In the final stretch
BRAZIL ECONOMICS · Report · 18 Dec 2025

The tone of the Copom Minutes, released yesterday, was somewhat more upbeat in its assessment of the prospective inflation scenario than that conveyed in the Statement following the meeting, but, even so, without elements that would allow us to affirm, as we had come to believe, that the beginnin...

Is 390 the current officially preferred EURHUF rate?
HUNGARY · In Brief · 18 Dec 2025

You know, it is a pretty common disease among analysts to see reason even where there is none. So, maybe we have just fallen prey to this pandemic this time. However, there may be still a story, a sort of conscious calculation to manage the EURHUF exchange rate, behind what we have seen most late...

The Senate approved the Sentencing Bill, Congress should vote on the Federal Budget on Friday, and the Minister of Tourism stepped down from his position
BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 18 Dec 2025

The Senate floor approved yesterday the Sentencing Bill (PL 2,162/23), which reduces the sentences of those convicted for the January 8, 2023 attacks. The bill now moves to presidential consideration. Congress will hold a joint session on Friday morning, December 19, to vote on the 2026 Annual B...

Implications of the oil logistics paralysis
VENEZUELA · Report · 18 Dec 2025

Loading and unloading operations have continued after the seizure of the Skipper and Trump's announcement of a blockade on sanctioned vessels. Available information is disperse and diverse. It includes ships that chose to return without reaching Venezuela, others that began unloading diluents...

Russia: a brief market watch
RUSSIA ECONOMICS · In Brief · 18 Dec 2025

The Russian FX market has seen moderate volatility over the past two weeks. The CBR’s decision to lift limits on outgoing hard currency transfers by individuals from Russia and “friendly” countries has had little effect on the exchange rate. Still, easing capital controls could help the ruble wea...

Labor market remains tight despite post-war normalization
ISRAEL · In Brief · 17 Dec 2025

Labor market remains tight despite post-war normalization Labor-market indicators continue to point to a tight labor market that may sustain wage pressures and slow the pace of interest-rate cuts, even after the ceasefire. Two new releases this week suggest that labor demand remains strong, while...

The election race has become tighter
HUNGARY · Report · 17 Dec 2025

Tisza’s lead in the opinion polls has narrowed somewhat over the past month. This was not so much because Tisza might have lost momentum in its campaign, as it has just completed a successful primary vote to select MP candidates and is moving forward towards releasing a policy program by January....

The Lower House approved the bill on the Management Committee for the IBS tax, the Senate will discuss the Sentencing Bill, and the first poll since Flavio was chosen as Bolsonaro’s successor was published
BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 17 Dec 2025

The Lower House concluded yesterday the vote on the remaining amendments to the bill regulating the Management Committee and the second phase of the Tax Reform (PLP 108/24). The bill now moves to presidential sanction. Also today, the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee will debate the Se...

November CPI surprises slightly to the downside, inflation eases to 2.4%
ISRAEL · In Brief · 16 Dec 2025

Israel’s consumer price index, published yesterday, surprised slightly to the downside, falling by 0.5% in November, compared with our forecast of a 0.4% decline and a 0.3% decline in the consensus forecast. As a result, annual inflation eased to 2.4%, its lowest level since November 2021. The de...

Economic growth remained strong in November
KAZAKHSTAN · In Brief · 16 Dec 2025

Recent monthly updates from the Bureau of National Statistics show that economic growth in November stayed strong, matching the pace of previous months. The short-term indicator, a monthly proxy for economic activity, grew by 9.1% y-o-y in 11M25, the same rate recorded in 9M25 and 8M25. Transport...

The forward guidance has been changed at today's Monetary Council
HUNGARY · In Brief · 16 Dec 2025

The Council's last regular monthly rate-setting meeting in 2025 was held today. On this occasion, the Q4 inflation report was also discussed, the details of which will be presented by the MNB staff the day after tomorrow.On this occasion, the base rate and the corridor were left unchanged at 6.5%...

The Lower House set this week’s voting agenda, the STF approved the resumption of the investigation into the Banco Master fraud scheme, and the STF is expected to vote on the demarcation of indigenous lands
BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 16 Dec 2025

Following a meeting of party leaders, the Lower House set this week’s voting agenda. The agenda includes a bill providing for a linear cut in tax incentives, which is a priority for the Ministry of Finance. Yesterday, Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Dias Toffoli ordered the resumption of inve...

Webinar replay - Chile election briefing: The next administration
CHILE · Report · 16 Dec 2025

After the election of Chile's next president, what do the results reveal about the electorate? Which goals will the incoming administration prioritize? What challenges are ahead for the president-elect? Watch the replay of the final installment of our Chile Election Briefing webinar series fea...

Public opinion on ‘peace deal’: territorial concessions strongly rejected
UKRAINE · In Brief · 16 Dec 2025

We do not cover much the new wave of ‘peace deal’ efforts because Ukrainians are very skeptical of the process. Vladimir Putin’s goal is to dismantle the Ukrainian state, and his involvement in Trump’s ‘peace deal’ talks is simply aimed at delaying a new wave of sanctions, driving a wedge between...

Will global trade fracture?
CHINA FINANCIAL · Report · 16 Dec 2025

Special points to highlight in this report: - Once again, China’s data releases this month have been disappointing. Even as the market expected very weak growth in November’s retail sales of just 2.9%, in fact they came in much lower, at 1.3%. Industrial output growth also disappointed, comin...