The IMF highlights that the Spanish population, like that of the other developed economies, will age over the coming years. The number of pensioners is increasing faster than the number of active workers. So the average salary is beginning to come in at the same level or below that of the average pension.
Analysts at BoAML expect Greece to expand by 2% in 2018, with risks becoming more balanced since growth performance has consistently surprised official forecasts to the downside so far. Furthermore, a stronger recovery requires decisive action on debt relief and dealing with bank NPLs.
The tech stocks that fuelled the last bull market have seen their share prices plummet as an onslaught of bad headlines takes its toll. According to Neil Dwane, Global Strategist at Allianz Global Investors, “more regulation and taxation are almost certainly on the horizon amid growing concerns about privacy, governance and profitability.”
IAG has bought 4.61% of Norwegian Air. And according to Bloomberg, the Spanish airline could be considering making a bid for the whole company. IAG’s interest in the low cost long-distance segment (where Norwegian operates) is clear, given that it created an airline last year with these characteristics called Level.
Javier Arce | The ECB does not get the banks to move their money, interbank market is still broken and eurozone lenders are accumulating the ECB’s liquidity injections (almost 700bn) at the central bank itself.
After closing their acquisition of Abertis, ACS and Atlantia’s aim is to cut debt, and to do that it will refinance 7 billion euros via bond issuances and the sale of assets, keeping bank financing of 3 billion euros as a long-term loan.
There are rumours of a corporate transaction. Iberdrola, Gas Natural, Engie and Enel are tipped in the press to be candidates for a key role in a corporate deal with EDP. These companies would potentially be interested in participating in an operation, so as not to be outmanoeuvred in the next wave of mergers in the sector.
Ewald Nowotny, a member of the ECB Governing Council said recently he was comfortable with the possibility of an increase in the deposit rate, from -0.4% to -0.2%, “as a first step” before any change in the official interest rate. At April 6, European banks kept 690, 384 million euros in the ECB. It’s the first time, since interest rates have been at a record low of 0%, that an ECB member has talked so clearly about a rise.
Inmobiliaria Colonial announced at the market close on Tuesday that its board and that of the socimi Axiare have approved the merger of both companies. The integration still has to be ratified at the respective shareholder meetings. It will be carried out via a share exchange: 1,8554 shares of Colonial for each share of Axiare.
Iberdrola has exceeded 56% of its share buyback programme by up to 1.543% of its capital, after investing over 3 million euros in its own shares in its last buyback operations, according to a statement from the company lodged with the Stock Market Regulator (CNMV).