By Luis Martí, in Madrid | Amid the recent flurry of proposals for restructuring of the euro zone and opinions on its decomposition, seasoned with all sorts of half truths, two reports –one of the European Commission, by order of Parliament, and one of the Council of Economic Experts which advises the German government– have seriously dealt with the viability of Eurobond-based-solutions. The Commission's report was published late 2011 as a…
Hourly labour costs in the euro area rose by 2.0% in the year up to the first quarter of 2012, compared with 2.8% for the previous quarter, Eurostat reported today. In the European Union, the annual rise was 1.7% up to the first quarter of 2012, compared with 2.7% for the previous quarter. In the euro area, wages and salaries per hour worked grew by 2.0% in the year up to…
By Nuño Rodrigo | www.cincodias.com | It is remarkable the swiftness with which the markets have amortised the bailout plan for the Spanish banking sector. But it is no surprise; the markets have their own stimulus, reward and learning mechanisms, and when an event appears repeatedly, the process rolls out ever quicker. The Greek bailout anaesthetised the markets for some months; the Irish did the same for some weeks; the…
MADRID | Just a few days before the partial rescue of the Spanish banking sector was announced, Amado Franco talked to journalist Carles Francino during an interview broadcast by SER. Franco is president at one of the largest and healthiest cajas or Spanish savings banks. He is 66 years old and has spent 42 working at Ibercaja. He has been auditor, branch manager, executive, CEO and President since 2004. Franco is a…
What To Say Through Text To Get Your Ev Back By valenciaplaza.com, in Valencia | José Carrasco is private banking director at Banco Madrid in Valencia. Carrasco believes the European Central Bank buying Spanish bonds would reassure investors and negative headlines would then recede allowing foreign capital to go back to the country's market, where good value still abounds. What is your view on the European stock markets? With France…
The euro zone index of consumer sentiment in May confirmed a relative improvement this month, drawing a less negative private consumption this quarter. This would indicate a rate of contraction in both the first and the second quarter of about -0.5% (-0.7% in the fourth quarter). Retail sales data, to be published today, are expected to slowdown its worsening. They would also point to a contraction rate of about -0.5%….
By Julia Pastor, in Madrid | The very logical answer from the European Central Bank’s president Mario Draghi to the Spanish claim for that institution intervening was a rejection. Instead, Draghi demanded Thursday that European leaders make up their minds on how the euro will be in a year’s time. Draghi also argued in favour of a “banking union”. News agency Europa Press reported his declarations. “Can the ECB fill the…
By Julia Pastor, in Madrid | The idea of a suffocated Spanish banking sector spreads like fire throughout the markets: Bankia’s nationalisation, Moody’s cut, the French president François Hollande advising to recapitalise the sector… But the International Monetary Fund will publish next week a report that assures 70% of Spain’s financial entities are already restructured. This news should help tame and perhaps even extinguish the flames. Analysts at Madrid’s financial City also…
From Afi analysts in Madrid, an investor note came Monday with the picture of that much talked about capital flight from the euro peripheral banking systems in the form of non-financial private sector bank deposits. The variation this year, although somewhat noticeable, has not accelerated and volumes remain above 2010 levels in Portugal, Spain and Italy. Greece, on the other hand, shows a seemingly non-stoppable drop since 2009. All in…
LONDON | Investment company Threadneedle told clients that the market has increasingly moved its US economic forecasts towards more conservative views. Threadneedle explained in a technical note that, although it had updated its forecast for US economic growth in 2012 from 1.5% to 2% after some strong first quarter data, it too remained of the view that the US economy will slow in the second half of the year. Analysts said some…