 0.4% vs. -0.6% prior.
Eurozone Core CPI YoY
Eurozone Core CPI YoY

The US NFP for December beat expectations almost across the board with some caveats like the lower participation rate and the negative revision to the prior report:

  • NFP 216K vs. 170K expected and 173K prior (revised from 199K).
  • Two-month net revision -71K.
  • Unemployment rate 3.7% vs 3.8% expected and 3.7 prior.
  • Participation rate 62.5% vs. 62.8% prior.
  • U6 underemployment rate 7.1% vs. 7.0% prior.
  • Average hourly earnings M/M 0.4% vs. 0.3% expected and 0.4% prior.
  • Average hourly earnings Y/Y 4.1% vs. 3.9% expected and 4.0% prior.
  • Average weekly hours 34.3 vs. 34.4 expected and 34.4 prior.
  • Change in private payrolls 164K vs. 130K expected.
  • Change in manufacturing payrolls 6K vs. 5K expected.
  • Household survey -683K vs. 747K prior.
US Unemployment Rate
US Unemployment Rate

The Canadia Labour Market report for December was bad almost across the board besides the unemployment rate and the average hourly wages:

  • Employment Change 0.1K vs. 13.5K expected and 24.9K prior.
  • Unemployment rate 5.8% vs. 5.9% expected and 5.8% prior.
  • Full-time employment -23.5 K vs. 59.6K prior.
  • Part-time employment 23.6 K vs. -34.7K prior.
  • Average hourly wages permanent employees 5.7% vs. 5.0% prior.
  • Participation rate 65.4% vs. 65.6% prior.
Canada Unemployment Rate
Canada Unemployment Rate

The US ISM Services PMI for December was a big miss:

  • ISM Services PMI 50.6 vs. 52.6 expected and 52.6 prior.
  • Employment index 43.3 vs. 50.7 prior.
  • New orders 52.8 vs. 55.5 prior.
  • Prices paid index 57.4 vs. 58.3 prior.
  • New export orders 50.4 vs. 53.6 prior.
  • Imports 49.3 vs. 53.7 prior.
  • Backlog of orders 49.4 vs. 49.1 prior.
  • Inventories 49.6 vs. 55.4 prior.
  • Supplier deliveries 49.5 vs. 49.6 prior.
  • Inventory sentiment 49.6 vs. 62.2 prior.
US ISM Services PMI
US ISM Services PMI

The highlights for next week will be:

  • Monday: Switzerland CPI, Eurozone Retail Sales.
  • Tuesday: Tokyo CPI, Australia Retail Sales, Switzerland Unemployment Rate, Eurozone Unemployment Rate, US NFIB Small Business Optimism Index.
  • Wednesday: Japan Wages data, Australia Monthly CPI.
  • Thursday: US CPI, US Jobless Claims.
  • Friday: China CPI, UK GDP, US PPI.

That’s all folks. Have a nice weekend!