Leading Indicators - 7 September

Key economic and financial metrics, and what to look out for in the week ahead
1 minute to read

In this edition:

  • Global M&A set for record 2021. With dealmaking already at $3.9tn for the year, according to figures from Refinitiv, activity is on track to exceed 2007’s previous record. Although tech companies have been the focus of transactions this year, real estate companies accounted for a significant 8% of the volume.
  • Markets await ECB policy statement. The European Central Bank will publish its latest monetary policy statement on Thursday, as inflation rises across the Eurozone. As with recent messaging from other central banks, any change in policy is likely to focus on a reduction in bond purchases initially, rather than movements in interest rates.
  • Capacity constraints slow UK construction growth. The construction PMI fell to 55.2 in August, still indicating healthy expansion, but at a slower pace than in recent months. However, this easing has largely been driven by supply chain constraints, with a shortage of HGV drivers and materials in general slowing output growth.

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