Europe Economics Update ECB to raise rates, and without a new backstop Today’s policy statement and press conference sets the stage for the ECB to raise interest rates by 75bp by September and we expect that to be followed by two more hikes this year. The Bank’s failure... 9th June 2022 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Looming ECB rate hikes give SNB plenty to ponder We forecast the SNB to largely shadow ECB rate hikes over the next 18 months or so, albeit allowing the interest rate differential with the euro-zone to widen from 25bps at present to 50bps by end... 7th June 2022 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update PEPP redemptions no substitute for spread-fighting tool The ECB’s guidance that it can use PEPP reinvestments to contain bond spreads has a few big limitations. If the forthcoming interest rate hikes cause spreads to blow out, the ECB will either need to... 26th May 2022 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update ECB to follow Fed’s lead with 50bp hike With inflationary pressures remaining intense and policymakers keen to get the deposit rate out of negative territory, we now think the ECB is most likely to raise rates by 50bp in July and by 125bp... 26th May 2022 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update Answers to your questions on the ECB We held a Drop-In today to discuss our views on the ECB and what the chances are of a further hawkish surprise in the coming weeks. (You can see an on-demand recording here.) This Update answers... 24th May 2022 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update Rising interest costs add to pressure on EZ households We estimate that euro-zone households’ debt interest payments will quadruple as a share of income over the next couple of years as the ECB raises its policy rate. This will put yet further strain on... 24th May 2022 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update Historical experience highlights recession risks History suggests that the surge in energy prices over the past year means there is a good chance that the euro-zone will suffer a recession in 2022. It also suggests that it will be tricky for the ECB... 20th May 2022 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update End of negative rates is nigh! The account of the ECB’s April meeting shows that a lot of policymakers thought the criteria for rate hikes had already been met. Since then, the case for rate hikes has only strengthened. While not... 19th May 2022 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Case for rate hikes much stronger than in 2011 The ECB’s rate hikes in 2011 were a mistake, not just because they exacerbated the widening in peripheral bond spreads. Underlying inflation was subdued and policymakers were too concerned with acting... 16th May 2022 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update Wage pressures intensify amid high inflation The current bout of high inflation is influencing wage negotiations in the euro-zone and stronger pay growth this year seems all but guaranteed, reinforcing the ECB’s resolve to normalise policy. But... 11th May 2022 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Rising inflation expectations causing alarm Policymakers at the ECB are becoming more concerned about inflation expectations, with professional forecasters, financial investors, consumers and firms all anticipating that the pace of price... 10th May 2022 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics EUR/USD: The case for parity We think the euro will eventually weaken further, falling to parity against the US dollar, as the euro-zone economy falters, the terms of trade shock from higher energy prices feeds through, and the... 6th May 2022 · 5 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank to resume its tightening cycle in June As was widely expected, the Norges Bank left interest rates on hold at +0.75% today and all but confirmed that “the policy rate will […] be raised in June”. After June, we forecast two more rate hikes... 5th May 2022 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update ECB may need more than promises to contain spreads The prospect of tighter monetary policy in the euro-zone has raised the threat of a bigger sell-off in the region’s bond markets. If this happens, we think the ECB would ultimately intervene to... 4th May 2022 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update Europe’s supply problems still intense The timeliest surveys show that supply problems faced by euro-zone companies have eased a little this year, but remain intense. This will continue to weigh on production and keep inflation high. UK... 3rd May 2022 · 2 mins read
Europe Economics Update Gas price cap won’t solve Spain’s inflation problem The cap on the wholesale natural gas price for the Iberian market will result in a bigger fall in energy inflation in Spain than we had previously expected. It might also dampen underlying price... 28th April 2022 · 3 mins read
