Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly SNB gets the chance to regroup; Norway picking up The positive policy moves out of Europe have weighed on the Swiss franc and has ratcheted down the pressure on the SNB. Meanwhile, Norway’s economy appears to have clawed back about half of what was... 5th June 2020 · 6 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Activity still depressed, policymakers step up support Data published this week added to evidence that economic activity in the euro-zone is slowly resuming after a catastrophic April, but that it remains well below “normal” levels. Against this backdrop... 5th June 2020 · 6 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly EU borrowing plans helpful, but not a panacea The publication of the EC’s blueprint for joint borrowing has been hailed by some as a “Hamilton moment”, referring to the 1790 decision by the first US Treasury Secretary to take on the debt of the... 29th May 2020 · 7 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Repo rate cut in the pipeline The fact that the Swedish economy grew a touch in Q1 adds to signs that the country has enjoyed some economic benefit from its light-touch lockdown. However, exports probably won’t save the day again... 29th May 2020 · 6 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly ECB preparing the ground for more bond purchases The account of April’s ECB meeting, and some recent comments from senior members of the Governing Council, suggest that the ECB is gearing up to increase its bond purchases. Next week, the European... 22nd May 2020 · 8 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly “Personae non gratae” Swedes; Swiss franc falls The possibility of countries keeping their borders with Sweden closed given the higher prevalence of Covid-19 there underlines that the country is likely to see limited economic benefit from its light... 22nd May 2020 · 5 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Norway rips up the fiscal rule book Having endured a bruising few months, the risks to the Norwegian krone now appear to be on the upside, not least given that the government plans to spend a greater proportion of the pension fund this... 15th May 2020 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Easing of lockdowns won’t prevent dire Q2 Official data published this week provided further confirmation of how badly the lockdowns hit economic activity in the euro-zone at the tail end of Q1. But governments are now lifting their... 15th May 2020 · 6 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly External demand to constrain Sweden’s recovery While there are welcome signs that Sweden has reaped some benefits from its light-touch lockdown, the economy will be constrained by the recovery in the rest of the continent given its dependence on... 7th May 2020 · 6 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Courts try to stall the ECB as gov’ts ease off the brakes This week’s ruling from the German constitutional court won’t stop the ECB from ramping up its asset purchases this year, but it may be a sign of much bigger problems further down the line. Meanwhile... 7th May 2020 · 7 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Unemployment lower, inflation higher than expected At the end of a data-heavy week, we have learnt that the euro-zone economy slumped as much as expected in Q1, but unemployment rose much less than anticipated in March. Meanwhile, the highlights of... 1st May 2020 · 7 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Surveys at their limits; Norges Bank to cut to zero While the KOF Economic Barometer registered its largest monthly fall on record in April, like many other indicators elsewhere, it is struggling to capture the unprecedented scale of damage wreaked by... 1st May 2020 · 6 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Lockdown April the nadir, but slow recovery ahead Following the further slump in the April surveys, the lifting of some restrictions in a number of member states over the past week or so has provided a glimmer of hope that April might mark the bottom... 24th April 2020 · 9 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Norges Bank heading for negative territory While the 1.9% q/q plunge in mainland GDP in Norway in Q1 was slightly smaller than the record seen in 2008, it is an eye-watering decline given that the lockdown did not really begin until 12th March... 24th April 2020 · 5 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly ECB might need a bigger bazooka The ECB is now buying assets at a record pace. But it is still struggling to keep a lid on bond yields, so there is a good chance that it has to step up its purchases even further. Meanwhile, new... 17th April 2020 · 8 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly The gradual process of reopening begins While activity in the Swiss economy has fallen off a cliff, the stereotypical efficiency with which loans have been channelled to businesses means that the country is well placed to recover. Next week... 17th April 2020 · 4 mins read
