Nordic & Swiss Central Bank Watch Weaker franc doesn’t change the picture for the SNB The Swiss National Bank will have cheered on the recent fall in the franc against the euro. However, policymakers are unlikely to offer up any surprises at the policy announcement next Thursday. 18th March 2021 · 4 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Data Response Switzerland CPI (Feb.) Swiss inflation surprised on the downside in February, but temporary forces look set to push it higher over the coming months. However, with underlying price pressures likely to remain much weaker... 3rd March 2021 · 2 mins read
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 Data Response Switzerland GDP (Q4 2020) & KOF Barometer (Feb.) The 0.3% q/q expansion in Swiss GDP in Q4 was slightly better than expected and means that output was just 1.6% smaller than in Q4 2019. Tighter virus-related restrictions and a renewed slump in the... 26th February 2021 · 2 mins read
Nordic & Swiss Economics Update What to make of the weaker Swiss franc? The recent fall in the Swiss franc against the euro will be music to the SNB’s ears, and we think that there is plenty of scope for the currency to drift lower over the coming years. 24th February 2021 · 3 mins read
Non-Euro Europe Commercial Property Chart Pack Scandinavia & Switzerland: Investor demand returning Office and industrial yields edged lower in Q4 as the recovery in Scandinavian investment took hold. However, the pandemic continued to weigh on occupiers, with retail rents declining further in most... 22nd February 2021 · 6 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 Chart Pack Super-sized boosts to energy inflation on the way Higher oil prices will provide a boost to energy inflation in most countries over the coming months, including in Switzerland and the Nordics. In Sweden and Norway, the energy component will be... 12th February 2021 · 5 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 Data Response Norway GDP (Q4 2020) & Swiss CPI (Jan. 2021) This larger-than-expected increase in Norwegian mainland GDP in Q4 confirms that Norway is faring much better than its European peers. Activity is likely to have weakened at the start of 2021, but... 12th February 2021 · 2 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 Data Response Sweden GDP Indicator (Q4) & Man. PMIs (Jan.) The strong set of January manufacturing PMIs from Switzerland and the Nordics indicates that industry continued to cushion the blow from virus restriction-driven declines in services activity at the... 1st February 2021 · 2 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 Economic Outlook At the front of the pack Having experienced some of the smallest falls in output in Europe in 2020, GDP in Switzerland and the Nordics is likely to rise back to pre-virus levels in H2 2021 – about a year ahead of the euro... 27th January 2021 · 13 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
