Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swiss National Bank still pulling out all the stops The SNB’s pledge to go on purchasing large quantities of corporate bonds while providing generous liquidity to the banking sector and intervening ‘decisively’ in currency markets has left it among the... 18th June 2009 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norwegian interest rates may have troughed Norway’s relatively mild downturn should ensure that the latest 25bp interest rate reduction by the Norges Bank is probably the last in the current cycle. But we still think that the Bank will not... 17th June 2009 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update The Baltics remain a weight on Sweden’s shoulders Today’s announcement that the Swedish Riksbank is to borrow €3bn from the ECB confirms that, while the green shoots of recovery may be starting to emerge in parts of the global economy, the Baltic... 10th June 2009 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norwegian interest rates unlikely to fall much further Today’s further cut in interest rates by the Norges Bank has brought rates close to their likely trough. But with the risk of deflation remaining pretty small and the economy still on track for one of... 6th May 2009 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Sweden likely to join the unconventional club soon The Swedish Riksbank’s decision to commit to a prolonged period of low interest rates to help kick start the economy is clearly a step in the right direction, but this alone may not be enough. We... 21st April 2009 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norwegian rates close to their trough The Norges Bank’s decision to cut interest rates by a further 50 basis shows that it remains committedto preventing a major economic downturn. But with the economy set to experience a much... 25th March 2009 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swiss National Bank joins the unconventional club The SNB’s decision to cut interest rates to 0.25%, provide more liquidity to the banking sector, intervene in currency markets and purchase bonds from the private sector, pushes it towards the top of... 12th March 2009 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swiss bank losses point to severe recession The record loss reported by UBS yesterday provides further support for our long-held view that the Swiss economy will suffer heavily from its reliance on the financial services sector. This suggests... 11th February 2009 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swedish interest rates heading towards zero The recent run of dreadful news from Sweden has forced the Riksbank to rip up its previous interest rate forecasts and cut interest rates from 2.0% to 1.0%. We now expect the economic recession to... 11th February 2009 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swedish interest rates plunge by 1.75% The decision by the Swedish Riksbank to slash interest rates by 175 basis points highlights the degree to which the economic outlook has deteriorated. With the downturn set to worsen next year... 4th December 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Iceland: Outlook bleak, despite IMF rescue Iceland’s $4.6bn IMF-led rescue package will provide the economy with much-needed funds to help cover its external financing requirement. But it will not be enough to prevent a severe and prolonged... 20th November 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank cuts rates and signals further falls to come The Norges Bank today cut interest rates for the second time this month and signalled that furthercuts are to come. But we continue to expect stronger economic fundamentals to ensure that rates... 29th October 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swiss franc’s appreciation supports case for hefty rate cuts The franc’s latest appreciation to a record high against the euro appears to reflect the weakness of the euro-zone economy more than Swiss domestic factors. But the franc’s strength is yet another... 28th October 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Swedish interest rates to fall to 3.0% by mid 2009 The decision by the Swedish Riksbank to cut interest rates to 3.75%, the second 50 basis points cut this month, clearly shows that the Bank’s full attention is now on preventing a major economic... 23rd October 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Norges Bank cuts rates; more to come The Norges Bank’s decision to cut interest rates for the first time in more than four years was drivenby the recent events in global financial markets. But with the outlook for economic... 15th October 2008 · 1 min read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update Iceland’s latest measures no silver bullet for the economy The Icelandic authorities are fighting tooth and nail to restore confidence in the ailing economy and crumbling banking system. But it seems inevitable that the economy is set for a prolonged slowdown... 7th October 2008 · 1 min read
