Nordic & Swiss Economics Update EC fiscal proposal provides the SNB some respite The prospect of a joint European fiscal response has helped to ease upward pressure on the Swiss franc and means that there is light at the end of the tunnel for the SNB following its recent bout of... 28th May 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Post-lockdown lessons from Denmark Economic activity in Denmark appears to have clawed back about one-third of its virus-related fall since the government started to ease restrictions in mid-April, with activity probably about 7.5%... 21st May 2020 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank sets a floor at zero This morning’s 25bp rate cut by the Norges Bank, to a fresh record low of zero, took the consensus by surprise, but was in line with our forecast. That said, the Bank gave a strong signal that it has... 7th May 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Riksbank signals rate cut in the pipeline This morning’s decision by the Riksbank to leave its repo rate and crisis-related policy settings unchanged did not come as a big surprise. Nonetheless, it kept the door open for a rate cut, and we... 28th April 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Sweden’s light-touch lockdown far from pain-free Despite imposing less draconian measures than elsewhere, the economic impact of Sweden’s ‘lockdown’ is not far short of that in France, for example. Accordingly, Sweden’s experience pours cold water... 24th April 2020 · 2 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Carnage in the Swiss labour market The fact that almost one-third of the Swiss workforce has reportedly applied for short-time work is a sobering illustration of the scale of the virus-related economic disruption. While the headline... 7th April 2020 · 2 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norwegian economy being clobbered on all fronts The combination of virus-related disruption and a crunch in cash flows for energy firms means that the Norwegian economy is more exposed than most at present. And with oil prices likely to increase... 1st April 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update SNB may be forced to live with a stronger franc While the SNB clearly favours using FX interventions to weaken the franc at present, persistent concerns about the size of its balance sheet would make it reticent to step in on an ever-greater scale... 30th March 2020 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update Jobless rate to erase seven years of gains We think the unemployment rate in the euro-zone will surge to about 12% by the end of June, giving up seven years’ worth of gains in a matter of months. Much of this may prove temporary if the economy... 24th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Global Markets Update What to make of the moves in commodity currencies The slump in the prices of commodities has hit hard the currencies of the countries whose fortunes depend heavily on them. But if we are right and commodity prices eventually recover as the... 23rd March 2020 · 2 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update SNB does what it can with its little ammunition left While the Swiss National Bank left its key policy rate on hold at -0.75% this morning, it made all the right noises by making its exemptions to the banking sector from negative interest rates even... 19th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Border controls are creeping up the policy agenda While the widespread re-introduction of border controls in Europe does not seem likely at present, it is possible that more governments turn to them as part of a wider policy response against the... 13th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update How big a threat is COVID-19 to Swiss insurers? As it stands, we think that the direct impact of the coronavirus on the Swiss insurance industry is likely to be manageable. However, the indirect impact from lower-for-longer bond yields will only... 10th March 2020 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Repo rate cut to be the Riksbank’s first port of call Against a backdrop of rising pressure on major central banks to loosen policy in response to coronavirus, we now forecast the Riksbank to cut its repo rate back into negative territory at its 28th... 9th March 2020 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swiss GDP likely to contract in Q2 The stronger-than-expected increase in Swiss GDP growth in Q4 provides a higher base for annual growth rates at the start of this year than we had previously assumed. Nonetheless, following the surge... 3rd March 2020 · 3 mins read
