ECB Watch
Group Economics Macro & Financial Markets Research Nick Kounis, +31 20 343 5616
The next stage of QE?
Kim Liu, Aline Schuiling
2 September 2015 • • • • •
The ECB will likely lower its inflation forecasts in September… …and we see a 40% chance that it will step up its QE programmes… …this would likely take the form of an increase in the monthly purchase volumes We look at two scenarios: a EUR 20bn monthly increase and a EUR 40bn one More QE would likely encompass Länder bonds, as well as additional utilities credits and sovereigns
Introduction The ECB’s Governing Council meets tomorrow following an eventful time in markets, where increasing worries about China’s economic outlook have hurt risk appetite and pushed down commodity prices. We assess how likely the ECB is to ease policy further, as well as what it would do.
Oil price and ECB’s June assumptions Brent oil USD/barrel
70 65 60
Slump in commodities and global risks
55
The starting point for the ECB’s discussion will be the updated
50
growth and inflation forecasts. In its previous June projections,
45
the ECB made a number of technical assumptions about interest rates, the EUR/USD and commodity prices. The most
40 Jan-15
Feb-15 Brent oil
significant change since then is that oil and other commodity
Apr-15
May-15
Jul-15
Sep-15
ECB proj. June 2015 (average for 2015)
prices have fallen sharply and are now well below the ECB’s assumption (see chart), while it may also see heightened risks
Source: Thomson Reuters Datastream, ECB
from China and other emerging markets. Conflicting influences on growth outlook
ECB projections June 2015
As the eurozone is a net-consumer of oil and other
%
commodities, the drop in their prices will have a positive impact
2.5
on GDP growth. If these prices were to stay close to their current levels during the rest of this year instead of level assumed by the ECB, this would be a positive for economic
1.5
1.8
1.5
1.5
growth. On the other hand, the ECB may downgrade its
1.0
forecast for global growth, which could offset the positive
0.5
impulse from oil, and it may also judge that downside risks
2
1.9
2.0
0.3
0.0
have increased.
2015
2016 GDP
2017
Inflation
ECB to lower 2015 and 2016 inflation forecast Meanwhile, the ECB will almost certainly reduce its inflation forecasts to closer to zero this year and around 1.25% next
Source: ECB
year, so further below the ECBs price stability goal of 2%. The longer-term forecast for inflation in 2017 (of 1.8%, respectively)
Governing Council will get mixed messages
will probably remain largely unchanged, given a broadly
The Governing Council may take some comfort on the growth
unchanged growth outlook.
side. Commodity prices could cushion any impact of weaker global demand. In addition, business surveys have help up extremely well, with a number of indicators rising in August.