{"id":396717,"date":"2024-11-22T19:10:48","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T13:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/?p=396717"},"modified":"2024-11-25T11:22:52","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T05:52:52","slug":"its-the-economy-stupid-inflations-high-or-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/subtext\/its-the-economy-stupid-inflations-high-or-is-it","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s the economy, stupid! Inflation\u2019s high\u2026 or is it?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>We love IndiaDataHub\u2019s weekly newsletter, \u2018<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/indiadatahub.substack.com\/\"><em>This Week in Data<\/em><\/a><em>\u2019, which neatly wraps up all major macro data stories for the week. We love it so much, in fact, that we\u2019ve taken it upon ourselves to create a simple, digestible version of their newsletter for those of you that don\u2019t like econ-speak. Think of us as a cover band, reproducing their ideas in our own style. Attribute all insights, here, to IndiaDataHub. All mistakes, of course, are our own.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Prefer watching over reading? Here\u2019s the video for you!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"<iframe width=\"100%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WfRBi7eobtQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Headline CPI Inflation Breaches Limits, but All is Not Grim<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let\u2019s talk about October\u2019s inflation. The headline CPI inflation hit 6.2%, a 14-month high, and food inflation zoomed past to 9.7%, levels we haven\u2019t seen since last July. It\u2019s tempting to hit the panic button when you hear this. After all, inflation climbing above the RBI\u2019s comfort zone of 6% is no small matter. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But before we sound the alarm, let\u2019s take a closer look. There\u2019s more nuance here than the numbers suggest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First, the obvious culprit: food prices. Inflation in fruits, vegetables, and oils shot up sharply. But here\u2019s the silver lining\u2014not all food categories are guilty. Cereals? Meat? Dairy? They\u2019ve either stayed calm or even cooled off a bit. This isn\u2019t a full-blown food inflation party\u2014it\u2019s just a few troublemakers stealing the spotlight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Food-Inflation-Categories.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-396756\" src=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Food-Inflation-Categories-1024x676.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Food-Inflation-Categories-1024x676.png 1024w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Food-Inflation-Categories-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Food-Inflation-Categories-768x507.png 768w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Food-Inflation-Categories-1536x1014.png 1536w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Food-Inflation-Categories-2048x1352.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Second, core inflation is still playing it cool. At 3.7%, it\u2019s climbing up ever so slightly but remains below 4% for the 11th month straight. And if we dig into \u201ccore-core\u201d inflation &#8211; this is when we exclude retail fuel and precious metals here &#8211; the story gets even better. It\u2019s been steady as a rock.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CPI-Inflation.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-396757\" src=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CPI-Inflation-1024x678.png\" alt=\"CPI Inflation\" width=\"1024\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CPI-Inflation-1024x678.png 1024w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CPI-Inflation-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CPI-Inflation-768x509.png 768w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CPI-Inflation-1536x1017.png 1536w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/CPI-Inflation-2048x1357.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here\u2019s where it gets complicated. Growth is clearly losing steam, and that 2Q GDP number everyone\u2019s been speculating about? It\u2019s expected to come in around 6% to 6.5%. When that happens, it could trigger a wave of downgrades to full-year growth forecasts. Even the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/rbi-projects-72-gdp-growth-for-fy25-cpi-inflation-to-moderate-at-45\/article68735542.ece#:~:text=Das%20said%2C%20%22Real%20GDP%20growth,the%20risks%20are%20evenly%20balanced.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">RBI\u2019s<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesstoday.in\/latest\/economy\/story\/indias-gdp-growth-imf-retains-growth-forecast-of-7-for-fy25-451101-2024-10-22\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">IMF\u2019s<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> ambitious 7% target is starting to look like wishful thinking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Normally, a slowing economy would prompt the RBI to cut interest rates to give growth a gentle nudge. But with inflation now sitting above 6%, the RBI is caught in a classic catch-22 situation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Err on the side of growth, and you risk fueling inflation. Err on the side of controlling inflation, and growth might take a bigger hit. There are no easy answers here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The good news is that this spike in CPI might be short-lived. Inflation could dip back below 6% by November or December, thanks to seasonal moderation in food prices. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But here\u2019s the catch: the December MPC meeting will likely take place before November\u2019s data lands. And even if inflation calms down, the average for the December quarter will still sit uncomfortably high at 5%\u2014a full percentage point higher than the previous quarter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, what should the MPC do? Play it safe and prioritize inflation? Or take a calculated risk and back growth? It\u2019s a classic trade-off, and December\u2019s meeting could set the tone for the months to come.