Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve's July FOMC meeting minutes indicate a cautious stance on monetary policy due to high inflation risks stemming from trade tariffs, with most policymakers preferring to wait for more evidence before making any rate changes [2][4][5]. Group 1: FOMC Meeting Outcomes - The FOMC voted 9-2 to maintain the federal funds rate at 4.25% to 4.50%, marking the first time since 1993 that multiple Fed officials voted against the decision [4]. - Officials engaged in active debates regarding the impact of tariffs on inflation and the limitations of their policy stance, with a general expectation of short-term inflation increases [4][5]. Group 2: Economic Indicators and Market Reactions - Following the FOMC meeting, a weak U.S. labor market report showed non-farm payrolls significantly below expectations, with a rise in unemployment and a drop in labor force participation to its lowest level since late 2022 [7]. - The derivative market reflects an 85% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut in September, driven by the weak labor data and concerns over inflation from tariffs [7][9]. Group 3: Future Policy Considerations - Economists suggest that the mixed inflation data from July makes the Fed uncomfortable, as tariffs may continue to exert upward pressure on inflation in the coming months [8]. - Fed Chair Powell's upcoming speech at the annual economic symposium is anticipated to clarify the Fed's stance on balancing employment protection against inflation concerns [8][9].

Economic Growth - Malaysia's GDP grew by 4.4% year-on-year in Q2, maintaining a steady growth trend despite a complex external environment, slightly below the earlier forecast of 4.5% but above market expectations of 4.3% [1] - Seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 2.1% quarter-on-quarter, significantly higher than the 0.7% growth in Q1, indicating economic resilience [1] Domestic Demand - Strong domestic demand was a key driver of economic growth, with household consumption rising by 5.3% year-on-year and public consumption increasing by 6.4% in Q2 [1] - Government policies, such as raising minimum wages and adjusting civil servant salaries, enhanced consumer purchasing power, contributing to a thriving consumption market [1] - Private and public investments grew by 10.2% and 6.8%, respectively, further supporting economic expansion [1] Sector Performance - The services sector grew by 5.1% year-on-year, driven by active performance in wholesale and retail, as well as food and beverage sub-sectors [2] - Manufacturing sector growth slowed but still achieved a 3.7% year-on-year increase, with electrical, electronic, and optical products showing sustained growth [2] - Agriculture and construction sectors also reported growth rates of 2.1% and 12.1%, respectively [2] Labor Market - Total employment in Malaysia increased by 2.9% year-on-year, reaching 16.86 million, with an unemployment rate stable at 3%, down 5.7% from the previous year [2] - Labor force participation rate rose to 70.8%, indicating a robust labor market that supports household consumption and sustainable economic growth [2] Trade Performance - Despite challenges, Malaysia's trade performance showed some highlights, with a significant 72.6% drop in net exports due to reduced commodity exports, particularly in mining [2] - Strong performance in electrical and electronic product exports partially offset the overall decline in exports [2] - Malaysia's important position in regional supply chains and trade cooperation with other countries provided some buffer against export market pressures [2] Inflation and Monetary Policy - Malaysia's inflation remained moderate in Q2, with the overall inflation rate decreasing from 1.5% in Q1 to 1.3%, and core inflation holding steady at 1.8% [3] - The decline in fuel prices and a slowdown in food price increases were the main reasons for the drop in inflation rates, providing stability for consumer purchasing power and room for monetary policy adjustments [3] - The central bank expects overall inflation to remain moderate, ranging between 1.5% and 2.3% for the year [3] Future Outlook - Analysts predict that Malaysia's economy may face challenges in the second half of the year, with potential further slowdown in exports [3] - However, continued domestic demand growth and stable investment activities are expected to provide some support for the economy [3] - The recovery of the tourism sector and the advancement of infrastructure projects are anticipated to inject new momentum into the economy [3]

Group 1 - The UK's inflation rate rose to 3.8% in July, the highest level since January 2024, significantly above the Bank of England's target of 2% [1][2] - Major contributors to the inflation increase include rising costs of airfares and food [2] - The Bank of England anticipates inflation may peak at 4% in September, with a gradual decline expected thereafter [2][3] Group 2 - The UK labor market remains tight, contributing upward pressure on prices, with wage growth around 5% complicating the Bank of England's efforts to reduce inflation to its target [3] - The current inflation level in the UK exceeds that of the US, which reported a July inflation rate of 2.7%, and is also higher than the Eurozone, where inflation is expected to remain near the European Central Bank's target of 2% [2]

