Financial Market Dynamics and Open Market Operations - The current target range for the federal funds rate is approaching a neutral level, with GDP forecasts for 2025 to 2027 similar to those prepared for the June meeting [1] - Almost all participants at the Federal Reserve's July meeting agreed that maintaining the benchmark interest rate in the range of 4.25% to 4.50% is appropriate [1] - The impact of tariffs is becoming more evident in commodity prices, but the overall effect on the economy and inflation remains to be seen [1] - The market perceives the overall U.S. economy as resilient, but financial markets are beginning to differentiate between individual companies based on earnings scale and quality [1] - Existing data shows that foreign holdings of U.S. assets remain relatively stable [1] - Reserves remain in a state of abundance [1] Economic Situation Assessment - Actual GDP growth in the first half of the year has been moderate, with the unemployment rate remaining low and consumer price inflation still slightly elevated [1] - Inflation appears to have stagnated, with tariffs exerting upward pressure on commodity price inflation [1] - The labor market remains robust [1] Financial Situation Assessment - The U.S. financial system is still described as "significantly" fragile, with asset valuation pressures remaining high [1] - Vulnerabilities related to non-financial corporate and household debt are characterized as "moderate," with household debt to GDP ratio at its lowest level in the past 20 years and household balance sheets remaining strong [1] - The debt repayment capacity of listed companies remains strong [1] Economic Outlook - Commodity price increases are expected to be smaller and occur later than previously anticipated, with financial conditions expected to provide slightly stronger support for output growth [1] - The labor market is anticipated to weaken, with the unemployment rate expected to rise above the estimated natural rate by the end of this year and remain above it until 2027 [1] - Tariffs are expected to push inflation higher this year and provide further upward pressure on inflation in 2026, with inflation projected to decline to 2% by 2027 [1] - High uncertainty remains, primarily reflecting changes in economic policy and their related economic impacts [1] Current Economic Conditions and Outlook - Overall inflation remains slightly above the long-term target of 2%, but excluding tariff effects, inflation is close to the target [1] - Short-term inflation is expected to rise, with significant uncertainty regarding the impact of tariffs, which will take time to manifest in prices [1] - Current demand conditions limit companies' ability to pass tariff costs onto prices [1] - Long-term inflation expectations remain stable [1] - The unemployment rate remains low, with employment at or near maximum estimated levels [1] - Economic activity growth is expected to remain low in the second half of the year, with weakened housing demand, increased unsold homes, and declining home prices [1] - Uncertainty regarding the economic outlook remains high, emphasizing upward inflation risks and downward employment risks [1] - Concerns about the fragility of the U.S. Treasury market may increase demand for U.S. government bonds [1]

Group 1 - Japan's real GDP grew by 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in Q2, translating to an annualized growth rate of 1.0% [1] - Personal consumption, which accounts for over half of Japan's economy, increased by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter, while business equipment investment rose by 1.3% and residential investment grew by 0.8% [1] - Public demand, including government consumption and public investment, decreased by 0.3%, contributing negatively to domestic demand growth [1] Group 2 - The Cabinet Office revised its GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal year (April 2025 to March 2026) down from 1.2% to 0.7% [2] - The reduction in GDP growth expectations is attributed to the impact of U.S. tariff policies, which are expected to directly decrease Japan's exports to the U.S. and indirectly affect exports to other countries [2]

Group 1 - Japan's real GDP grew by 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in Q2, translating to an annualized growth rate of 1.0% [1] - Personal consumption, which accounts for over half of Japan's economy, increased by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter, while business investment in equipment rose by 1.3% and residential investment grew by 0.8% [1] - Public demand, including government consumption and public investment, decreased by 0.3%, contributing negatively to domestic demand growth [1] Group 2 - The Japanese Cabinet Office revised its economic growth forecast for the fiscal year 2025 from 1.2% to 0.7%, citing the impact of U.S. tariff policies on Japan's exports [2] - The decline in exports to the U.S. is expected to have a direct effect, while reduced exports from other countries to the U.S. will indirectly affect Japan's exports of intermediate goods [2]

