The Corner | March 31, 2015 | German and Spanish retail sales have improved markedly compared with this time last year. Unemployment figures for the euro zone are expected to fall slightly, while results of EU inflation figures will be keenly monitored in the wake of the ECB’s sovereign bond purchasing programme, launched earlier this month.
ATHENS | March 30, 2015 | By Manos Giakoumis via MacroPolis | Following the Eurogroup decision on February 20, Greece returned 10.9 billion (European Financial Stability Fund) EFSF bonds at the end of the previous month. That transaction reduced accordingly the country’s debt and the debt to GDP ratio by more than 6 percentage points.
The Corner | March 30, 2015 | Consumer confidence in the EMU is set to hit its highest level in eight years, with economic sentiment improving across the currency block. In Spain, inflation figures are expected to remain in negative territory, but with the caveat that lower prices are having positive knock-on effects elsewhere in the economy.
PARIS | March 29, 2015 | By Francesco Saraceno | The confidence fairy seems to have turned into a confidence witch. One more victim of the crisis. But this one will not be missed.
MADRID | March 27, 2015 | By Francisco López | The Spanish economy is currently growing at cruising speed and looks set to remain at its current altitude in the medium term, with the possibility that growth could exceed 3% this year.
The Corner | March 27, 2015 | Data from Europe has shown that the cost of imports have risen for the eurozone’s largest economy, Germany, spelling good news for the country’s partners within the currency union. In the US, data released today will be poured over by Fed chairwoman, Janet Yellen, at a press briefing scheduled for later this evening.
The Corner | March 26, 2015 | A substantial increase in lending to consumers in 2014 has reinforced the sense that conditions are improving in the area of consumer confidence and banking. In addition, a decline in the rate of bad loans offers further indication of stabilisation in the Spanish credit market.
The Corner | March 26, 2015 | The German economy is leading the way in yet more positive news for the eurozone, as consumer confidence reaches its highest level for 14 years. In Spain, business confidence is at it’s highest level for eight years, while concern about weak GDP figures in France may be offset by a recent improvement in consumption and exports.
The Corner | March 25, 2015 | EU data appears to show that the currency bloc is finally on the way to recovery. Figures from Spain today are likely to confirm the country’s improvement, but concerns remain about the predicament of the Greek economy.
The Corner | March 24, 2015 | Tragic events in the French Alps, as all 150 people on board Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 are feared dead.