Articles by The Corner

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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.
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ECB warns of risks associated with liquidity in real estate and debt market

Banca March| The European Central Bank (ECB) continues to see “vulnerability” in the markets given the new interest rate scenario, which in its opinion poses higher financing costs for companies and households that could trigger a liquidity crisis, given the need for massive asset sales in a hypothetical panic scenario. This vulnerability would be concentrated above all in real estate funds and in the debt market, this being one of…


BCE grande

Eurozone M3 monetary aggregate grows by 1.9% in April, lowest reading since July 2014

According to data from the European Central Bank (ECB), the monetary aggregate M3 in the Eurozone grew by 1.9% year-on-year in April (+2.5% in March) to €16.03 trillion. The reading, which was the lowest since July 2014, was slightly below the 2.0% growth rate expected by FactSet consensus analysts. The ECB also published that bank lending to eurozone households rose by 2.5% year-on-year in April to €6.87 trillion, marking the…


spain savings rate

Autonomous regions facing significant budget constraints

Jakob Suwalski and Giulia Branz (Scope Ratings) | Budget constraints faced by the autonomous regions make policy adjustments and new investments difficult. By the end of 2022, none of the regions met the 13% debt-to-GDP threshold in their fiscal framework, while the aggregate fiscal deficit worsened to 1.1% of GDP from 0.1% in 2021, contrasting with the reduction in the deficit of the general government, i.e. the central government plus…


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Iberdrola to build 294 MW plant in Extremadura, including evacuation infrastructure

Link Securities | Iberdrola is preparing to install a 294 MW plant in Extremadura, the digital newspaper elEconomista.es reported yesterday. The electricity company has just received a positive resolution from the Directorate General for Energy Policy and Mines granting Iberdrola Promociones prior administrative authorisation and administrative construction authorisation for the Cedillo facility and its evacuation infrastructures in Cedillo and Herrera de Alcántara (Cáceres). The company, which already has a 100…


España bancos

Capital requirements in Europe increase with activation of countercyclical buffer

Renta 4| According to press reports, some European countries are demanding more capital from banks, with the activation or the intention to do so of the countercyclical buffer. Germany, France and the UK are among the countries whose central banks are studying the possibility of activating the buffer, while Iceland has just announced its activation, setting the maximum allowed at 2.5% (Norway and Denmark are already at that level). In…


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Spain: early elections potentially advantageous for economic prospects

Jakob Suwalski (Scope Ratings) | Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s decision to call early elections is potentially advantageous for Spain’s economic outlook insofar as it should prevent the government from losing six months of valuable time to determine long-term policy goals, even if it means forming a coalition or minority government. This timeframe allows for reforms to be implemented and the country’s fiscal and economic challenges to be addressed. However, the…


talgos

Good news for Talgo and CAF: Adif to start second phase of long-distance rail liberalisation

Renta 4 | Adif has announced that it will start the second phase of the liberalisation of long-distance rail transport. The lines to be put out to tender are those to Murcia, Galicia, Extremadura, the Basque Country and Asturias. Renfe, Iryo, Ouigo, Eco Rail, Euskotren and FGC have already expressed interest in participating in this contract. One of the key points is that Adif will include in the tender the…


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Inflation resumes downward trend in May: drops 9/10 of a point to 3.2%, core inflation slows to 6.1%

CdM | The Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell by 0.1% in May compared to the previous month and cut its year-on-year rate by nine tenths to 3.2%, its lowest level since July 2021, due to the moderation in food prices and lower fuel prices. With the fall in May, inflation has resumed its downward trend after the rise of eight tenths of a percentage point in April, which put it…


Pfizer vaccine

Pfizer agrees to cut COVID vaccine orders with EU due to falling demand

Bankinter | Pfizer and the EU have agreed to reduce the number of doses to be delivered by an undisclosed number and, to delay the validity of the contract to 2026. The reason is the drop in demand for vaccines and booster doses and that several countries have destroyed vaccines after their expiration date. The initial contract is dated May 2021 and contemplated the acquisition of 900M doses and an…


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Fitch maintains Spain’s rating at A- with a stable outlook and revises 2023 GDP growth forecast upwards to 1.9%

Bankinter : Fitch maintains Spain’s rating at A- with a stable outlook. Fitch has revised the expected growth for 2023 upwards to 1.9% year-on-year (+0.7pp) reflecting “buoyant recovery in tourism and rising public sector investment. This has offset the weakness in private consumption, which recorded a second consecutive quarterly decline”. It projects a reduction in Public Debt/GDP to 110.4% by December 2024, “driven mainly by nominal GDP growth while primary…