Group 1 - The national poverty rate in Ghana has increased from 39% in 2017 to 40% [1] - Many households in Ghana are struggling due to severe inflation, with prices of food, transportation, and other essentials skyrocketing [1] - In 2023, many families find it difficult to meet basic living needs even with a daily income of $3 [1] Group 2 - A broader poverty standard indicates that 57.2% of the population will still be in poverty in 2024, defined as living on less than $4.20 a day [1] - Ghana's economic challenges are not only about growth but also structural issues, with an over-reliance on capital-intensive industrial models [1] - From 2012 to 2023, the working-age population increased by 2.7 million, but net job creation was only 250,000 [1] Group 3 - Most jobs created in the past decade have been in low-productivity sectors, with limited growth in manufacturing and high-value services [1] - The gap in the labor market poses a threat to Ghana's development prospects and its ability to benefit from the demographic dividend [1]

Economic Development - The core argument suggests that China's economic growth targets should not be based solely on estimates of "potential economic growth rates" due to considerable uncertainty in these estimates [4][5][6] - The estimation of China's potential economic growth rate varies widely among scholars, ranging from 5% to 8%, and there is a lack of official estimates from authoritative government bodies [5][6] - The article emphasizes the importance of using a trial-and-error approach in setting economic growth targets, advocating for expansionary fiscal policies when indicators such as inflation and employment are low [7] - Long-term factors influencing economic performance should not be used to explain short-term economic changes, as many intermediate factors affect current economic growth [8][9] - Macroeconomic regulation and structural reform are not mutually exclusive; both are necessary to address complex economic issues [10][11] - The article discusses the significance of the "Four Trillion Yuan Stimulus Plan" and its long-term effects on China's economic growth and financial stability [17][18] - It highlights the relationship between monetary policy and real estate regulation, noting that fluctuations in monetary policy often correlate with changes in housing prices [29][31] - The article critiques the belief that inflation is always a monetary phenomenon, presenting evidence of instances where inflation rates did not align with monetary supply growth [22][23][24] - It concludes that the lessons learned from over 20 years of macroeconomic regulation in China emphasize the importance of maintaining growth as a fundamental objective [33]

Group 1: Investment Rating - No investment rating information is provided in the report. Group 2: Core Views - Economic growth shows a slowdown in the decline of container shipping freight rate indices, with power plant daily consumption falling from a high level, and demand - side indicators showing mixed trends [1][4]. - Inflation presents a situation where pork prices are slowly falling at a low level, and there are fluctuations in CPI and PPI components [2][4]. Group 3: Summary by Directory 1. Economic Growth: Slowdown in the Decline of Container Shipping Freight Rate Indices 1.1 Production: Power Plant Daily Consumption Falls from a High Level - Power plant daily consumption has declined. On August 19, the average daily consumption of 6 major power - generating groups was 912,000 tons, a 4.5% drop from August 12. On August 14, the daily consumption of power plants in eight southern provinces was 2.369 million tons, a 5.3% drop from August 6 [4][11]. - Blast furnace operating rates fluctuated slightly. On August 15, the national blast furnace operating rate was 83.6%, down 0.2 percentage points from August 8, while the capacity utilization rate was 90.2%, up 0.2 percentage points. The blast furnace operating rate of Tangshan steel mills remained flat at 92.6% [4][17]. - Tire operating rates were weakly stable. On August 14, the operating rate of truck - used all - steel tires was 63.1%, up 2.1 percentage points from August 7, and that of car - used semi - steel tires was 72.1%, down 2.3 percentage points [4][19]. 1.2 Demand: Slowdown in the Decline of Container Shipping Freight Rate Indices - The decline in the month - on - month sales of new homes in 30 cities slowed down. From August 1 to 19, the average daily sales area of commercial housing in 30 large and medium - sized cities was 179,000 square meters, down 6.1% from July, 15.0% from August last year, and 32.4% from August 2023 [4][24]. - The retail sales of the auto market are gradually picking up. In August, retail sales increased by 2% year - on - year, and wholesale sales increased by 20% year - on - year [4][27]. - Steel prices generally fell. On August 19, rebar, wire rod, hot - rolled coil, and cold - rolled prices decreased by 3.5%, 3.1%, 2.8%, and 0.2% respectively compared to August 12 [4][32]. - Cement prices generally rebounded. On August 19, the national cement price index rose 1.4% from August 12, with prices in East China and the Yangtze River region rising 4.4% and 4.3% respectively [4][33]. - Glass prices stopped falling and rebounded. On August 19, the active glass futures contract price was 1,215 yuan/ton, up 13.9% from August 12 [4][37]. - The decline of container shipping freight rate indices slowed down. On August 15, the CCFI index decreased by 0.6% from August 8, and the SCFI index decreased by 2.0% [4][40]. 2. Inflation: Slow Fall of Pork Prices at a Low Level 2.1 CPI: Slow Fall of Pork Prices at a Low Level - Pork prices are slowly falling at a low level. On August 19, the average wholesale price of pork was 20.2 yuan/kg, a 0.2% drop from August 12 [4][46]. - The agricultural product price index is slowly rising. On August 19, the agricultural product wholesale price index rose 0.8% from August 12, with different fluctuations in various varieties [4][51]. 2.2 PPI: Weak Fluctuation of Oil Prices - Oil prices are weakly fluctuating. On August 19, the spot prices of Brent and WTI crude oil were $67.6 and $62.4 per barrel respectively, down 0.01% and 1.3% from August 12 [4][54]. - Copper and aluminum prices declined. On August 19, the LME 3 - month copper and aluminum prices decreased by 0.2% and 1.4% respectively compared to August 12 [4][58]. - The month - on - month increase of the domestic commodity index narrowed. On August 19, the Nanhua Industrial Products Index decreased by 2.5% from August 12, and the CRB index decreased by 0.3% from August 11 [4][58].

