Europe Economics Update SNB on hold; next move still likely to be a cut The Swiss National Bank’s decision to leave its target range for three-month interest rates on hold (at a mid-point of 2.75%) was a relief amid concerns that inflation fears might force the Bank to... 19th June 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update SNB on hold; next move still likely to be a cut The Swiss National Bank’s decision to leave its target range for three-month interest rates on hold (at amid-point of 2.75%) was a relief amid concerns that inflation fears might force the Bank to... 19th June 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Swedish consumers starting to flag The further fall in Swedish house prices in May adds weight to our view that household spending growth will slow sharply this year. This should ultimately prompt the Riksbank to cut rates in 2009. But... 16th June 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swedish consumers starting to flag The further fall in Swedish house prices in May adds weight to our view that household spending growth will slow sharply this year. This should ultimately prompt the Riksbank to cut rates in 2009. But... 16th June 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Lisbon Treaty rejection could highlight growing divergences A “no” vote in Thursday’s Irish referendum on the EU’s Treaty of Lisbon would put a spanner in the works of the Treaty’s ratification process. Just as importantly, it may add to concerns that the... 11th June 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB signals intention to hike The European Central Bank sent a strong signal today that it is likely to raise interest rates in July or August. But the Bank’s inflation phobia clearly increases the risks of a sharp slowdown in the... 5th June 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Q1 GDP lays the foundation for a solid year The strong pick-up in euro-zone GDP in Q1 brought further evidence that the region is performing well compared to the slowing US and UK economies. Admittedly, part of the 0.8% quarterly increase... 4th June 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update From bad to worse for Spanish consumers The recent run of bad news from Spain suggests that consumers’ wallets will remain firmly closed this year. While the Government’s fiscal package may provide households with a temporary boost in the... 3rd June 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Growing troubles in the Baltics add to Sweden’s problems Concerns about the health of the Swedish banking system have increased further in response to a growing threat of an exchange rate devaluation in the Baltics. While the impact of such a devaluation on... 3rd June 2008 · 1 min read
ECB Watch Still talking tough, but next move will be down ECB President Trichet will maintain a familiarly hawkish tone at June’s press conference, perhaps adding to speculation that interest rates could yet rise further. We still expect inflation to... 29th May 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Focus How vulnerable are Spanish banks to a property crash? The Spanish banking system looks in relatively good health compared to those of some other eurozone economies. Nonetheless, a major adjustment in the domestic property sector could still cause banks... 27th May 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Weaker currency prompts action by Danish central bank The unexpected rise in the Danmarks Nationalbank lending rate highlights the Bank’s commitment to keep the Danish krone tightly pegged to the euro. 16th May 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Bank lending rates add to diverging growth trends Recent divergences in borrowing rates across different countries suggest that the impact of the credit crunch on households and corporates may be hitting some euro-zone economies harder than others. 8th May 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB rate cuts still some months away The European Central Bank’s decision to leave interest rates on hold clearly reflects ongoing concerns about the inflation outlook. What’s more, with no sign of any softening in the Bank’s hawkish... 8th May 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Chart Pack Surveys take a turn for the worse Evidence of a moderate slowdown in euro-zone economic activity has mounted in the past month, with even those survey indicators that were previously most optimistic taking a turn for the worse. After... 7th May 2008 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Economic outlook to keep Club Med bond spreads elevated The narrowing in the spread between Club Med and German government bond yields over the past month is an encouraging sign that things could be returning to normal in the euro-zone bond markets. But... 7th May 2008 · 1 min read
