Europe Economics Update Euro’s decline does not take the onus off the ECB Taken in isolation, the euro’s decline against the dollar is a welcome development for the euro-zone economy. But in trade-weighted terms, the currency has still strengthened this year. And given that... 23rd November 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update What if Italy votes “no”? The final opinion polls ahead of Italy’s forthcoming referendum suggest that the public will reject the proposed constitutional reforms. The low level of bond yields suggests that investors are not... 21st November 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update SNB will struggle to keep franc’s rise at bay The Swiss National Bank’s (SNB’s) pledge to intervene in foreign exchange markets appears to havealleviated upward pressure on the franc in the wake of the US election. But experience has shown... 16th November 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Strong króna may yet prompt a rate cut in Iceland The Central Bank of Iceland’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged rests on overly cautious assumptions for the króna and on fears about fiscal policy and capital controls that will probably not... 16th November 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Riksbank minutes support expectations of QE extension Today’s minutes showed broad support for an extension of the Riksbank’s government bond purchase programme. Combined with the uncertainty created by Donald Trump’s victory in the US, an extension of... 9th November 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Trump win could widen policy divergence next year We suspect that the Nordic and Swiss economies will see limited effects from Mr Trump’s victory. Butit makes monetary policy divergence between Switzerland and Sweden next year slightly more likely. 9th November 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Trump win could heighten euro-zone political risks The limited immediate reaction in European financial markets to Donald Trump’s victory appears to support our view that the outcome will have few direct economic implications. If anything, though, the... 9th November 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update What will the US election mean for the Nordic and Swiss economies? The importance of international trade to the Nordics and Switzerland, as well as the franc’s role as a safe haven, mean that the outcome of the US election is potentially important to the region. This... 8th November 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Fiscal Monitor (Oct.) As the European Commission (EC) undertakes its annual review of euro-zone member states’ budget submissions, yet more signs of fiscal slippage emerged in the South. Finances in Spain and Portugal... 7th November 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Domestic risks to Europe easily trump the US election A Trump victory in next week’s US election could prompt an unwelcome appreciation of the euro exchange rate, but we suspect that this would be short-lived. What’s more, other effects on euro-zone... 3rd November 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Sweden’s Riksbank takes centre stage The most noteworthy market developments last month were prompted by expectations of further policy loosening from Sweden’s Riksbank, with the krona depreciating sharply last month as a result... 3rd November 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Little risk to growth from Iceland’s election The next Icelandic government may be an unconventional one, but improvements to Iceland’s public finances and external position since the crisis mean that there is little risk to economic growth. 31st October 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Sep.) September’s euro-zone money and credit data continued the positive trend of recentmonths, consistent with a further steady expansion of the economy. Nevertheless,the data suggest that inflation will... 27th October 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Riksbank set to loosen further but tide will turn before long It seems very likely that the Riksbank will extend its bond purchase programme after it stepped up its dovish rhetoric and suggested that it might even cut the repo rate further. But given our... 27th October 2016 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank leaves policy unchanged, but rate cuts to come The Norges Bank left its key policy rate on hold today and reiterated that no change was likely in the near future. But we think that more monetary loosening will be needed in 2017. 27th October 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Spain’s new Government may be short-lived Even if Spain’s new minority Government gets support for its 2017 Budget, it will struggle to build the consensus needed to pass other measures. Accordingly, political uncertainty will continue to... 26th October 2016 · 1 min read
