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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.
No Picture

European economy 16th July 2020

How To Make The Most Of The European Recovery Fund

Morgan Stanley | For the time being, the Fund is still only a proposal and there remains a wide divergence of views about the amount, duration, allocation, grants/loans etc. We assume that the final outcome will be in line with the Commission’s proposal: €750 Bn in joint issuance (500 Bn in grants and 250 Bn in loans). As regards to the use of the funds, the optimal scenario would be one where spending is applied via investment since it has a higher fiscal multiplier (vs for example a corporate tax cut or transfers).

Eurozone with masks

European economy 15th July 2020

Europe Is Gaining Ground: Eurozone’s Activity Reaches 92% Of Pre-Crisis Level; The US Stagnates At 67%

David Kohl (Chief Economist Germany, Julius Baer) | Lower new infection rates in Europe and a swifter recovery of activity are valid reasons to scale back some pessimism regarding the eurozone growth outlook. The eurozone has ramped up its fiscal response to the corona pandemic. We feel comfortable in expecting for the region a more moderate contraction of -7.2% in 2020.

Cellnex buys El Corte Inglés' antenna business for € 70M

Ibex, Markets 15th July 2020

Cellnex Bets On Inorganic Growth: Considers Buying 28,000 Towers From Hutchinson

Cellnex would be studying taking a minority stake in the European telecommunication tower network CK Hutchison, which is valued at about $10 billion, according to Bloomberg.  This has been linked to news about Cellnex potentially making a €3 billion capital increase to raise funds for a large operation. The acquisition of a minority stake in a telco tower business would imply a deviation from Cellnex’s growth strategy up to now, as it has focused on buying complete networks. 

real estate investment trusts in China

World economy 15th July 2020

Chinese Real Estate Market: 2021 Growth As In Pre-Corona Times

Mainfirst |The January outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in China had a severe impact on the Chinese real estate market, compared to 2019, property sales in February 2020 dropped by 65 percent. The market has now almost recovered from this. This is due to both the special features of the Chinese market and government intervention. Chinese real estate sales have been on the rise since March and April and are now already back to 80 percent of the previous year’s level. 

ECB buying corporate

European economy 14th July 2020

ECB Preview: The Economy Continues To Recover And The Inflation Outlook Is Muted.

Peter Allen Goves (MFS Investment Management) | The overall macro picture has not changed significantly since the June meeting. The economy continues to recover and the inflation outlook is muted. We still see enough flexibility in the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP) to combat any unwarranted tightening in financial conditions. The June targeted longer-term refinancing operation (TLTRO) was a successful exercise and the extra liquidity added (around €550bn) is seen as enough to support the private sector into the recovery phase (or at least reduce liquidity crisis). Overall, we do not believe there is a strong need for further action from the European Central Bank (ECB) at the current juncture. If anything, the ECB communication will be closely watched.

sector auto spain

European economy 14th July 2020

Eurozone Industrial Production Rebounded 12.4% In May With The End Of Restrictions

Industrial production in the euro area chalked up a record rise of 12.4% in May, after falls of 18.2% in April and 11.8% in March. However, the figure was still 20.9% below the level recorded in May 2019, according to data published by the EU’s statistics office Eurostat. In the case of Spain, industrial production rebounded 15.1% in May after declines of 22.8% in April and 13.5% in March. The figure was still 24.9% lower than in May 2019.

ECB meetings

World economy 14th July 2020

Is There A Limit To Central Bank Intervention?

Alphavalue | The answer to this complex question is yes. Our analysts believe there is a limit to central bank intervention. This is not determined by economic or financial rules, but by politics. Ignoring that limit would violate democracy. The next question is: have some central banks already crossed the limit?

US presidential campaign

In the World, World politics 14th July 2020

The US Presidential Campaign Heats Up

François Rimeu (La Française AM) | Let us consider some of the main features of Joe Biden’s project: raise taxes on corporations, from 21% to 28%, and wealthy households; increase the minimum wage (from $7.5 to $15 an hour); provide $1,700bn in funding for infrastructure and Green New Deal. In the event of a Biden win, there would no doubt be less political tension across the world, which would be positive.

 

 

Bolsachina

Markets, World economy 13th July 2020

There Are Good Reasons For The Strong Ongoing Rally In Chinese Equities

Mobin Tahir (Wisdom Tree) | The S&P China 500 Index is up 17.7% and the CSI 300 Index is up 16.8% year-to-date.Breakneck gains in stock markets create excitement, but also raise fears of bubbles. There are good reasons for the strong ongoing rally in Chinese equities, and – although risks lurk on the horizon – we aren’t in bubble territory.

mcdonald

Markets, World economy 13th July 2020

McDonald’s, Airbus, Apple… Some Important Firms In The World Were Born In Difficult Times

McDonald’s was born in 1948, after the crisis following the US government’s demobilisation from the war economy. Airbus, Microsoft, and Starbucks were founded during the stagflation era of the 1970s. Firms that are able to adapt and grow in difficult times often present attractive long-term investment opportunities. Which companies will become market leaders after the Covid-19 crisis?