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Outlook

Regional divergences are growing more likely.

The global adjustment to higher borrowing costs is just beginning, and we think it will likely be more painful for some than others. Across developed economies, households and businesses are struggling under a mountain of debt that will, in many cases, only get heavier and more destabilizing in the year ahead. Private non-financial sector debt service ratios, % Exposures vary across countries, and structural differences complicate cross-national comparisons. But we think the United Kingdom bore the brunt of tightening early and could move through the low point of the economic cycle relatively quickly, given a lower starting point in private...

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The dollar might defy bearish forecasts.

We are directionally aligned with consensus – like most observers, we believe the greenback will ultimately weaken in 2024 – but we think its descent will be more turbulent than others expect. A number of factors could upset prevailing views: If markets begin questioning the soft landing thesis in earnest, “dollar smile” dynamics could see capital flows re-routed back into US financial markets, triggering a sustained rally in the greenback. Signs of stubbornly sticky inflation might drive a reappraisal across developed-market yield curves, weighing on high-beta currencies. A stimulus-led acceleration in China could lift commodity benchmarks and impact price expectations...

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Threats haven’t gone away.

A more bearish scenario could play out if China’s economic troubles endure and stimulus supports fail to take hold. A soft growth pulse would be a negative for commodities and risk sentiment and could weigh on growth-linked currencies. Domestically, the jump in mortgage rates could also raise financial stability concerns given elevated household debt burdens and the banking sector’s property market exposures. A spike in unemployment generated by a sharp economic slowdown could also trigger adverse non-linear outcomes. Real gross domestic product, annual % change

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Policy stumbles might continue.

A bearish scenario for the renminbi could manifest if China’s economy fails to re-ignite. There is a risk that the government’s policy response is not forceful enough to sustainably turn the property market around, awaken dormant animal spirits, and counteract the drag on exports and production within a sluggish global export environment. An extended period of subpar growth might unnerve markets, given the potential financial stability and deflationary risks that could be enflamed. We think this sort of backdrop could accelerate renminbi-negative capital flight out of the country. China inflation, annual % change

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The pound could outperform low expectations.

Our outlook for the pound is bifurcated. As it becomes clear that post-pandemic price dynamics are not reflective of a post-Brexit structural break, and are instead simply lagging those seen on the Continent, we expect the exchange rate to fall in line with relative rate differentials. A pullback to sub-1.25 levels is not beyond the realm of possibility in the first quarter. But in the longer term, we think underlying economic resilience could keep yield differentials surprisingly well supported. According to recent data revisions, the British economy managed to outperform both France and Germany through much of the post-pandemic period,...

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