Group 1: Market Performance - The A-share market has outperformed GDP growth for four consecutive quarters since Q3 2024, marking the first time since the second half of 2021[3] - The probability of the stock market outperforming GDP in China since 2000 is approximately 32%, with an average duration of about 6 quarters[4] - In contrast, the U.S. stock market has outperformed GDP over 60% of the time since 2000, indicating a stronger correlation between stock performance and economic growth in the U.S.[4] Group 2: Economic Context - The report emphasizes the importance of nominal GDP in the context of inflation and debt cycles, suggesting that nominal GDP reflects the economic value created across industries[3] - The analysis introduces a two-dimensional framework of real GDP and inflation, indicating that stock market outperformance is more likely during periods of "volume increase and price decrease" or "simultaneous volume and price increase"[4] - Historical examples show that when real GDP rises and the GDP deflator remains low, the probability and duration of stock market outperformance increase, as seen in the U.S. during the 1990s tech boom[7] Group 3: Factors Influencing Stock Performance - The report identifies two main factors contributing to stock market outperformance: earnings expectations (E) and non-earnings factors (PE) such as market sentiment and liquidity[4] - In the current context, the A-share market's outperformance is notable due to significant re-inflation pressures, which is relatively rare based on historical precedents[5] - The report suggests that future market trends could follow two paths: a technology-driven slow growth route or a cyclical recovery route with rising real GDP and inflation[10]

Group 1 - Manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMI both showed a decline in July, with manufacturing PMI at 49.3 and non-manufacturing PMI at 50.1, indicating a seasonal slowdown slightly greater than historical averages [4][6] - The decline in orders was slightly greater than production, suggesting a transmission of slowdown from demand to supply, with new orders index at 49.4 and production index at 50.5 [6][7][8] - Despite the decline in quantity indicators, price indicators showed initial expansion, with raw material purchase price index rising by 3.1 points and factory price index rising by 2.1 points, indicating effective transmission from upstream to downstream [8][9] Group 2 - Business activity expectations reached a four-month high, with the PMI production activity expectation index at 52.6, suggesting a positive impact of price elasticity on business expectations as long as the contraction in quantity is manageable [11] - The construction industry showed a month-on-month decline, attributed to adverse weather conditions and pressures from real estate sales, with construction PMI at 50.6 and new orders index at 42.7 [12][13] - The Business Confidence Index (BCI) fell by 1.6 points to 47.7, reflecting a distribution of "declining sales, rising profits" consistent with the logic of slowing real GDP and improving nominal GDP [13][14] Group 3 - The EPMI, PMI, and BCI all pointed in the same direction, indicating a need to adjust investment strategies to focus on areas benefiting from nominal GDP improvement and structural policy cues [18]

Core Viewpoint - The manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMI both showed a decline in July, indicating a seasonal slowdown that is slightly more pronounced than in previous years. The decline in orders is greater than that in production, suggesting a transmission of slowdown from demand to supply [1][4][5]. Group 1: Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing PMI - In July, the manufacturing PMI was recorded at 49.3, down from 49.7, while the non-manufacturing PMI was at 50.1, down from 50.5. The historical average for July over the past 5 and 10 years was -0.3 and -0.2 respectively, indicating this year's decline is slightly above seasonal norms [5][4]. - The new orders index for manufacturing was 49.4, lower than the previous 50.2, and the new export orders index was 47.1, down from 47.7 [6]. Group 2: Demand Factors - The slowdown in orders is attributed to several factors: a decrease in durable goods demand, with automotive retail sales dropping 19% month-on-month and 9% year-on-year; a decline in real estate sales, with a 21.2% year-on-year drop in transactions across 30 cities; and a potential contraction in production activities in some industrial sectors due to rising "anti-involution" sentiments [1][5]. Group 3: Price Indicators - Despite the decline in quantity indicators, price indicators showed initial expansion, with the raw material purchase price index and factory price index rising by 3.1 and 2.1 points respectively. This suggests that the "anti-involution" policy is starting to take effect and that there is some effective transmission from upstream to downstream [2][7][8]. - The production activity expectation index for July reached its highest level in four months at 52.6, indicating a positive correlation with nominal GDP as long as the contraction in quantity remains manageable [8]. Group 4: Construction Sector - The construction sector showed a decline, with the construction PMI at 50.6, down from 52.8. This decline is attributed to adverse weather conditions and pressures from real estate sales and fiscal spending on infrastructure [9][10]. - The new orders index for construction was 42.7, down from 44.9, indicating a weakening in demand within the sector [11]. Group 5: Business Confidence Index (BCI) - The BCI fell by 1.6 points from June, with a current value of 47.7. The index reflects a trend of "sales declining, profits rising," which aligns with the logic of slowing real GDP and improving nominal GDP [12][13]. - The forward-looking indices for consumer goods and intermediate goods prices unexpectedly declined, indicating that while short-term prices may rebound, the medium-term expectations for price increases are not yet solidified [12][15].

