The cost-of-living crisis is biting in Germany, with reports this week of surging food inflation and a collapsing fibreoptic sector. The German financial newspaper Handelsblatt ran the two reports, stating in one that food inflation within the country had reached 97% for some items. App company smhaggle had compared prices for the paper, concluding that…
The Federal Reserve held the US base rate steady again last night at a 22-year peak of 5.25–5.5%, as widely expected, writes Alex Sebastian. While the decision to leave rates unchanged was no surprise, Chair Jerome Powell’s accompanying commentary was where the interesting elements were found. While once again reiterating the Fed’s determination to bring…
The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to hold interest rates at 4%, ending a run of 10 consecutive rate hikes, writes Hannah Williford. The decision comes in the wake of struggling labour markets in Europe, along with mediocre results for household and corporate lending data. The ECB hinted when it last convened in September that…
Would a rate hike pause from the ECB be enough to improve the performance of European stockmarkets? Cherry Reynard has a closer look The European Central Bank appears odds-on to leave interest rates on hold at its October meeting, in spite of rising energy prices. Weakening labour markets, more difficult PMI data and lacklustre household…
The region compares relatively favourably to other emerging markets, writes Cherry Reynard, but it is still struggling for attention versus its Asian peers While the world is adjusting to ‘higher for longer’ interest rates, there is one region that is moving in the opposite direction: Latin America. Brazil, Chile and Peru have already dropped rates,…
Energy investment within Europe is set to decline, according to an ING report, as European utilities grow more selective In European Utilities Outlook: More Investment but More Selective in 2024, ING’s head of corporates sector strategy Nadège Tillier noted that investment grew by 10% a year between 2018 and 2022. Despite this, she contended 2024…
Green bonds are propelling the worldwide ESG debt market, according to analysis by Bloomberg Intelligence, writes Laura Miller. The resilience of the green bond market in the first nine months of the year saw issuance exceed $505bn – or 48% of total sustainable issuance – up 8% on the same period last year. Social bond…
Bond markets are preparing for ‘higher for longer’ interest rates despite falling inflation, writes Cherry Reynard The bond markets have been experiencing a turbulent patch. A range of factors have collided to create this disruption, including an adjustment to the ‘higher for longer’ narrative from central banks, a deluge of supply and the tentative withdrawal of…
Venture capital (VC) money flowing into Europe has “skyrocketed” in recent years, according to Invest Europe, formerly the European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association. The body’s Venture Capital: Fuelling Innovation Report found venture capitalists had invested more than €96bn in almost 27,000 European companies over the last decade, with €18bn of that coming in…
Have inflationary pressures eased sufficiently for central banks to start cutting interest rates? Cherry Reynard takes a closer look In recent days, both the US Federal Reserve and – more surprisingly – the Bank of England have chosen to leave interest rates on hold. While both central banks have issued stern words about the need for caution and said…
Eurozone interest rates could remain at restrictive levels for “quite some time” – by Lauren Hardy The European Central Bank’s decision to hike rates for the 10th consecutive time today (14 September) could tip the EU “further into recessionary territory”, according to some investment professionals, who warn the bloc’s financial squeeze could intensify in Q4 2023…
Following the expansion of the BRICS group, Sarah Godfrey looks at which constituents offer the best opportunities Last month saw the 15th BRICS summit take place in Johannesburg. At the meeting, the five members of the group – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – announced that they were inviting six more countries – Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran,…
