Macro Intelligence · Weekly · deep read

Macro Regime — 2014-W04

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↩ Home Macro index ← 2014-01 board

⚠ 2 very-stale + 0 stale series across the four blocs — flagged inline.

Standing macro backdropBORROWED

Borrowed from its month (2014-01); the weekly reads the standing object, it does not recompute the aggregate.

United States: expansion, at target
China: stall-speed, at target
Euro area: goldilocks / reflation
Japan: stall-speed, at target

month aggregated actuals

United States

Indicator	Basis	2014-01	2013-12	Change
Core CPI	% MoM	0.09 2014-01-01	0.17 2013-12-01	→ -0.08
Core PCE	% YoY	1.45 2014-01-01	1.55 2013-12-01	→ -0.1
CPI (YoY)	% YoY	1.56 2014-01-01	1.51 2013-12-01	→ 0.05
FX vs USD	px	not recorded
GDP	% QoQ ann.	-1.4 2014-01-01	—	—
PMI (mfg)	index	57 2014-01-02	57.3 2013-12-02	→ -0.3
PMI (svc)	index	53 2014-01-06	53.9 2013-12-04	▼ -0.9
Policy rate	%	0.25 2014-01-31	0.25 2013-12-31	→ 0
2s10s slope	pp	2.33 2014-01-31	2.66 2013-12-31	▼ -0.33
Unemployment	%	6.6 2014-01-01	6.7 2013-12-01	→ -0.1
10Y yield	%	2.67 2014-01-31	3.04 2013-12-31	▼ -0.37
2Y yield	%	0.34 2014-01-31	0.38 2013-12-31	→ -0.04

China

Indicator	Basis	2014-01	2013-12	Change
CPI (YoY)	% YoY	2.5 2014-01-09	3 2013-12-09	▼ -0.5
FX vs USD	px	not recorded
GDP	% YoY	7.7 2014-01-20	—	—
PMI (mfg)	index	50.5 2014-01-01	51 2013-12-01	▼ -0.5
PMI (svc)	index	54.6 2014-01-03	56 2013-12-03	▼ -1.4
Policy rate	% (1Y LPR)	5.73 2014-01-30	5.73 2013-12-31	→ 0
2s10s slope	pp	0.68 2014-01-30	0.21 2013-12-31	▲ 0.47
Unemployment	%	not recorded
10Y yield	%	4.5 2014-01-30	4.55 2013-12-31	→ -0.05
2Y yield	%	3.82 2014-01-30	4.34 2013-12-31	▼ -0.52

Euro area

Indicator	Basis	2014-01	2013-12	Change
CPI (YoY)	% YoY	0.7 2014-01-31	0.9 2013-12-17	▼ -0.2
FX vs USD	px	not recorded
GDP	% YoY	0.3 2014-01-16	-0.1 2013-12-17	▲ 0.4
PMI (mfg)	index	53.9 2014-01-23	52.7 2013-12-16	▲ 1.2
PMI (svc)	index	51.9 2014-01-23	51 2013-12-16	▲ 0.9
Policy rate	%	0.25 2014-01-09	0.25 2013-12-05	→ 0
Unemployment	%	12 2014-01-31	—	—
10Y yield	%	3.21 2014-01-01	3.31 2013-12-01	▼ -0.1

Japan

Indicator	Basis	2014-01	2013-12	Change
Core CPI	% YoY	0.7 2014-01-25	0.6 2013-12-26	→ 0.1
CPI (YoY)	% YoY	1.6 2014-01-25	1.5 2013-12-26	→ 0.1
FX vs USD	px	not recorded
GDP	% YoY	6.21 2014-01-01	—	—
PMI (mfg)		not recorded
Policy rate	%	0.1 2014-01-22	0.1 2013-12-20	→ 0
Unemployment	%	3.7 2014-01-29	3.9 2013-12-30	▼ -0.2
10Y yield	%	0.61 2014-01-01	0.69 2013-12-01	▼ -0.07

ThesisL0

(historical week — no Claude narration run)

Standing pictureL1

United States

expansion, at target

expansion · at target · on hold

Solid growth with inflation near target. Constructive for risk assets broadly; the watch-item is whether inflation starts to push above target and shifts policy.

○ no change

China

stall-speed, at target

stall · at target · on hold

Growth hovering near flat with inflation roughly at target. A balanced, low-conviction regime — direction depends on which way growth breaks next; watch PMI for the tell.

○ no change

Euro area ⚠ stale

goldilocks / reflation

expansion · below target · on hold

Improving growth with inflation at/below target — the benign mix. Cyclicals, small-caps and risk assets broadly tend to lead; long bonds lag as growth firms.

