Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Riksbank hike wouldn’t do much for embattled krona The Riksbank appears determined to raise interest rates into an economic slowdown. While higher policy rates may provide some support for the Swedish krona, we still think that it will continue to... 1st November 2019 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Draghi bows out, but further policy support to come Outgoing President Mario Draghi defended the ECB’s decision last month to introduce a raft of measures and downplayed the Governing Council’s divisions. As euro-zone growth is set to remain weak and... 24th October 2019 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Hawkish Riksbank to reverse course in 2020 Having left its repo rate on hold at -0.25% this morning, we do not doubt the Riksbank’s clear intent to raise it to zero in December. However, with economic growth set to slow in 2020, and underlying... 24th October 2019 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Brighter outlook for Norwegian krone next year While we think that there is still a bit more scope for the Norwegian krone to fall against the euro, we expect the currency to bounce back over the next couple of years, as the country’s terms of... 23rd October 2019 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Green success to meet the realities of Swiss politics The success of environmentalist parties in yesterday’s Federal Elections in Switzerland echoes similar gains elsewhere in Europe in recent months. But given Switzerland’s consensus-based political... 21st October 2019 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Further thoughts (and charts) on the auto sector Our best guess is that vehicle production in the euro-zone will stabilise at around its current level over the next year. If so, the sector would subtract 0.2% from GDP this year, but neither add to... 21st October 2019 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Nobel prize money isn’t what it used to be The decades-long downward trend in the Swedish krona means that a Nobel prize in US dollar terms is worth less than half what it was in the early 1990s. With the krona set to fall further by year-end... 14th October 2019 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update ECB account acknowledges divisions in the Council Given how much has been said (and leaked) about the ECB’s 12th September meeting, there was little scope for fresh revelations in today’s account. But the report is consistent with our view that more... 10th October 2019 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Riksbank to get no cover from fiscal policy Calls for any fiscal stimulus to support the Swedish economy are likely to fall on deaf ears, so the burden will continue to be entirely on the Riksbank. A combination of a dovish shift by the Bank... 9th October 2019 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Icelandic easing cycle has further to run Having cut its key interest rate by 25bps this morning, we now expect the Central Bank of Iceland (CBI) to stay in easing mode over the coming months and to reduce rates to 2.75% by year-end. 2nd October 2019 · 2 mins read
Europe Economics Update ECB to increase corporate bond purchases next year We think that the ECB will increase its monthly bond-buying next year by purchasing more corporate debt. This would lead to a marked pick-up in bond issuance, but only a small increase in investment. 2nd October 2019 · 3 mins read
Europe Economics Update Vehicles still driving the downturn in Germany We estimate that the direct and indirect effects of the slump in vehicle production account for around half of the downturn in German industrial production since the beginning of last year. A... 1st October 2019 · 2 mins read
Europe Economics Update Rise in interbank rates not due to ECB tiering Suggestions that the recent rise in interbank rates was caused by the ECB’s new tiered interest rate system are wide of the mark. Instead, the increase reflects investors’ re-evaluation of the outlook... 30th September 2019 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update New (lower) forecasts for Swiss GDP The latest business surveys from Switzerland indicate that the woes in Germany are posing an increasing drag on activity. We have therefore revised our forecasts for Swiss GDP growth down to just 0.5%... 30th September 2019 · 2 mins read
Europe Economics Update French fiscal policy to be tighter in 2020 The giveaways to households and firms announced by French finance minister Bruno Le Maire yesterday do not alter the fact that there will be a tightening in France’s fiscal stance in 2020. Indeed, the... 27th September 2019 · 3 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update A primer on Norwegian interest rate expectations Assessing investors’ expectations about the future path of policy interest rates in Norway is not as straightforward as it is in other countries, not least neighbouring Sweden. In this Update we... 27th September 2019 · 6 mins read
