Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Shift in Riksbank stance unlikely until turn of the year Today’s Riksbank minutes suggest that the proponents of last month’s shock QE extension are unlikely to change their minds on the direction of monetary policy any time soon. So there is little chance... 10th May 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will Italy be the next domino not to fall? Anti-euro parties probably have a better chance of forming a government in Italy than in France. The election of an Italian eurosceptic government would not spell immediate disaster, but risks to the... 9th May 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Merkel gains momentum but challenges beckon While Angela Merkel’s prospects for September’s federal elections have improved recently, a surprise defeat probably wouldn’t be a game-changer for the German economy. Meanwhile, the rise of small... 8th May 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Macron victory provides relief but challenges remain Yesterday’s election of centrist liberal Emmanuel Macron as the next French President bodes well for the revitalisation of France’s lacklustre economy and the European project more generally. But he... 8th May 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Macron’s labour reforms now look more achievable Centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed his proposals to overhaul the French labour market in last night’s head-to-head television debate with his rival Marine Le Pen. While his... 4th May 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank stands pat, but a rate cut not far off The Norges Bank’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged came as no surprise, but we are among a very small minority of forecasters who think that the Bank will cut rates later in the year. 4th May 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Nordic & Swiss currencies to rebound from April’s falls After depreciating against the euro in April, we think that the Swiss franc, Swedish krona and Norwegian krone will rebound, but for different reasons. Political risk could yet re-escalate in Europe... 3rd May 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Has Marine Le Pen gone soft on “Frexit”? National Front presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has often been at pains throughout this election campaign to avoid the topic of a French exit from the European Union and the euro. But this is... 3rd May 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Apr.) General government figures for 2016 revealed that most euro-zone countries’ fiscal positions improved last year, although some countries still fell short of their targets. Meanwhile, timelier central... 2nd May 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Focus turns to debt relief measures for Greece Today’s agreement means that EU officials can now turn their attention to the question of debt relief for Greece. One way or another, a deal is likely to be done to allow Greece to meet repayments due... 2nd May 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update French election pushed currencies down and yields up Following Mr Macron’s victory in the first round of the French presidential election, Nordic and Swiss currencies depreciated and government bond yields rose. And dovish comments from policymakers at... 28th April 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Will France’s economy help Macron or Le Pen? We think that the French economy is in better shape than data released this week suggest. On balance, its underlying health should boost support for the centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron... 28th April 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Mar.) March’s euro-zone money and credit data point to steady economic growth. But they remain consistent with subdued core inflation. 28th April 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB preparing to tweak guidance in June Given the shift in Mr Draghi’s language at today’s press conference, we think that in June the ECB will remove the reference to “lower” interest rates from its forward guidance. While this would end... 27th April 2017 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Riksbank dissenters fail to prevent QE extension Only the Riksbank Governor’s casting vote secured today’s unexpected QE extension. While we have pushed back our expectation for the first repo rate rise in Sweden, we still think that the Riksbank... 27th April 2017 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Macron can’t rely on National Assembly support for reforms Even if centrist Emmanuel Macron wins the second round of the presidential election, his En Marche! party almost certainly won’t secure a majority in the National Assembly following June’s legislative... 27th April 2017 · 1 min read