● 1 active

Japan ⚠ stale

stall-speed, at target

unknown · at target · on hold

Growth hovering near flat with inflation roughly at target. A balanced, low-conviction regime — direction depends on which way growth breaks next; watch PMI for the tell.

○ no change

Mechanisms & channelsL2

United States

No active mechanism this week — the standing read above carries the bloc.

What would change the read

Inflation surprise (upside) Core inflation is steady, so the upside-surprise channel is quiet. It would fire on a core reading ≥0.2pp above the prior — watch it because that is what forces a central bank to stay restrictive and pressures the longest-duration assets first.
Inflation surprise (downside / disinflation) Core inflation isn't cooling fast enough to trigger the disinflation channel. A fall of ≥0.2pp would fire it — worth watching because it is the cleanest tailwind for long-duration growth and government bonds.
Monetary easing (rate cut) The policy rate is on hold, so the easing channel is dormant. A cut would fire it — it matters because the first cut of a cycle typically broadens a rally and pressures the currency.

China

No active mechanism this week — the standing read above carries the bloc.

What would change the read

Monetary easing (rate cut) The policy rate is on hold, so the easing channel is dormant. A cut would fire it — it matters because the first cut of a cycle typically broadens a rally and pressures the currency.
Monetary tightening (rate hike) The policy rate is steady, so the tightening channel is dormant. A hike would fire it — watch it because it hits long-duration growth, long bonds, and gold first.
Growth acceleration (expansionary PMI) Manufacturing isn't both expanding and accelerating, so the growth-acceleration channel is dormant. A rising PMI back above 50 would fire it — it matters because it's the signal to rotate from defensives toward cyclicals.

Euro area

M5Growth acceleration (expansionary PMI)

Trigger: pmi_mfg: 52.7 → 53.9 (+1.2)

Manufacturing PMIPMI — Purchasing Managers' Index. Above 50 = the sector is expanding vs last month; below 50 = contracting. A timely read on activity. is above 50 and rising.
Why: A reading above 50 means more firms report expanding activity than contracting; rising means the breadth of expansion is widening — a timely, forward-looking growth signal.
Earnings expectations broaden toward economically-sensitive sectors.
Why: Stronger activity feeds revenue and pricing power first in the parts of the market geared to the physical economy.
Cyclicalscyclicals — Sectors whose earnings rise and fall with the economic cycle — industrials, materials, energy, consumer discretionary., small-caps, EM and commodities lead; defensivesdefensives — Sectors whose demand is steady through the cycle — consumer staples, utilities, healthcare. They outperform when growth slows. lag.
Why: Capital rotates toward the cycle — industrials, materials, energy, smaller and more leveraged firms, and the commodities their activity consumes — while steady-demand defensives become relatively less attractive.

Helps
cyclicals (industrials, materials, energy)small-capsEM equitycommodities

Hurts
defensive sectors (staples, utilities)long government bonds

Caveat: If acceleration also stokes inflation fears, the bond-yield response can offset the equity benefit (good growth becomes 'too good'), especially late-cycle.

House-view hook — empty (textbook default; Stephen's view bakes in here).

What would change the read

Monetary easing (rate cut) The policy rate is on hold, so the easing channel is dormant. A cut would fire it — it matters because the first cut of a cycle typically broadens a rally and pressures the currency.
Monetary tightening (rate hike) The policy rate is steady, so the tightening channel is dormant. A hike would fire it — watch it because it hits long-duration growth, long bonds, and gold first.
Growth slowdown (deepening contraction) Manufacturing is not both below 50 and falling, so the deepening-contraction channel is dormant. It fires when a sub-50 PMI turns lower — that is the trigger for the defensive rotation and a bid for duration (a sub-50 PMI that is *rising* is the trough channel, M13, not this one).

Japan

No active mechanism this week — the standing read above carries the bloc.

What would change the read

Inflation surprise (upside) Core inflation is steady, so the upside-surprise channel is quiet. It would fire on a core reading ≥0.2pp above the prior — watch it because that is what forces a central bank to stay restrictive and pressures the longest-duration assets first.
Inflation surprise (downside / disinflation) Core inflation isn't cooling fast enough to trigger the disinflation channel. A fall of ≥0.2pp would fire it — worth watching because it is the cleanest tailwind for long-duration growth and government bonds.
Monetary easing (rate cut) The policy rate is on hold, so the easing channel is dormant. A cut would fire it — it matters because the first cut of a cycle typically broadens a rally and pressures the currency.

