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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.
brexit

European politics 19th December 2020

What Are Australian-Style And Canadian-Style Brexit Trade Deals?

David Collins via The Conversation | The terms “Australian-style” or “Canadian-style” Brexit are meant to convey to the British public the kind of trade relationship they can expect with the EU if no preferential free trade agreement (FTA) is concluded between the UK and the EU at the end of the transition period. They are a short-hand way of telling the public that it is perfectly normal not to be a member of the EU or Single Market, because both Australia and Canada manage this and remain functional and amicable trading partners with the EU. 

heathrow

Spanish economy 18th December 2020

Ferrovial: Heathrow’s Third Runway Ruled Legal

The British Supreme Court has overturned a court ruling that forced to stop the construction of a third runway at London’s Heathrow airport, Britain’s biggest airport, which is currently controlled by the Spanish group Ferrovial. The judicial decision considers that the work is not illegal and, from now on, Ferrovial may request permission to undertake the project. In February, the London Court of Appeal ruled in favor of environmental activists against the expansion of the airport.

three gargantas

Spanish economy 18th December 2020

China’s Three Gorges Already Has A Subsidiary In Spain

The Chinese state-owned company Three Gorges has been hovering over the Spanish renewable energy sector for months and has now fully landed. Last August it closed its first operation in Spain with the purchase of 500 MW of solar assets from X-Elio. And now it has created a subsidiary in Spain, China Three Gorges (Spain) S.L, to directly manage its investments in the country. According to the Official Gazette of the Commercial Registry (BORME), the energy giant’s subsidiary in our country started its activity on October 28th.

Reig Jofre

Spanish economy, Spanish Small & Mid Caps 17th December 2020

Spanish Pharma Reig Jofre To Large Scale Manufacture Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 Vaccine

Reig Jofre, company listed on the Spanish stock exchange and specialized in the manufacturing of sterile injectable products, has reached an agreement with Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), to execute the technology transfer to manufacture its investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Reig Jofre is completing the construction of a new state-of-the-art factory in Barcelona, tripling its existing capacity and boosting effienciency, which will be opened in 1Q21. The investment reaches to 30 million euros.

The “R” club is recruiting

European economy 17th December 2020

Sharp Rise In Public Debt: Will The Euro Area Resist?

Adriá Morrón Salmerón (CaixaBank Research) | The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a sharp increase in debt. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, public debt ratios have risen suddenly and significantly to almost unprecedented levels (the historical precedents are closely linked to major wars). For instance, in Italy and Spain a jump of +25 pps of GDP is expected in just one year, whereas it took five and three years, respectively, to amass a similar increase after the financial crisis of 2007-2008.

 

New Spanish renewables auction

Spanish economy 17th December 2020

Spain’s Government To Transfer The Cost Of €7 Bn Renewables’ Aids From Consumers To Energy Firms

The Spanish government has agreed that the cost of subsidies for renewables from now on will be assumed by the energy firms, no matter if they are oil, electric or gas companies. This is instead of consumers assuming that cost through the electricity bill they pay every month. The total amount stands at 7 billion euros/year and it represents approximately 16% of the domestic power supply bill. The transfer would be done gradually over 5 years. The first year 20%, the second 40% and so on up to 100% in the fifth year.

housing market spain cities

Spanish economy 16th December 2020

Spain | A Surprise In Housing?

GDP contracted by 8.7% in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, while housing sales increased by 4%. In Spain we are used to housing being the cause of recessions and being one of the last sectors to recover. The vigor of the upturn in purchases has therefore been a surprise.

Does the new ECB's Purchase Programme result into a more volatile basis between bond credit spreads and CDS premia?

European economy 16th December 2020

The ECB’s Partial Lifting Of Dividend Veto Leaves Pay-Out 40%-50% Below Pre-Crisis Distribution

The Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank yesterday agreed to lift the veto on banks’ dividends. However, it is urging them not to distribute more than 15% of accumulated profits in 2019-2020, nor exceed 0.20 points of the CET1 capital ratio. From both options they have to choose the lesser one. The measure will be in force until end-September 2021, when it will be reviewed to see if it can be lifted in light of the economic situation.