Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Italy turmoil boosts Swiss franc and government bonds The recent political turmoil in Italy gave the Swiss franc and Nordic & Swiss government bonds a boost at the end of May as investors sought safe havens. Stronger exchange rates weighed on equities in... 31st May 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will turmoil in Italy spark contagion? The fallout from the latest political turmoil in Italy has so far been contained, with limited impact on other euro-zone countries’ financial markets. There are good reasons to expect this to remain... 30th May 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update TARGET2 imbalances highlight Italy’s fragile situation If sentiment towards Italy deteriorates as a result of the current political situation, we could see renewed capital flight and a further worsening of Italy’s already-high TARGET2 liabilities. But... 29th May 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Key questions about Italy After the President refused to appoint a eurosceptic finance minister, Italy is heading for a fresh election. Provided that Five Star Movement and the League do not call for a referendum on euro... 29th May 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Apr.) April’s euro-zone money and lending data provide further evidence that economic growth has peaked. While households’ and firms’ demand for loans is still fairly strong, the deteriorating situation in... 29th May 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update A snap election would be good for Spain Spain’s Government is teetering and a snap election is on the cards. Given the rise of populists in Italy, an increase in political uncertainty in Spain seems concerning. But while the situation is... 25th May 2018 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Will Swedish wage growth ever pick up? We expect wage growth in Sweden to pick up to around 3% by the end of the year. This should be enough for the Riksbank to start raising interest rates in December. 23rd May 2018 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update The implications of Switzerland’s “Vollgeld” referendum A “yes” vote in Switzerland’s sovereign money referendum next month would completely overturn the current monetary system. It would constrain the Swiss National Bank’s approach to monetary policy... 22nd May 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update M5S/League proposals highlight risks to Italian bonds A leaked draft policy document shows that there is still anti-euro sentiment bubbling under the surface in the two parties most likely to form the next Italian government. What’s more, the parties... 16th May 2018 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Central Bank of Iceland on hold for now While the Central Bank of Iceland left policy unchanged today, its new forecasts show that it expects inflation to remain above target for the next three years. Moreover, we think that the Bank is... 16th May 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Italy's banks are on the mend, albeit slowly With attention in Italy focused on politics, some significant improvements in the banking sector have gone under the radar. That said, the banks are still a long way from a full recovery. 14th May 2018 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Should we worry about a M5S-League alliance? The fundamental differences between Italy’s Five Star Movement and League suggest that even if they agree to form a government together, they will not implement either party’s more extreme and costly... 10th May 2018 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Riksbank minutes tinged with hawkish comments The minutes to the Riksbank’s April meeting were slightly hawkish and suggest that the Bank is on track to raise interest rates this year. We think that markets have gone too far in pushing the krona... 8th May 2018 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update No rush for higher interest rates in Norway In today’s monetary policy announcement, the Norges Bank reiterated that it expects to raise interest rates this year. But we still suspect that it will ultimately wait until Q1 2019 before beginning... 3rd May 2018 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update How will the end of ECB QE affect bond yields? We think that after the ECB has ended its asset purchases, bond yields will generally rise only slowly. The biggest increases are likely to come in the periphery, with Italy most at risk of a sharp... 2nd May 2018 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Will Swiss and Nordic currencies recoup their losses? The Swiss franc and Nordic currencies have come under pressure this year. While we think that the franc and the Norwegian krone have further to fall, we suspect that the Swedish krona will rebound. 2nd May 2018 · 1 min read