Group 1 - The core concept of the article revolves around the "smile curve" and its implications for investment strategies in the context of market cycles and company earnings growth [1][5][11] - The article discusses the importance of dollar-cost averaging during periods of loss to lower the average cost of holdings, which can lead to profitability when the market recovers [5] - It emphasizes that the long-term growth of company earnings is a fundamental driver of stock market performance, despite short-term fluctuations [42][44] Group 2 - The article explains that the earnings growth of companies is not uniform and is influenced by economic cycles, leading to alternating phases of market optimism and pessimism [11][14] - It highlights that the Hong Kong stock market has recently transitioned to the right side of the smile curve, indicating a recovery phase after a significant downturn [16][19] - The technology and pharmaceutical sectors in Hong Kong are noted to have entered the recovery phase, with expected earnings growth in 2024 and 2025 [24][26][28] Group 3 - The article provides a detailed analysis of the valuation metrics for various Hong Kong indices, including price-to-earnings ratios and dividend yields, indicating potential investment opportunities [33][34][36] - It discusses the cyclical nature of earnings growth and how it affects market valuations, with specific reference to the A-share market's recovery lagging behind that of Hong Kong [38][40] - The article concludes with two explanations for the long-term growth of company earnings: inflation and improvements in production efficiency driven by technological innovation, urbanization, and globalization [44][52][56]

8月20日，英国国家统计局公布的数据显示，7月消费者价格同比上涨3.8%，较6月的3.6%进一步加 速，创下2024年1月以来最快增速。 通货膨胀反映的是物价相比12个月前的变化。这意味着与一年前相比，现在英国家庭为这些产品和 物品支付的费用更高了。 英国央行指出，此次价格上涨主要受机票、酒店和汽车燃油价格上涨的推动。 "现在物价太离谱了。"英国市民米歇尔·伯肯黑德（Michelle Birkenhead）感叹道，"两年前，每周采 购只要100英镑（约合人民币920元），现在却要150英镑。" 食品和燃油价格的持续上涨正使英国人的财务状况捉襟见肘。 彭博社指出，这些数据进一步证明，企业正通过将数百亿英镑的额外成本转嫁给消费者，以应对财 政大臣里夫斯自4月起实施的大幅增税及最低工资标准上调政策。 英国央行最新预测显示，通胀率将在9月份达到4%的峰值，是其2%通胀目标的两倍。 而英国相对紧张的劳动力市场也对价格形成上行压力。经济学家表示，自"脱欧"以来，劳动力市场 更趋刚性。尽管工资增长有所放缓，但约5%的增幅仍过高，使英国央行难以相信通胀能迅速回落至 2%。 英国国家统计局首席经济学家格兰特·菲茨纳表示，食品价 ...

