Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Bond market jitters; SNB cracks open the champagne We suspect that Swedish and Swiss government bond yields will come down again before long given the strong relationship with Bunds and the prospect of the ECB stepping in. However, our hawkish view... 26th February 2021 · 5 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Norges Bank to hike first; look out for off-colour mink We now forecast the Norges Bank to be the first advanced central bank to begin raising interest rates, in the second half of this year. This will provide a further fillip to the NOK, which we expect... 19th February 2021 · 6 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Divisions to test compromises at the Riksbank While the Riksbank presented a united front at its meeting this week, we suspect that differences in opinion amongst Board members on how to proceed with the asset purchase programme will become more... 12th February 2021 · 7 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Swedish resilience, Swiss reluctance The latest data show that the Swedish economy is proving more resilient to virus containment measures than we had feared, giving the Riksbank some breathing room ahead of next week’s meeting. Having... 5th February 2021 · 7 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Swiss economy in for a tough few months This week's data support our view that the Swiss economic recovery has shifted into reverse this quarter. Meanwhile, next week’s data are likely to show that Sweden’s economy expanded relatively... 29th January 2021 · 5 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Slow vaccine rollout key risk to the outlook In a quiet week for data, the Norges Bank left its key policy rate at a record low of zero, where we suspect it will stay until at least 2023. Meanwhile, we think the extension of some virus measures... 22nd January 2021 · 5 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Rate cut more likely than not in Denmark Another week another set of data which add to the signs that Norway’s and Sweden’s economies ended Q4 on a decent note and outperformed even the best-performing major euro-zone economies in 2020... 15th January 2021 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly In store for a bumpy start to 2021 The gloomy backdrop of rising virus cases casts a dark shadow over Q1. However, we expect the rollout of vaccines will pave the way to a rebound in economic activity in May/June, and that Nordic... 8th January 2021 · 6 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly SNB pleads “not guilty”; Denmark to close down The designation of Switzerland as a “currency manipulator” by the US Treasury means that the SNB will enter 2021 on the economic equivalent of the naughty step. However, we suspect that the incoming... 18th December 2020 · 6 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Riksbank divided; SNB & Norges Bank to hold rates The minutes from the Riksbank’s November meeting confirmed that a repo rate cut is not completely off the table. However, the vaccine has brightened the outlook next year, and we no longer forecast a... 11th December 2020 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Suspect Swedish PMI; from Minkgate to Skigate While the pick-up in the services PMI in Sweden in November was a bit of a surprise, the prospect of restrictions having to be tightened even further means that the sector is far from out of the woods... 4th December 2020 · 6 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Riksbank steps up as the SNB settles in The Riksbank justifiably felt the need to give the economy a shot in the arm at its meeting this week. But positive news on the vaccine front means that it should be able to avoid increasing the dose... 27th November 2020 · 7 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Minkgate fallout; Riksbank to expand QE next week The political wrangling in Denmark following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country’s mink farms shifted up a gear this week and the economic damage from the lockdown in North Jutland is racking up... 20th November 2020 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Mutation in mink; Swiss the first to blink The prospect of a vaccine offers hope of faster growth next year than we have factored into our current forecasts. However, clouds have darkened over Q4 and things will get worse before they get... 13th November 2020 · 5 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Rebounds set to falter; SNB navigating sub-zero life With further easing by the ECB set to arrive next month, or even sooner, we expect FX interventions to remain Swiss policymakers’ first line of defence. Next week, GDP data from Norway will confirm... 6th November 2020 · 7 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Weekly Swiss recovery at risk of reversal A continued surge in virus cases has forced Swiss and Nordic governments to tighten restrictions this week and there is a risk that Switzerland follows in France and Germany’s footsteps and imposes a... 30th October 2020 · 6 mins read