Most Popular
1. It’s a New Macro, the Gold Market Knows It, But Dead Men Walking Do Not (yet)- Gary_Tanashian
2.Stock Market Presidential Election Cycle Seasonal Trend Analysis - Nadeem_Walayat
3. Bitcoin S&P Pattern - Nadeem_Walayat
4.Nvidia Blow Off Top - Flying High like the Phoenix too Close to the Sun - Nadeem_Walayat
4.U.S. financial market’s “Weimar phase” impact to your fiat and digital assets - Raymond_Matison
5. How to Profit from the Global Warming ClImate Change Mega Death Trend - Part1 - Nadeem_Walayat
7.Bitcoin Gravy Train Trend Forecast 2024 - - Nadeem_Walayat
8.The Bond Trade and Interest Rates - Nadeem_Walayat
9.It’s Easy to Scream Stocks Bubble! - Stephen_McBride
10.Fed’s Next Intertest Rate Move might not align with popular consensus - Richard_Mills
Last 7 days
Trump Stocks and Crypto Mania 2025 Incoming as Bitcoin Breaks Above $100k - 8th Dec 24
Gold Price Multiple Confirmations - Are You Ready? - 8th Dec 24
Gold Price Monster Upleg Lives - 8th Dec 24
Stock & Crypto Markets Going into December 2024 - 2nd Dec 24
US Presidential Election Year Stock Market Seasonal Trend - 29th Nov 24
Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past - 29th Nov 24
Gold After Trump Wins - 29th Nov 24
The AI Stocks, Housing, Inflation and Bitcoin Crypto Mega-trends - 27th Nov 24
Gold Price Ahead of the Thanksgiving Weekend - 27th Nov 24
Bitcoin Gravy Train Trend Forecast to June 2025 - 24th Nov 24
Stocks, Bitcoin and Crypto Markets Breaking Bad on Donald Trump Pump - 21st Nov 24
Gold Price To Re-Test $2,700 - 21st Nov 24
Stock Market Sentiment Speaks: This Is My Strong Warning To You - 21st Nov 24
Financial Crisis 2025 - This is Going to Shock People! - 21st Nov 24
Dubai Deluge - AI Tech Stocks Earnings Correction Opportunities - 18th Nov 24
Why President Trump Has NO Real Power - Deep State Military Industrial Complex - 8th Nov 24
Social Grant Increases and Serge Belamant Amid South Africa's New Political Landscape - 8th Nov 24
Is Forex Worth It? - 8th Nov 24
Nvidia Numero Uno in Count Down to President Donald Pump Election Victory - 5th Nov 24
Trump or Harris - Who Wins US Presidential Election 2024 Forecast Prediction - 5th Nov 24
Stock Market Brief in Count Down to US Election Result 2024 - 3rd Nov 24
Gold Stocks’ Winter Rally 2024 - 3rd Nov 24
Why Countdown to U.S. Recession is Underway - 3rd Nov 24
Stock Market Trend Forecast to Jan 2025 - 2nd Nov 24
President Donald PUMP Forecast to Win US Presidential Election 2024 - 1st Nov 24

Market Oracle FREE Newsletter

How to Protect your Wealth by Investing in AI Tech Stocks

UK CPI Inflation Explodes Higher to 5.2%

Economics / Inflation Oct 14, 2008 - 04:41 PM GMT

By: Nadeem_Walayat

Economics Best Financial Markets Analysis ArticleThe inflationary spike higher continued on release of September's inflation data which saw the CPI measure burst through 5% to hit 5.2% from 4.7% the month before. CPI crossed above the RPI inflation measure for the first time in 7 years which now stands at 5%, as the below graph illustrates.


However inflation data is lagging the real economy by between 5 and 8 months and does not yet reflect the sharp slowdown of the UK economy over the last 3 months, nor is the impact of the fall in oil prices from $147 to $80 over the last 2-3 months. Therefore this implies inflation data will start to become muted in the coming months in advance of a similarly sharp drop on par with the spike higher. On a further negative for the government September RPI data is used for indexation of pensions and benefits which is likely to cost an additional of as much as £5 billion, as well as igniting public sector demands for higher pay deals despite the onset of recession.

However as I pointed out in the UK interest rate forecast for 2009 that cuts in interest rates and bailouts will result higher inflation further out and therefore puts sterling at a risk of foreign investors starting to view the UK as a big version of Iceland. I first wrote that the Bank of England would be forced by the government to abandon inflation targeting and cut interest rates no matter how high inflation rose as long ago as in May of this year UK House Prices Tumbling- Interest Rate Conundrum. The interest rate forecast continues to imply deep cuts regardless of the rate of inflation, having been confirmed by last Thursday's panic 0.5% co-ordinated cut by the BoE, US Fed and ECB.

UK interest Rate Forecast for 2009

The Bank of England continues to forecast that UK CPI inflation will be at 2% in 2 years time, which is precisely the same perpetual forecast that the Bank of England has been making since it was assigned the 2% inflation target some 5 years ago, during which time the Bank of England has only hit its target for 5 months or 8% of the time, just as the Bank of England 2 years ago was forecasting that UK inflation would be at 2% for September 2008 when it is clearly far from 2%.

Some in-experienced mainstream television commentators are mistakenly stating that prices will fall in the near future. That is incorrect the rate of overall prices rises will reduce, but we are not heading for falling prices as both the currency factor and the huge explosion in government borrowing due to the extra debt burden of £500 billion banking system bailout would cost the tax payer approx £25 billion a year in extra interest which effectively nearly doubles the countries official government debt of £590 billion which tends to exclude in what can be termed as creative accounting other public sector debt, such as un-funded public sector pension liabilities of more than £800 billion with other hidden debt totaling £100 billion would put real UK public debt at some £2 trillion or some 160% of annual GDP which is far above the governments official limit of 40% of GDP. However economic contraction will shrink UK GDP and hence the gap between spending and income will be again be filled by more debt. Therefore we could see public debt rise to as much as 100% of GDP and if the hidden debt is included, a rise to 200% of GDP. This is highly inflationary and is the primary reason for the relative weakness of sterling, as real returns turn further negative (inflation minus base rate = -0.70%).

My UK CPI inflation forecast covering the anticipated trend for the next 12 months will be published within the next 2 weeks, in advance of the UK Housing market forecast for the next few years as an update to the existing forecast as of August 2007.

Remember to subscribe to our FREE weekly newsletter for the Stock Market Crash Investment Strategies as well as the Real Secrets of Successful Trading on the 21st anniversary of 1987, that are to be emailed later this week.

By Nadeem Walayat
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk

Copyright © 2005-08 Marketoracle.co.uk (Market Oracle Ltd). All rights reserved.

Nadeem Walayat has over 20 years experience of trading derivatives, portfolio management and analysing the financial markets, including one of few who both anticipated and Beat the 1987 Crash. Nadeem is the Editor of The Market Oracle, a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. We present in-depth analysis from over 150 experienced analysts on a range of views of the probable direction of the financial markets. Thus enabling our readers to arrive at an informed opinion on future market direction. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any trading losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors before engaging in any trading activities.

Nadeem Walayat Archive

© 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.


Post Comment

Only logged in users are allowed to post comments. Register/ Log in