Construction in Europe grew by 2 percent in 2016. Annual growth in the sector is expected to continue at around this rate for the next three years until the end of 2019, according to calculations by the Euroconstruct research network. The strongest stimuli will come from new residential construction, which grew by a good 7 percent in 2016.
All governments find unexpected dwarfs popping up all over the place, but this one has them in abundance. The latest one, the problem of the eight bankrupt motorways, which they will have to deal with and pay for, according to a court decision. But the government has said it will only pay the concessionary companies – made up of constructors and banks – half of the accumulated debt of 5 billion euros.
UBS | As attention turns towards fiscal stimulus as a means to drive global growth, infrastructure investment is considered a politically feasible way to justify government spending. Despite increased focus, however, deploying additional meaningful funds for infrastructure spending is never easy. The US infrastructure, for instance, has received intermittent attention over the last several years.
The recovery in the construction industry in Spain over the last few months is not just a recurring theme. The sector has definitely again reached the European standards which it failed to meet in the last phase of the property boom in 2004-2007.
Fernando Rodríguez | Barely 10% of Spain’s 6 listed constructors’ business is generated at home. But problems like the recent cancellation of the real estate plan included in Madrid’s Operacion Chamartin, due to the decision of the city council which is close to Podemos, are all contributing to maintaining the generic perception that they are “Spanish companies” subject to political risk.
UBS | We hosted three meetings in HK this week for Chinese construction companies, which included China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), China Railway Group (CRG) and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).
ACF | In 2014, ACS was the building company which won the most contracts worldwide.
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 | The Corner |Besides naming the reshuffle of his Government, after a dispute over hauling the economy out of stagnation caused his government’s collapse, François Hollande has also committed to announce this week a package of measures to revive the economy, including specific stimulus for the construction activity, especially affected in terms of employment by a law to regulate the real estate market precisely adopted at the beginning of his term. It is estimated that construction activity in France represents about 8% of GDP and 1.2 million jobs.