Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Discord among Riksbank board points to end of loosening While the Riksbank extended QE today, a number of the Executive Board dissented, suggesting that today’s announcement marks the beginning of the end for policy loosening in Sweden. Indeed, despite its... 21st December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Nexit is not next, but Dutch voters still pose threat to EU There is little chance of March’s Dutch general election resulting in a referendum on EU membership. But the shift in political sentiment towards euroscepticism may derail EU policymaking in other... 20th December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Rising UK trade surplus another risk for the euro-zone The euro-zone’s trade surplus with the UK is likely to fall as a result of sterling’s depreciation. We think that this will reduce euro-zone GDP growth by about 0.1 percentage points per year in 2017... 16th December 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Weak inflation to prompt Norges Bank rate cut in 2017 The Norges Bank’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged came despite a deterioration in the outlook for growth and inflation. While policymakers remain concerned about the impact of loose... 15th December 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update SNB’s ultra-loose policy won’t stop franc rising against euro The Swiss National Bank’s decision to leave interest rates on hold and pledge continued currency intervention was as expected. The Bank may have drawn some comfort from the franc’s recent decline... 15th December 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Icelandic rate cut may not be the last The Central Bank of Iceland’s (CBI’s) decision to cut interest rates before the next phase of capital account liberalisation came as a surprise. While the strong economy calls for policy tightening in... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Nov.) In October, signs of fiscal slippage eased somewhat in the euro zone’s periphery. But the Greek bailout deal remains at risk of collapse and the growing likelihood of a bail-out for Italian banks... 13th December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Has Italy’s new PM been handed a poisoned chalice? Italy’s new Prime Minister has two major challenges ahead of him – reforming the electoral system and managing the banking crisis – both of which could spell disaster for his party at the next... 12th December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Dovish Draghi signals prolonged ECB market presence While the ECB announced today that it would slow the pace of its asset purchases from next April, it also committed to buying for longer than anticipated. What’s more, it expressed a clear bias... 8th December 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Decent economic growth but challenges lie ahead The Nordic and Swiss economies generally recorded positive growth in Q3 and look set to do so again in Q4. But with growth in their main trading partner, the euro-zone, set to slow and a number of... 7th December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update What does the referendum result mean for Italy’s banks? Following Italy’s referendum last weekend, some form of government support for the country’s weakest banks looks likely. But looking ahead, if an early general election were to take place next year... 7th December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Eurogroup debt tinkering is no real relief for Greece The Eurogroup made some progress yesterday, confirming limits on Greek loan interest rates and tweaks to maturities. But it remains strongly opposed to the debt forgiveness that Greece needs. And with... 6th December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update What now for Italy? Italy has taken the first step along a path that could lead it out of the euro-zone. There are still many obstacles to an Italian exit. But as long as the country’s future is uncertain, bond yields... 5th December 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update External market drivers Trump domestic factors The election of Donald Trump in the US drove large moves in Nordic and Swiss financial markets last month, with currencies generally depreciating against the US dollar while long-term bond yields... 1st December 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Are markets under-estimating political risks? Don’t draw too much comfort from the markets’ muted response to political risks in the euro-zone. It may not tell us much about the scale of the threats facing the currency union and it may not last. 30th November 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Oct.) October’s euro-zone money and credit data remain consistent with steady economic growth. But a renewed pick-up in money and lending growth will be needed before the ECB can feel comfortable about... 28th November 2016 · 1 min read
