The Corner | March 5, 2015 | Markets are again looking to the ECB for a gauge as to where the continent is headed, with Mario Draghi expected to announce more detailed descriptions of the bank’s QE plan. Elsewhere, data from Germany, Italy and Greece are likely to highlight the divergent fortunes of countries within the single currency area.
The Corner | March 4, 2015 | Data released today are expected to confirm that retail sales are on the rise in the euro area. Forecasters are predicting a rise of between 1.5 and 2.0% for the year to January. However, markets are eagerly awating further indications on the finer details of the European Central Bank’s quantitative easing programme, which will be announced in Nicosia on Thursday. Markit composite figures are due today, but traders are more likely to be mindful of tomorrow’s scheduled announcement.
The Corner | March 2, 2015 | Concerns about the impact that the ECB’s quantitative easing programme will have persist ahead of monthly purchase of €60 billion in sovereign bonds.
MADRID | February 27, 2015 | J.J Fernandez-Figares| Link Securities | Efforts by the ECB to inject money into the euro zone are already showing signs of impact as positive M3 figures offer encouragement ahead of March purchases of sovereign bonds.
The Corner | February 24, 2015 | Figures published today will give an indication of the current state-of-play in the euro zone, with the release of inflation statistics and final GDP figures from the German economy for 2014.
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 | By Ana Fuentes | She believes that central banks should act coordinately, since competition between them can cause currency distortions. British economist and former banker Frances Coppola has been one of the main critics of the European Central Bank’s QE “because it supports asset prices, but that is all it does.” She spoke to The Corner about shadow banking and how financials should be accepting and managing risk on both sides of the Atlantic.
WASHINGTON | By Pablo Pardo | Guess which country pioneered Quantitative Easing in Europe… Exactly: Germany!
MADRID | By JP Marín Arrese | The ECB unleashed a monetary onslaught yesterday aimed at breaking the stubborn deflationary pressures and sluggish growth have shown up to now. The massive artillery barrage mercilessly pounded enemy lines with tons of fresh money, leaving defenders no other option than unconditional surrender. With all ammunition and reserves engaged in this breathtaking D-Day, the ECB would find itself helpless should its gamble fail. As previous landings ended in disaster, the issue now is whether this assault will work as planned.
MADRID | By Ana Fuentes | Amid huge market expectation, ECB’s president Mario Draghi unveiled THE operation aiming to spur growth in the eurozone: the European QE will consist of €1.1tn sovereign bonds purchases, or €60bn a month until September 2016, beginning in March. A crucial move in exchange for low risk sharing (only 20% of bonds purchased by ECB, 80% by national central banks; and Greek bonds are expected to remain out). The euro touched an intraday low of 1.1451 dollars.