The dataL3

United States

Indicator	Current	Prior	Δ	As of
CPI (YoY)	1.50	1.56	-0.06 ▬	2014-01-14
Core CPI	0.10	0.09	+0.01 ▬	2014-01-16
Core PCE	1.45	1.55	-0.10 ▼	2014-01-01
Policy rate	0.25	0.25	+0.00 ▬	2014-01-26
GDP	-1.40	4.10	-5.50 ▼	2014-01-01
PMI (mfg)	57.00	57.30	-0.30 ▬	2014-01-02
PMI (svc)	53.00	53.90	-0.90 ▼	2014-01-06
Unemployment	6.70	6.60	+0.10 ▲	2014-01-10
10Y yield	2.75	2.79	-0.04 ▬	2014-01-24
2Y yield	0.37	0.39	-0.02 ▬	2014-01-24
2s10s slope	2.38	2.40	-0.02 ▬	2014-01-24
FX vs USD	n/a

China

Indicator	Current	Prior	Δ	As of
CPI (YoY)	2.50	3.00	-0.50 ▼	2014-01-09
Policy rate	5.73	5.73	+0.00 ▬	2014-01-26
GDP	7.70	7.80	-0.10 ▬	2014-01-20
PMI (mfg)	50.50	51.00	-0.50 ▼	2014-01-01
PMI (svc)	54.60	56.00	-1.40 ▼	2014-01-03
Unemployment	n/a
10Y yield	4.48	4.51	-0.03 ▬	2014-01-26
2Y yield	3.79	3.80	-0.01 ▬	2014-01-26
2s10s slope	0.69	0.72	-0.03 ▬	2014-01-26
FX vs USD	n/a

Euro area

Indicator	Current	Prior	Δ	As of
CPI (YoY)	0.80	0.80	+0.00 ▬	2014-01-16
Policy rate	0.25	0.25	+0.00 ▬	2014-01-09
GDP	0.30	-0.10	+0.40 ▲	2014-01-16
PMI (mfg)	53.90	52.70	+1.20 ▲	2014-01-23
PMI (svc)	51.90	51.00	+0.90 ▲	2014-01-23
Unemployment	12.10	12.10	+0.00 ▬	2014-01-08
10Y yield	3.21	3.31	-0.10 ▼	2014-01-01 ⚠⚠
FX vs USD	n/a

Japan

Indicator	Current	Prior	Δ	As of
CPI (YoY)	1.60	1.50	+0.10 ▲	2014-01-25
Core CPI	0.70	0.60	+0.10 ▬	2014-01-25
Policy rate	0.10	0.10	+0.00 ▬	2014-01-22
GDP	n/a
PMI (mfg)	n/a
Unemployment	3.90	4.00	-0.10 ▼	2013-12-30
10Y yield	0.61	0.69	-0.07 ▼	2014-01-01 ⚠⚠
FX vs USD	n/a

Concept libraryL3

Terms marked ✓ are linked inline above — click any dotted term in the text to expand it in place.

2s10s: The gap between the 10-year and 2-year government bond yields. Positive = normal upward-sloping curve; negative ('inverted') = a classic late-cycle/recession warning.
PMI ✓: Purchasing Managers' Index. Above 50 = the sector is expanding vs last month; below 50 = contracting. A timely read on activity.
carry trade: Borrowing in a low-rate currency (long the yen's case) to buy higher-yielding assets elsewhere. It unwinds violently when the funding rate rises or the funding currency strengthens.
credit impulse: The change in the flow of new credit into an economy. A rising impulse front-runs stronger demand for commodities and cyclical goods, with a lag.
cyclicals ✓: Sectors whose earnings rise and fall with the economic cycle — industrials, materials, energy, consumer discretionary.
defensives ✓: Sectors whose demand is steady through the cycle — consumer staples, utilities, healthcare. They outperform when growth slows.
discount rate: The rate used to convert a future cash flow into today's value. A higher discount rate makes far-off cash flows worth less now.
disinflation: Inflation that is still positive but falling (prices rising more slowly) — distinct from deflation, where prices actually fall.
duration: How sensitive an asset's price is to interest rates. 'Long-duration' assets (long bonds, fast-growing stocks whose profits are years away) move most when rates change.
net interest margin: The spread a bank earns between what it charges on loans and pays on deposits. Higher short rates / steeper curves tend to widen it.
nominal yield: The headline interest rate on a bond, before subtracting inflation.
policy rate: The interest rate a central bank sets directly (e.g. the Fed funds rate, the ECB deposit rate, China's LPR). It anchors all other rates.
rate path: The market's expectation of where the policy rate goes over the next year or two — not just today's level, but the whole expected trajectory.
real yield: The yield after subtracting expected inflation — what a lender actually earns in purchasing power. Real yield ≈ nominal yield − expected inflation.
term premium: The extra yield investors demand to hold a long bond instead of rolling short ones — compensation for tying money up and for issuance/inflation risk.