Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swedish Riksbank increases stimulus to battle deflation Sweden’s Riksbank stepped up its fight against deflation by more than doubling the size of its government bond purchase programme and reiterating its willingness to make monetary policy even more... 29th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update French business surveys point to weak economic recovery France’s economic outlook appears particularly uncertain at the moment, with the business surveys painting a mixed picture. But even the most positive of these surveys still points to fairly sluggish... 29th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Swedish Riksbank increases stimulus to battle deflation Sweden’s Riksbank stepped up its fight against deflation by more than doubling the size of its government bond purchase programme and reiterating its willingness to make monetary policy even more... 29th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Euro-zone Monetary Indicators Monitor (Mar.) March’s euro-zone monetary data suggest that economic growth might pick up in the coming months. But the continued wrangling over Greece’s fiscal situation presents a significant risk to the country’s... 29th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Why are the markets still so relaxed about a Grexit? Rising expectations of a Greek exit from the euro-zone are still not prompting contagion effects or more general concerns about the euro-zone economy. We fear that the markets are too relaxed. 28th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Are Irish and Spanish housing bubbles reflating? Revivals in Spain’s and Ireland’s housing markets should help to support their wider economic recoveries. While Spain’s housing recovery is likely to be slow, Ireland’s is already going strong. This... 27th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Austria’s bank troubles will have euro-zone repercussions The ongoing uncertainty and legal suits over the wind-down of a small Austrian provincial bank might seem like the least of the euro-zone’s current concerns. But the wind-down of Hypo Alpe Adria’s bad... 22nd April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Can Greece default and stay in the euro? Suggestions that Greece can default but remain inside the euro-zone overlook the fact that Greece needs both a very large debt write-down and a more competitive currency. 21st April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Greek crisis may finally be coming to a head The Greek crisis has reached a new crunch point amid signs that the Eurogroup will not grant desperately needed financial aid after next week’s meeting. Greece might resort to IOUs and/or capital... 16th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB will implement QE in full and may need to do more ECB President Mario Draghi sent a clear signal today that the recent improvement in the euro-zone’s economic outlook would not result in an early termination of the quantitative easing programme that... 15th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update French tax breaks seem unlikely to revive investment Investment has been the weakest link in France’s feeble economic recovery so far. But it is not clear that the French Government’s latest plans will alter this picture dramatically. For that, a... 14th April 2015 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update New government will struggle to revive Finland’s economy The opposition Centre Party looks likely to be the largest party in a coalition government after Finland’s general election on 19th April. But the outcome of the election is unlikely to have a major... 13th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Is loose monetary policy inflating bubbles in Germany? With the ECB’s quantitative easing programme putting upward pressure on German asset prices in particular, some point to a risk of bubbles developing there. We think the greater risk is that such... 13th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update New government will struggle to revive Finland’s economy The opposition Centre Party looks likely to be the largest party in a coalition government after Finland’s general election on 19th April. But the outcome of the election is unlikely to have a major... 13th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update Is deflation good for the euro-zone after all? The recent bout of negative inflation in the euro-zone appears to have contributed to a modest upturn in economic growth. But it would be premature to conclude that deflation will prove to be a good... 9th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Update ECB March minutes will dampen talk of early QE taper The minutes of the ECB’s monetary policy meeting on 4th and 5th March should help to dampen suggestions that the recent signs of improvement in the euro-zone economy will prompt the ECB to end its... 3rd April 2015 · 1 min read