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>Exports Surge After a Long Slump, but Imports Stay Calm<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">October brought some long-overdue cheer for India\u2019s exporters. Exports jumped 17% YoY, marking the strongest growth since June 2022. And it\u2019s about time\u2014after seven consecutive months of either negative or single-digit growth, this bounce feels like a breath of fresh air. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What\u2019s behind this surge? The usual suspects: Chemicals, Engineering goods, Electronics, and Ready-made garments led the charge. On the flip side, Petroleum exports continued their losing streak, falling by 22%\u2014the fifth straight month of declines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Export-Categories.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-396755\" src=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Export-Categories-1024x674.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Export-Categories-1024x674.png 1024w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Export-Categories-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Export-Categories-768x506.png 768w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Export-Categories-1536x1011.png 1536w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Key-Export-Categories-2048x1348.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Imports, meanwhile, rose a modest 4% YoY in October, continuing their streak of low single-digit growth for the third month in a row. The good news? This helped shrink the trade deficit on a year-on-year basis. But before we celebrate too much, let\u2019s remember that there\u2019s always a bit of seasonality at play\u2014this year\u2019s Diwali came earlier, pushing a lot of festive demand into October, which makes the numbers look better than they might otherwise seem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Growth-in-merchandise-Trade.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-396754\" src=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Growth-in-merchandise-Trade-1024x677.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Growth-in-merchandise-Trade-1024x677.png 1024w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Growth-in-merchandise-Trade-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Growth-in-merchandise-Trade-768x508.png 768w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Growth-in-merchandise-Trade-1536x1016.png 1536w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Growth-in-merchandise-Trade-2048x1354.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If we zoom out and look at the April-October period, the picture reveals more depth. Exports have grown by just 3% YoY, while imports have risen by nearly 6%. As a result, the trade deficit has widened by 10% YoY and is now on track to breach the $250 billion mark for the full year. Not exactly the kind of number you\u2019d want to see in the ledger.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While October\u2019s surge in exports is a welcome development, the broader trend shows the challenges are far from over. A growing trade deficit coupled with sluggish global demand (especially for petroleum) will continue to test India\u2019s resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The question now is whether October\u2019s momentum can be sustained\u2014or if it\u2019s just a festive-season blip. Either way, the trade numbers will remain a key watchpoint in the months to come.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>FX Reserves Take a Hit\u2014What\u2019s the RBI Up To?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">India\u2019s FX reserves dropped by $7 billion in the first week of November, marking the sixth consecutive week of declines. Over this period, reserves have shrunk by a total of $30 billion. That\u2019s a pretty steep slide, but it\u2019s not exactly shocking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Fx-Reserves-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-396753\" src=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Fx-Reserves-1-1024x675.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Fx-Reserves-1-1024x675.png 1024w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Fx-Reserves-1-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Fx-Reserves-1-768x506.png 768w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Fx-Reserves-1-1536x1012.png 1536w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Fx-Reserves-1-2048x1350.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here\u2019s why: foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have been pulling money out of Indian equities, and those outflows have been significant. To offset this selling pressure on the rupee, the RBI stepped in, dipping into its reserves to stabilize the currency. What this tells us, though, is that the rupee could\u2019ve taken a much harder hit if the RBI hadn\u2019t intervened to cushion the fall.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So why is the RBI so keen on defending the rupee? It\u2019s not just about keeping the currency stable for its own sake\u2014it\u2019s also about inflation. A weakening rupee can drive up the cost of imported goods, adding pressure to core inflation. And with inflation already a headache, the RBI is clearly trying to prevent things from getting worse.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>Some High-Frequency Indicators: Auto Sales, Energy Demand, GST Collections and Banking Growth<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After delving into macro-level data, let\u2019s now turn our attention to high-frequency and micro-industry indicators to get a closer look at what\u2019s happening on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As expected, October brought a wave of positivity across the <strong>automobile sector<\/strong>. Two-wheeler sales surged by an impressive 36% YoY, while Cars and SUVs weren\u2019t far behind with a 33% jump. Even construction vehicles, goods carriers, and passenger vehicles joined the party, all posting solid growth. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, tractors stood out as the outlier, with growth moderating sharply\u2014likely a reflection of softness in the agricultural economy, which has been facing its own set of challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Automobile-Sales.