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Articles by Julia Pastor

About the Author

Julia Pastor
Julia Pastor has broad experience in business writing for Consejeros Media Group at Consejeros, Consenso del Mercado and The Corner. Previously, she worked for the financial news agency GBA and contributed to El País Business. She holds a Master's in Financial Journalism and a degree in English from the Complutense University in Madrid.
Draghi preocupado

In Europe 7th May 2014

OECD backs pressure on Draghi

MADRID | By Julia Pastor | As the euro touched 1.40 against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday and low inflation looms over markets, all eyes are on tomorrow’s ECB meeting. The central bank has so far remained inactive, trying to save time by taking advantage of inflation-indexed bonds. After recent IMF’s warnings to Draghi about the need of a decisive move, the OECD has also severily urged the institution to cut interest rates to zero until 2015 as well as situate the deposit rate slightly in negative.

Europa del sur

In Europe 6th May 2014

Can Spain become EU’s periphery locomotive?

MADRID | By Julia Pastor | Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy started campaigning for the upcoming European elections on Tuesday. In a radio interview he announced that the country’s unemployment rate has started reversing since job destruction is slowering. The fall of the country’s risk premium and 10-year bonds yields are crucial for companies financing abroad, he recalled. Even though Brussels forecasts are just estimates, they do support the idea that Spain could become the driver of peripheral EU with a growth over Italy, Portugal and even France.

No Picture

Spanish economy 5th May 2014

Credit lending in Spain: the decrease that doesn’t cease

MADRID | By Julia Pastor | Spanish entities credit portfolio amounted €746 bn at the beginning of the year, a 5.99% fall against same month last year, while holding deposits at €687 bn, which meant a yearly growth of 0.53%. March figures suggested a new reduction of credit lending to SMEs and families. As long as banks do not have their balances adjusted by 2015 after the ECB’s stress tests, credit and deposits will not tip towards loans.

No Picture

Spanish economy 5th May 2014

Spanish debt doesn’t have a long projection, Bankinter analysts forecast

MADRID | By The Corner | When the nominal yield of Spanish 10-year-bonds stands under 3% despite the increase of interest rates in core countries such as the US, Spanish analysts at Bankinter depart from the script and recommend to give up the idea of buying the country’s sovereign debt. Since they introduced this strategy at the end of 2012, Spain’s benchmark securities went down from more than 5.5% to current less than 3%.“We estimate bond returns of 2.7% by 2015, so public debt would have not room to decrease yet,” they explain.

Tres gargantas

World economy 2nd May 2014

PPPs to close infrastructure expense gap

MADRID | By Julia Pastor | If one wants to feel dizzy she may walk over the Grand Canyon’s suspension brigde, climb to the top of the Three Gorges Dam hydroelectric power station in China or just picture the Mecca’s high speed rail crossing the desert. Perhaps one only may need to feel dizzy having a look to the breach of global spending on basic infrastructures: $2.7 trillion a year when it should be $3.7 trillion as reported by the World Economic Forum.

MANUEL VALLS

In Europe 30th April 2014

France does some ménage to reduce its deficit

OP-ED By Julia Pastor | France approved dramatic expenses cuts amounting €50 bn on Tuesday in order to limit the country’s public deficit, presumably to reach 3.8% of GDP in 2014. They did not touch, however, budget lines of education, justice and security, as well as protected pensioners under €1,2oo a month against cuts at least for a year. Spaniards wished their government had scrutinized cuts more carefully, or that Brussels had allowed to do so.

No Picture

Spanish economy 29th April 2014

What if Iberdrola got rid of some Spanish supply assets?

MADRID | By Julia Pastor | First Spanish energy company in terms of market value Iberdrola- which is also fifth in Europe- is likely to sell 25% of its Spain’s supply business. Iberdrola said earlier on Tuesday that “to date, the company has not made any decision in connection to divestments of its assets.” If finally confirmed the eventual sale could be seen as response to the Spanish energy reform which strongly affected renewables. The firm already announced investment cuts in Spain for the next two years and an increase in the UK.

No Picture

In Europe 29th April 2014

A British flavor for Spanish olive oil firm Deoleo

MADRID | By The Corner | Spain’s production of so-called gold liquid made Spanish company Deoleo olive oil’s world leader. After a sound restructuring, British private equity firm CVC bought a major stake of 29.99%. Just three stakeholders Unicaja (11.35 %), Kutxabank (4.8 %) and Caixabank will guarantee the ‘Spanishness’ of Deoleo. Better than an Italian entering into the company’s capital, which was also considered.

 

Tesla

World economy 29th April 2014

The driving forces of Elon Musk

BEIJING | By W. Jiapeng, H. Haoyi, Z.Shiyun and G. McCubbing via Caixin | The second time around to China has offered much more promise than the first some two years ago, Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla Motors Inc, said in an interview with Caixin. In three or four years, Musk plans to have cars produced in China, which will mean setting up a joint venture with a local partner, influencing the car industry to move faster in the direction of electric cars.