Group 1 - The core point of the article is that Canada's July CPI shows a slight slowdown in consumer price increases, with year-on-year growth at 1.7%, down from 1.9% in June, and below the median expectation of 1.8% from Bloomberg [1] - The July CPI increased by 0.3% month-on-month, matching the previous month's growth and meeting expectations [1] - The decrease in inflation is primarily driven by a significant drop in gasoline prices, which fell by 16.1% year-on-year, influenced by the cancellation of the consumer carbon tax and increased oil supply from producing countries [1] Group 2 - Excluding gasoline prices, the CPI index rose by 2.5%, consistent with the growth rates observed in May and June [1] - Following the inflation report, the Canadian dollar continued to decline against the US dollar, trading at 1.3835 CAD per USD [1] - Canadian government bonds experienced a slight increase, with the 2-year bond yield dropping to 2.71% [1]

Group 1: Report Investment Ratings - There is no specific industry - wide investment rating provided in the report. However, for individual varieties, ratings are as follows: Gold - ★ (suggesting long - term strategic allocation), Silver - ★ (short - term attention to support level, long - term long), Copper - ★ (long - term bullish), Zinc - ★ (short - term bearish, long - term wait for shorting opportunity), Lead - ★★ (short - term bearish), Tin - ★ (short - term rebound), Aluminum - ★★ (short - term bearish), Nickel - ★★ (short - term bearish), Industrial Silicon - ★ (short - term bearish), Polysilicon - ★ (high - level shock, callback to buy), Lithium Carbonate - ★ (high - level shock, hold long positions) [1] Group 2: Core Views - **Gold**: Short - term, due to the significant progress in the Russia - Ukraine issue and the decline of risk - aversion sentiment, the disk lacks upward momentum. Long - term, with the loose monetary policies of major countries, central banks' continuous gold purchasing, and the reshaping of the geopolitical pattern, there is a need for asset allocation in gold, so it should be strategically allocated [1]. - **Silver**: Short - term, there are concerns about liquidity, and it is more elastic. It is affected by gold fluctuations. Long - term, with strong global liquidity and re - industrialization demand and limited supply increase, the upward trend is unchanged. Short - term, pay attention to the performance around 9150, and long - term, go long [1]. - **Copper**: Short - term, the upcoming global central bank annual meeting and the possible hawkish statement of Powell may suppress the Fed's interest - rate cut expectation, causing the US dollar to rebound and copper prices to be under pressure. Pay attention to the support at the 78,000 level. Long - term, as an important strategic resource in the Sino - US game, with the shortage of copper concentrates and the explosion of green copper demand, it is bullish [1][7]. - **Zinc**: Short - term, due to insufficient demand and inventory accumulation, the Shanghai zinc is under pressure and in a weak shock. Long - term, supply increases while demand decreases, waiting for shorting opportunities on rebounds [1][11]. - **Lead**: Short - term, with the recovery of primary lead production and the weakening impact of environmental protection on secondary lead in Anhui, supply is relatively loose, and downstream battery consumption is poor, so lead prices are under pressure [1]. - **Tin**: Short - term, with the slow recovery of tin mines in Myanmar's Wa State and a slight increase in the domestic refined tin smelting industry's start - up, and the tin ingot inventory reaching a high level in the off - season, tin prices show a short - term rebound [1]. - **Aluminum**: Short - term, with stable bauxite supply at home and abroad, inventory accumulation in domestic mainstream consumption areas during the off - season, and poor performance in terminal consumption and exports, aluminum prices are under pressure [1][15]. - **Nickel**: Short - term, with the weakening price of nickel ore in the Philippines and the accumulation of domestic refined nickel social inventory, and the weakening of inventory reduction driven by stainless - steel production cuts, nickel prices are under pressure [1][19]. - **Industrial Silicon**: Short - term, affected by the new energy sector's fluctuations, with no major supply - demand contradiction in itself, it is under obvious pressure from the top and tests the lower support [1]. - **Polysilicon**: Despite a bearish fundamental outlook and expected inventory accumulation in August, due to the photovoltaic industry symposium held by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, it is expected to be in high - level shock, and buy on callbacks [1]. - **Lithium Carbonate**: Supply contracts unexpectedly, and with the approaching peak season of terminal demand, wait for the strengthening of the de - stocking drive. Hold long positions. It is in high - level shock in the short term [1][23]. Group 3: Summary by Related Catalogs Gold and Silver - **Market Review**: Global parties are seeking a geopolitical cease - fire, and the Jackson Hole Global Central Bank Annual Meeting may have a radical stance, leading to an obvious adjustment in gold and silver prices [2]. - **Basic Logic**: The market expects Powell to have a radical stance at the Jackson Hole Global Central Bank Annual Meeting. The US housing starts in July reached a five - month high, contrary