MADRID | By Soren Willemann at Barclays | European credit markets have been outperforming equities persistently since October 2014. However, following the recent ECB announcements, this relationship has shifted dramatically, with credit spreads now trading wide vs equities on a historical basis.
MADRID | The Corner | The purchase of large swathes of Spanish land by US hedge fund Lone Star is further compelling evidence that the Spanish property market is staging a recovery. This investment signifies that the improvement in the market will soon be seen in the residential sector, having previously been confined to the retails and commercial markets.
MADRID | By Francisco López | The successful launch of the Aena IPO has been interpreted as a sign of confidence in the recovery of the Spanish economy. The airport operator was floated last week and saw gains of 20.6%, but the headline grabbing investment from international funds such as BlackRock, Templeton, Fidelity or Capital Group has given credence to the sense that Spain is an increasingly attractive proposition for investors.
LONDON | By Sigrún Davídsdóttir | One of the things that the HSBC whistleblower Hervé Falciani has pointed out is the mess the HSBC computer system was with all the inherent safety risks involved, not to mention that it made it difficult for the bank to have any meaningful overview.
MADRID | Sean Duffy | Yesterday brought positive data on the housing front and on job creation, with Spanish bank BBVA prediciting the economy will reap considerable benefits from the falling oil price.
MADRID | By Francisco López | Year 2014 was positive for Spanish banks (we haven’t seen Bankia and Liberbank results yet): they earned a total of 10 billion of euros, 27% more than in 2013. But ROE is still weaker.
MADRID | By Sean Duffy | Thursday brought some positive predictions on the Spanish economy from the European Commission, but buoyancy on European markets may be negated by data due from the US later today.
MADRID | By Sean Duffy | Today is a massive day for the euro zone. The outcome of negotiations between Greek politicans and European bosses will be closely monitored by markets and euro zone partners alike. With Greek banks under pressure, a deal needs to be agreed soon.
MADRID | By Sean Duffy | Markets will be looking to how relations between the new Greek Government and European creditor nations play out in the week ahead. After a week of tense negotiations, the stakes are increasing all the time. Greek claims of insolvancy have irked its eurozone partners, but can all sides find a middle ground in the coming days?
MADRID | By Sean Duffy | Investors are expecting continued falls in the value of Greek bank shares and indeed the value of the Athens stock exchange. That is due to the fact that the new Government of Alexis Tsipras appears to be on a collision course with the country’s creditors, something that may spook investors in the weeks ahead should agreement not be forthcoming.