Making a comeback: Four factors pushing inflation higher in 2018

Inflation has been conspicuous in its absence since the financial crisis, in spite of the significant stimulus injected into many of the world's major economies. The sustained pick-up in global growth has also so far failed to stir any meaningful inflationary forces. However, inflationary pressures are now starting to build. Below, we identify four factors likely to drive inflation higher over the course of 2018. Energy prices  We expect rising energy prices - principally driven by the higher price of oil - to drive inflation higher. Since bottoming out in February 2016, the pri...