to expectations. There is progress in the Russia - Ukraine cease - fire. Short - term, the probability of gold breaking through the range is low, while long - term, gold may continue a long - bull trend due to global monetary easing, the decline of the US dollar's credit, and the reshaping of the geopolitical pattern [3]. - **Strategy Recommendation**: Gold may have support around 766 in the short term. Pay attention to long - order entry after stabilization. Silver has greater short - term emotional fluctuations and is adjusting downward. Pay attention to the effectiveness of the support at 9000. Also, pay attention to the tri - party meeting of the US, Russia, and Ukraine [4]. Copper - **Market Review**: LME copper lost the 9700 - level mark, and Shanghai copper was under pressure and declined. Pay attention to the support at the 78,000 level [6]. - **Industrial Logic**: Recently, there have been disturbances in copper mines, but the supply of domestic copper concentrate raw materials has improved marginally. With the increase in smelting maintenance in August - September, refined copper production may decline marginally. It is currently the off - season, and downstream demand is weak, but demand is expected to pick up with the approaching peak season. Overseas exchange copper inventory has increased slightly, and domestic social inventory has rebounded slightly. The annual copper supply - demand is in a tight balance [6]. - **Strategy Recommendation**: With the approaching central bank annual meeting, the US dollar rebounds, and copper prices are under pressure. Pay attention to the support at the 78,000 level. Short - term, it is recommended to wait and see, and then go long lightly after the price stabilizes. Long - term, copper is bullish. Shanghai copper focuses on the range [77500, 79500] yuan/ton, and LME copper focuses on [9650, 9950] US dollars/ton [7]. Zinc - **Market Review**: Shanghai zinc is in a weak shock, testing the lower - level support [10]. - **Industrial Logic**: In 2025, the supply of zinc concentrate is abundant. The production of refined zinc in China has increased significantly. The processing fee of zinc concentrate has been rising, and smelter enthusiasm is high. However, due to the tariff increase on galvanized steel in Vietnam and the domestic off - season, the demand of galvanizing enterprises is expected to decline. The spot market transaction is dull, and inventory has accumulated [10]. - **Strategy Recommendation**: Short - term, due to the off - season and inventory accumulation, zinc is in a weak shock. Hold previous short positions, and some can take profit on dips. Pay attention to the support at the 22000 - level. Long - term, supply increases while demand decreases, so short on rebounds. Shanghai zinc focuses on the range [21800, 22400], and LME zinc focuses on [2700, 2800] US dollars/ton [11]. Aluminum - **Market Review**: Aluminum prices are under pressure, and alumina prices are falling back [13]. - **Industrial Logic**: For electrolytic aluminum, overseas macro - trade policies are still uncertain. The cost has decreased, and inventory has increased. The downstream start - up rate has rebounded slightly. For alumina, the rainy season in Guinea may affect the arrival volume in August, and the inventory accumulation speed of mainstream ports is expected to slow down. Domestic alumina production capacity has increased, and inventory has accumulated. Short - term, the supply - demand of alumina is expected to be loose [14]. - **Strategy Recommendation**: Short - term, look for opportunities to short on rebounds for Shanghai aluminum. Pay attention to the inventory accumulation of aluminum ingots during the off - season. The main operating range is [20000 - 20900] [15]. Nickel - **Market Review**: Nickel prices are running weakly, and stainless - steel prices are under pressure and falling back [17]. - **Industrial Logic**: Overseas, the price of nickel ore in the Philippines is weak, and NPI smelters are facing cost inversion and losses. Domestic refined nickel production has increased, and inventory has accumulated again. The production cut of stainless - steel has weakened, and the inventory reduction effect is weakening. The terminal market is still in the off - season, and stainless - steel still faces over - supply pressure [18]. - **Strategy Recommendation**: Look for opportunities to short on rebounds for nickel and stainless - steel. Pay attention to the downstream inventory changes. The main operating range of nickel is [120000 - 123000] [19]. Lithium Carbonate - **Market Review**: The main contract LC2511 opened high and closed low, with a slight reduction in positions, and closed down 1.79% [21]. - **Industrial Logic**: The fundamentals have not shown obvious improvement. The total inventory and production have decreased slightly, but the absolute quantity is still at a high level in recent years. After CATL confirmed the shutdown, the market expects the synchronous shutdown of other mines in Jiangxi. With the approaching peak season of terminal demand, downstream material factories start to stock up. The vulnerability of the inventory structure will amplify price elasticity. The main contract of lithium carbonate is expected to rise further after the de - stocking expectation is strengthened [22]. - **Strategy Recommendation**: There is still an expectation of supply speculation. Hold long positions in the range [86500 - 88000] [23].