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-396752\" src=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Automobile-Sales-1024x679.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Automobile-Sales-1024x679.png 1024w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Automobile-Sales-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Automobile-Sales-768x509.png 768w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Automobile-Sales-1536x1018.png 1536w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Automobile-Sales-2048x1357.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But here\u2019s the catch: this festive boost comes with an asterisk. As we explained in the exports story above, festivals like Dhanteras, which was on 10th November last year, were pulled forward to 29th October this year. So, October\u2019s stellar numbers might be inflated by the timing. November\u2019s figures, likely to be weaker, will balance this out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To gauge the real state of consumption, we\u2019ll need to look at cumulative growth for October and November\u2014it\u2019ll paint a more accurate picture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Energy-Consumption.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-396751\" src=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Energy-Consumption-1024x672.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Energy-Consumption-1024x672.png 1024w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Energy-Consumption-300x197.png 300w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Energy-Consumption-768x504.png 768w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Energy-Consumption-1536x1009.png 1536w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Energy-Consumption-2048x1345.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Petroleum consumption recovered slightly in October, growing by 3% YoY after two months of declines. Diesel consumption, however, was nearly flat (+0.1% YoY). <strong>Power generation<\/strong> didn\u2019t offer much relief either, giving out less than 1% YoY growth for the second straight month. Taken together, these numbers point to a general cooling in energy demand over the last few months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GST-Collections.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-396750\" src=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GST-Collections-1024x678.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GST-Collections-1024x678.png 1024w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GST-Collections-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GST-Collections-768x508.png 768w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GST-Collections-1536x1016.png 1536w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GST-Collections-2048x1355.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>GST collections<\/strong> grew in single digits for the second month in a row this October. Over the last three months, growth has averaged just over 9% YoY\u2014the slowest pace we\u2019ve seen since early 2021, when COVID was wreaking havoc. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But <strong>EWay bills<\/strong>? They\u2019re telling a completely different story. Growth in EWay bills hit 19% YoY in October, matching September\u2019s strong performance and coming in well above the June quarter\u2019s average.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, what\u2019s the deal with this divergence? You see, GST collections show how much the government is making from goods and services sold in the economy\u2014a solid proxy for measuring economic health. On the other hand, EWay bills are generated whenever goods worth over \u20b950,000 cross state borders (or even within states, in some cases). Essentially, they\u2019re more about compliance than pure economic activity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The takeaway? The sharp growth in EWay bills likely reflects better enforcement and stricter compliance with the rules rather than a actual rise in goods movement or economic activity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Bank-Credit-Deposit-Growth.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-396749\" src=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Bank-Credit-Deposit-Growth-1024x672.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Bank-Credit-Deposit-Growth-1024x672.png 1024w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Bank-Credit-Deposit-Growth-300x197.png 300w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Bank-Credit-Deposit-Growth-768x504.png 768w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Bank-Credit-Deposit-Growth-1536x1007.png 1536w, https:\/\/zerodha.com\/z-connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Bank-Credit-Deposit-Growth-2048x1343.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And finally, let\u2019s talk about <strong>Banks<\/strong>. Bank credit growth dropped below 12% in mid-October\u2014the slowest in over two and a half years. Compare this to the start of the financial year, when credit growth was charging ahead at over 16%. Deposits, on the other hand, have grown modestly but have now overtaken credit growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Remember all those debates about credit growing faster than deposits because of stock market inflows? Turns out, that argument didn\u2019t hold water\u2014and now, it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>That\u2019s all for this week, folks!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Headline inflation\u2019s spiking, but core inflation\u2019s steady, and not all food is to blame. RBI\u2019s stuck in a tricky balancing act\u2014control prices or support growth?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":242548,"featured_media":396748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[532],"tags":[698,810,811,623,647,666,625,725,596,770,720,1028],"class_list":["post-396717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-subtext","tag-automobile-sales","tag-credit","tag-deposits","tag-energy","tag-exports","tag-forex","tag-gst","tag-import-export","tag-inflation","tag-its-the-economy-stupid","tag-petroleum-products","tag-power-generation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.5 (Yoast SEO v26.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>It\u2019s the economy, stupid! 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