4 days ago
Polish retail sales move closer to normalization in May
In May, retail sales accelerated to 3.0% yoy, close to the consensus and our forecasts. The breakdown of the data also contains very few surprises. The structure of retail sales is normalizing after the significant fluctuations seen in the previous two months. Looking at the bigger picture, even if the impact of the Gulf War turns out to be less severe than feared just a few weeks ago, consumption is set to slow in 2026. The latest sales data are consistent with this outlook.
4 days ago
Poland’s wage growth surprises to the downside once again
Wage growth accelerated to 5.8% yoy in May, offsetting the weak reading recorded a month earlier (5.4%). The figure came in slightly below consensus (6.0%). The pickup in growth largely reflects factors anticipated by the consensus, namely the fading of a high reference base and payoffs in the mining sector. On the other hand, the main source of disappointment was lower-than-anticipated wage growth in manufacturing and construction. Meanwhile, employment growth stabilised at -0.9% yoy.
4 days ago
Poland macro data for May in the spotlight this week
This week will begin with a culmination of macroeconomic releases from the Polish economy – today we will receive May labour market data on employment and wages, construction output, and retail sales. In core markets, the main macro release this week is expected to be the PMI readings from European economies. Of course, investors' eyes will continue to turn towards the Strait of Hormuz.
1 week ago
Domestic growth drivers are propelling Polish industry
Industrial production rose by 4.1% yoy in May, beating consensus (2.5% yoy) and our forecast (3.4% yoy). The negative effects of the war in the Gulf are, for now, limited mainly to rising costs and reduced availability of components and raw materials in certain segments. Production itself remains strong. In our view, investment demand deserves much of the credit for this.
1 week ago
Why Poland Matters Now
Poland’s economic success is set to continue for another decade or more. It will be supported by three key factors. First, Poland will be at the centre of Europe’s rebuilding of its defence capabilities. Second, it is Europe’s largest energy construction site, which puts it in a strong position in the race to attract AI data centres. Third, Poland will benefit from Europe’s new industrial policy, aimed at containing China. We discuss all of this in a report prepared for the Pekao & BofA Capital Markets Conference in London on 15–16 June 2026.
1 week ago
Markets elated about the US-Iran deal
This will be quite a calm week in Poland and quite busy abroad. Markets will focus on Fed, BoE and Swiss National Banks meetings. The agreement between USA an Iran should keep investors optimistic, which will help Polish assets.