In charts: Eurozone debt grows to 92.7 per cent of GDP October 23, 2014 Figures released by the European statistics authority today show government debt in the Eurozone grew to 92.7 per cent of GDP in the second quarter of 2014, a jump of 0.8 percentage points. In the European Union the level rose to 87 per cent of GDP, a rise of 1.9 percentage points. So how much [...]
German spending spree would not be enough to save Eurozone October 22, 2014 GERMAN fiscal stimulus would have a minimal impact on Eurozone growth, ratings agency Standard and Poors (S&P) have said. Top figures, including Mario Draghi, the European Central Bank boss, and Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund have called on the Eurozone’s largest economy to boost spending. With a balanced budget and low [...]
Bank of England’s MPC still split 2-7 on interest rate rise as eurozone and China pressures take their toll October 22, 2014 Minutes of September's meeting of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) show its members have become more pessimistic about the chances of raising interest rates early, as the impact of wobbles in China and the eurozone began to be felt in the UK. Policymakers said headwinds facing the economy – such as weak [...]
Worries escalate over recession in the Eurozone as currency bloc slips further towards deflation October 16, 2014 Eurozone inflation hit a five-year low in September as weak spending continues to plague hopes of an economic recovery. Prices rose just 0.3 per cent year-on-year in September according to figures published yesterday by official data house Eurostat. The figure was down from 0.4 per cent in August and continues the single currency area’s apparent [...]
IMF: Seven in 10 Eurozone banks are still too weak October 16, 2014 Most Eurozone banks are too weak to give out loans and support any economic recovery, a top International Monetary Fund (IMF) official warned yesterday. The banking sector in the euro area is only just getting to grips with bad debts and inefficiencies, according to Jose Vinals, the director of the monetary and capital markets department [...]
Eurozone inflation falls to 0.3 per cent October 16, 2014 More disinflation for the Eurozone. The flash estimates were correct and inflation in the Eurozone has slowed to 0.3 per cent in the year to September. With second-quarter GDP growth also sclerotic at 0.2 in the euro area, there isn’t much to cheer. Industrial production has been weak and France looks on collision [...]
Germany’s woes prompt fear of Eurozone recession October 14, 2014 The Eurozone could be in the midst of recession for the third time since 2008, with data released yesterday pointing to weak growth and deteriorating confidence. Industrial production in the currency union fell by 1.8 per cent in August after a modest rise in July, according to figures released by Eurostat. There was an alarming [...]
Mark Carney on interest rate rises, Eurozone weakness and the 2015 general election October 13, 2014 Is Bank of England governor Mark Carney on a media blitz? He’s already taken the opportunity to tell bank chiefs to face up to new laws which make them legally responsible for any wrongdoing. And, while attending the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, he’s also given interviews to CNBC and CNN making clear that eurozone weakness and [...]
Eurozone fears pull down FTSE to one-year low – London Report October 9, 2014 THE FTSE 100 yesterday hit its lowest level for a year after early gains fell away in a broad-based sell-off as investors became anxious about signs of serious weakening in the Eurozone economy. The blue-chip index, which hit 6,544 points in morning trading, due mainly to a rise in mining shares, ended the day down [...]
As German exports plunge, could the economic giant drag the whole Eurozone into recession? October 9, 2014 Ruth Lea, economic adviser to the Arbuthnot Banking Group, says Yes. Germany’s economy accounts for over a quarter of the Eurozone’s GDP and, until recently, seemed in good health. In contrast, France and Italy are struggling with stagnation and recession respectively. Germany’s GDP fell by 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2014, but [...]