Group 1 - The article discusses the upcoming release of key economic indicators, including the quarterly refinancing report, the preliminary quarter-on-quarter personal consumption expenditures (PCE) for Q2, and the annualized quarter-on-quarter GDP and core PCE price index [1]

Core Insights - The article highlights the upcoming release of key economic indicators, including initial jobless claims, May durable goods orders month-over-month, final value of first-quarter real personal consumption expenditures quarter-over-quarter, real GDP, and core PCE price index annualized quarter-over-quarter [1] Economic Indicators - Initial jobless claims data from the previous week will be published shortly [1] - May durable goods orders will be reported on a month-over-month basis [1] - The final value of first-quarter real personal consumption expenditures will be released, reflecting quarter-over-quarter changes [1] - Real GDP figures will also be disclosed, providing insights into economic growth [1] - The core PCE price index annualized quarter-over-quarter will be included, which is a key measure of inflation [1]

Inflation Data Summary - In May 2025, the CPI year-on-year was -0.1%, unchanged from the previous month, while the month-on-month change was -0.2%, down from 0.1%[3] - The PPI year-on-year decreased to -3.3% from -2.7%, with a month-on-month change of -0.4%, consistent with the previous month[3] CPI Analysis - The CPI month-on-month decline of -0.2% aligns with the seasonal average over the past four years[3] - Food prices showed resilience with a month-on-month change of -0.2%, better than the four-year average of -0.9%, while non-food prices also fell by -0.2%, below the average of 0.0%[3] - Pork prices have remained stable, contributing less to CPI changes, with fresh vegetables and fruits showing stronger seasonal performance[3] PPI Insights - The PPI has broken below the previous range of -2.0% to -3.0%, indicating a significant downward trend[3] - Production materials have seen a month-on-month decline for five consecutive months, with a year-on-year drop of -4.0%[3] - Energy prices fell by 1.7% month-on-month, contributing approximately 0.13 percentage points to the CPI decline, accounting for nearly 70% of the total decrease[3] Economic Outlook - Actual GDP is expected to remain resilient in Q2, but nominal GDP may face pressure, impacting equity market potential[3] - The report highlights the need for increased policy measures to stimulate demand and address supply-side competition issues[3] Risk Factors - Potential risks include slower-than-expected domestic policy implementation, unexpected declines in real estate investment, and inflationary pressures from the U.S.[3]

Core Points - The U.S. Department of Commerce has released the preliminary economic report for Q1 2025, showing a quarter-over-quarter contraction of 0.07%, an annualized decline of 0.3%, but a year-over-year increase of 1.9%, with nominal GDP at $73,227 billion [1][3] - There is a distinction between nominal GDP and real GDP, with the real GDP for Q1 2025 calculated at $58,815.25 billion, reflecting a quarter-over-quarter decrease of $40.5 billion [3][4] - The nominal GDP using market prices for Q1 2025 is reported at $74,944 billion, indicating a nominal growth rate of 4.6% when not adjusted for price fluctuations [6][9] Summary of Different Accounting Standards - The real GDP is calculated using a base year price index (2017), while nominal GDP reflects the current market prices of goods and services [4][6] - The unadjusted GDP figure of $73,227 billion for Q1 2025 shows a year-over-year increase of 1.9% when price fluctuations are excluded, while the adjusted figure shows a year-over-year increase of 2.1% [6][9] - The difference between seasonally adjusted and unadjusted figures is significant, with the former accounting for seasonal variations and the latter providing a raw economic snapshot [7][10] Implications of Mixed Reporting Standards - The mixed use of seasonal adjustment standards in reporting can lead to confusion among readers, as the quarter-over-quarter figures typically use seasonally adjusted data while year-over-year figures often use unadjusted data [10][11] - This practice is common in China, where the GDP figures are reported using both standards, leading to potential misunderstandings among those unfamiliar with economic reporting conventions [10][11]