Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Recoveries set to shift into reverse While Switzerland has not yet followed France and Germany in announcing a new national lockdown, we now expect GDP to contract in Q4, broadly in line with the euro-zone. Meanwhile, although the... 4th November 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update We doubt the SEK will remain a G10 top performer We think that the Swedish krona will appreciate a little further against the euro and the dollar in 2021, but doubt that it will remain one of the best-performing G10 currencies, as it has been this... 2nd November 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update SNB focused on how, rather than if, ECB loosens again We think that Swiss policymakers would be prepared to match any small interest rate cut by the ECB, albeit reluctantly. However, if policymakers in the euro-zone opt to ease policy in other ways, as... 22nd October 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Nordics offer salutary tales for harder-hit economies The further slowdowns in monthly GDP growth in Norway and Sweden in August support our view that it will take a long time for output to recover to pre-crisis trend levels anywhere in Europe. 8th October 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Risk of US Treasury backlash unlikely to deter SNB Although the SNB meets the US Treasury’s criteria for a “currency manipulator”, we doubt this would deter it from intervening further in the foreign exchange market if required to keep the franc... 7th October 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Brighter outlook for the Norwegian krone next year Although the Norwegian krone has been the worst performing G10 currency so far in 2020, we expect it to make up some lost ground in 2021 even if it falls a bit more in the near term. 29th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update SNB & Norges Bank cook up no change, two ways The fact that policymakers at the SNB and the Norges Bank left policy settings unchanged this morning came as no surprise. Both banks are likely to leave policy unchanged throughout our forecast... 24th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Sweden sidestepping a second wave Sweden has so far avoided a second wave of virus cases and the prospect of it sticking to its light-touch approach, rather than tightening restrictions in line with much of Europe, means that the risk... 22nd September 2020 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Riksbank bides its time, but leaves rate cut on the table The Riksbank’s decision to leave the repo rate on hold at zero this morning was never in doubt, but it left the option of a rate cut firmly on the table, linking it explicitly to moves in inflation... 22nd September 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Nordics top the class with their virus responses While Sweden’s economy got off relatively lightly in H1 thanks to the light-touch lockdown, Norway and Finland saw even smaller falls in activity at a lower human cost. Nonetheless, the success of the... 26th August 2020 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank set for a prolonged period at zero This morning’s decision by the Norges Bank to leave its key interest rates on hold at zero was never really in doubt. We still think it more likely than not that the Bank will leave rates on hold... 20th August 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norway experiencing a shallow “U” The pick-up in mainland Norwegian GDP in May was a tad underwhelming, with the economy’s recovery now seeming to follow a shallow “U” rather than the deep “V” seen in the euro-zone. Nonetheless, the... 8th July 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Riksbank beefs up monetary stimulus The Riksbank has put its money where its mouth is when it comes to expanding its balance sheet, but in our view all roads still lead to a return to negative interest rates, either in late-2020 or... 1st July 2020 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update SNB & Norges Bank to maintain the status quo This morning’s decisions by the SNB and the Norges Bank to leave interest rates on hold at -0.75% and zero respectively were never really in doubt. Both banks are set to leave policy unchanged... 18th June 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update New (higher) forecast for Swedish GDP There are increasing signs that the Swedish economy has weathered the crisis better than we first feared. Accordingly, we now expect GDP to contract by ‘only’ 2.5% this year (previously -7.5%). 16th June 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Sweden comparatively well placed, but not unscathed While Sweden’s economy has fared better than the worst-affected countries, as a result of its comparatively light-touch lockdown, it is still set for a year to forget. We expect the decline in GDP... 28th May 2020 · 2 mins read
