Top Stories

Articles by The Corner

About the Author

The Corner
The Corner has a team of on-the-ground reporters in capital cities ranging from New York to Beijing. Their stories are edited by the teams at the Spanish magazine Consejeros (for members of companies’ boards of directors) and at the stock market news site Consenso Del Mercado (market consensus). They have worked in economics and communication for over 25 years.
Monetary Union: Single Resolution Mechanism

In Europe 15th April 2014

Does the SRM mean the end of an era?

MADRID | By The Corner | The European Parliament is giving green light to the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) this week for ailing banks as well as the €55 bn fund to finance bankrupcies and restructurings. Amid claims that the Euro zone’s banking sector is now safer and better supervised, some international lawmakers point out that banks are still weakly capitalized. “Europe should be careful no to make promises that it won’t be able to hold afterwards,” they say.

No Picture

Markets 14th April 2014

Today’s market chatter in Spain

MADRID | By Jaime Santisteban | Two weeks ago we saw American, European and Spanish markets reach all-time maximums. Mostly prompted by the BCE’s QE action prospects and the FED statements on interest rates. However, last week turned out disastrous, and the same facts were interpreted as indicators of a weaker recovery. BANKIA analysts consider Ukraine to be the hottest market driver right now.

No Picture

Markets 11th April 2014

Today’s market chatter in Spain

MADRID | By Jaime Santisteban | Business confidence reached an all-time high, encouraging the return of strong productive investment. Moreover, Deoleo complex process resolution, downward market trends and much more…

No Picture

World economy 11th April 2014

Stronger US wage growth should underpin firming inflation backdrop

LONDON | By Michael Gapen at Barclays | Persistent improvement in US labor markets has caused the Fed to continue tapering and to alter its quantitative policy rate guidance in favor of qualitative language indicating that the committee is prepared to maintain the current target rate for the federal funds rate for “a considerable time after the asset purchase program ends, especially if projected inflation continues to run below the Committee’s 2 percent longer-run goal.”

deflation

In Europe 9th April 2014

ECB: Wait, wasn’t inflation target 2pc?

MADRID | By The Corner | “I would like to stress that the risk of a self-reinforcing deflationary downward spiral consisting of falling wages and prices, as evoked by some, is also low, despite the present, very low inflation rates in the euro area. These are mainly a result of falling energy prices and the adjustment process in crisis countries,” European Central Bank Governing Council member Jens Weidmann said on Tuesday, playing down deflation risk. Anyway, what happened with the ECB’s 2pc inflation target?

No Picture

Markets 8th April 2014

Today’s market chatter in Spain

MADRID | By Jaime Santisteban | What’s happening with the tech bubble and why it’s spreading to other sectors; the future of renewable energies and how cuts will harm utilities and much more. Oh, and Greece could be back in the bonds market this week…

Angela' s lies

In Europe 8th April 2014

Angela’s little lies

BARCELONA | By Vinçent Navarro | Germany is not only about minijobs. Although Southern European economies are debating about this measure that Berlin took under Schröder’s government in order to tackle unemployment, much less is said about the German model or ‘Rhineland capitalism’, essentially based on works councils and co-management.

No Picture

In Europe 8th April 2014

ECB: April inflation screening mode

LONDON | By François Cabau at Barclays Capital| The ECB stayed on hold this month. Keeping its easing bias, the Governing Council had a “very rich” and “ample” discussion on possible further easing measures. In our view, if expectations of a rebound in April HICP are not met, affecting the medium-term price outlook, the ECB may need to ease further.