We are sticking to our forecast of 2.0% euro area GDP growth for 2018, but with risks tilted to the downside. Investment is an important driver of the business cycle and a key determinant of potential growth. In the euro area, total investment makes up about 20% of GDP. Construction, machinery and equipment (including weapons systems), intellectual property rights and agricultural products account, respectively, for...
Read More »Credit conditions in the euro area remain supportive of investment recovery
We are sticking to our forecast of 2.0% euro area GDP growth for 2018, but with risks tilted to the downside.Investment is an important driver of the business cycle and a key determinant of potential growth. In the euro area, total investment makes up about 20% of GDP. Construction, machinery and equipment (including weapons systems), intellectual property rights and agricultural products account, respectively, for 48%, 32%, 18% and 2% of total investment. Machinery and equipment spending...
Read More »First tightening of euro area credit standards in three years
The latest Bank Lending Survey (BLS) from the ECB, showed that credit standards tightened somewhat in Q4 2016. But the details were much more upbeat than the headline reading.Credit standards on loans to euro area enterprises tightened in Q4 2016 for the first time in three years. The move was essentially driven by developments in the Netherlands. Demand for credit continued to rise across all categories of loans, once again driven by generally low interest rates and M&A activity.Looking...
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