Top Stories

eurozone

No Picture

Companies 8th January 2015

Botín steers Santander ship into fresh water

MADRID | By Fernando G. Urbaneja | Spanish bank Santander is a powerful battleship, the euro zone´s largest by market cap, one of the world’s leaders, with an outstanding presence on both sides of the Atlantic. It is therefore a complicated engine to move, even slowly. The unexpected death of the company´s chairman, Emilio Botín, in September 2014, brought about the accession of his daughter Ana to the bank´s top post. The younger Botín possesses unquestionable professional credentials, but nonetheless has had to allay fears that any change in leadership can bring about.

Grecia_Elecciones_RecursoTC

In Europe 6th January 2015

Where did all the money go in Greece?

ATHENS | By Yiannis Mouzakis via Macropolis | The total amount of loans the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund supplied to Greece between May 2010 and the most recent disbursements last summer stand at 226.7 billion euros. This is equivalent to almost 125 percent of Greece’s economic activity in 2014. There seems to be a general misconception that feeds a misleading narrative in which the loans were used to keep the Greek state afloat, maintain its basic operations and pay salaries of doctors, teachers and policemen.

No Picture

In Europe 31st December 2014

EU: When taxation is tailor-made

BRUSSELS | By Jacobo de Regoyos | The previous five years of Jean-Claude Juncker’s reign were suddenly thrown into flux following the publication of hundreds of secret documents regarding agreements between the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg-during his premiership- and over 340 multinationals. In essence, this amounted to the facilitation of tailor-made fiscal schemes that allow the payment of a corporate tax close to 1% instead of the stipulated 29%. 

No Picture

In Europe 30th December 2014

EU Banks: Surprises for 2015

MADRID | The Corner | The ECB’s non-conventional measures, the banking restructuration and the adaptation to the new regulation make 2015 a crucial year. According to experts at Morgan Stanley, the many stories about restructuration, dividends and regulatory changes will allow to differentiate the performance of the different assets.

grecia syrizaTC

In Europe 21st December 2014

Eurozone’s plight

MADRID | By JP Marín Arrese | Once again, Greece has ignited the flame of instability in the Eurozone. The prospect of early elections coupled with the left-wing party´s scores in the polls has resulted in severe shock-waves hitting other South-Med countries. The promised debt default by the better placed candidate in this race stands as a formidable threat to Europe. What happens in this relatively small country is bound to hit all of us. Confidence in sovereigns will dramatically fall while financials will also bear the brunt. 

No Picture

In Europe 10th December 2014

Falling oil price: 4 wins for Germany

ZURICH | UBS analysts | We see 4 wins for Germany in a backdrop of falling oil prices
1) German equity market is not exposed to Oil & Gas earnings. 2) While our Oil & Gas analysts expect energy capex to fall by 10% (which could hurt a cyclical Germany), the overall fall to European capex is < 3%. Plus capex is already at a 23 year low – can it get much worse? 3) Our economists think lower oil triggers sovereign-based QE given their view it pushes CPI even lower than Tuesday’s 0.3%.

No Picture

Markets 5th December 2014

“The ECB is almost apologetic about the lack of growth and the weak inflation”

MADRID | The Corner | According to Patrice Gautry, chief economist at UBP, there is little doubt that monetary policy – due to be presented in detail at the beginning of next year – will be revised and reshuffled as follows: 1) bigger ECB spending; 2) more of a focus on private and public bond purchases rather than on LTROs and ABS and CoCo purchases.In short, broadened QE should kick in on 22 January, at the next ECB meeting.

No Picture

Markets 5th December 2014

Draghi in drag

SAO PAULO | By Marcus Nunes via Historinhas | The European Central Bank opened the door to a dramatic escalation in its campaign to stimulate the eurozone’s stagnant economy early next year, signaling a new chapter in the bank’s fight against excessively weak inflation in the heart of Europe. ECB President Mario Draghi said after the bank’s monthly meeting that officials discussed purchases of government bonds, known as quantitative easing or QE, but that they needed more time to gauge the effects of policies that they have already implemented while assessing how falling oil prices may affect the bank’s consumer-price outlook.