France's 2023 Deficit 'Significantly' Above 4.9%' (BBG)
France's budget (in)discipline... Since the Great Financial Crisis in 2008, France managed to keep its budget deficit below the 3% threshold (remember the Maastricht Treaty) just once (2018). This is far worse than Italy. France's debt-to-GDP ratio is at 110%, up from 64% pre-financial crisis. With potential GDP growth at a paltry 1% and declining, structurally low interest rates is needed to keep the debt burden afloat. Source: Jeroen Blokland, Bloomberg
Germany Stock Exchange Firm Deutsche Boerse Launches Crypto Trading Platform
Germany-based Deutsche Boerse announced fully regulated crypto trading platform Deutsche Boerse Digital Exchange (DBDX). The spot trading platform is targeted for institutional clients said the Deutsche Boerse. The new Deutsche Boerse Digital Exchange is the latest step in its digital strategy to deliver a fully regulated and secure environment for institutional trading, settlement, and custody for this digital asset class. The German exchange group last year committed to introduce an integrated digital asset platform as part of its Horizon 2026 program. The initial trading will be request-for-quote basis and gradually moving to multilateral trading. Deutsche Boerse will offer trading venue and Crypto Finance (Deutschland) to provide digital asset clearing and settlement services. source : coingape
The stock market rally continues in Germany.
The Dax is heading for its 9th daily gain in a row. The rally is being driven by the Dax "Glory 5" stocks - an index consisting of SAP, Siemens, Allianz, Munich Re, and Deutsche Telekom. These 5 stocks have outperformed the Dax Price Index by almost 100%-pts over a 10 year period. Source: HolgerZ, Bloomberg
Italian 10-Year Spread Hits Lowest Level in Two Years!
The surge in investor confidence has propelled Italian spreads to their lowest point in two years. The gap between Italian and German 10-year yields dipped below 140 basis points for the first time since early 2022. The rebound in Citi's European Economic Surprise Index has undoubtedly contributed to this trend. In a reflection of the credit market, peripheral bonds are demonstrating strong outperformance compared to core government bonds. However, amidst this optimism, questions linger: Is this downward trajectory sustainable? #ItalianBonds #MarketTrends #InvestmentOpportunities 🇮🇹💼
Eurozone CPI slowed less than anticipated in Feb, highlighting stickiness in inflation
Headline inflation eased to 2.6% YoY in Feb, above 2.5% consensus estimate in BBG survey. Core inflation came down by 0.2%-pt to 3.1%, also an upward surprise compared to 2.9% consensus estimate. Source: Bloomberg
France PPI YOY is the lowest since 2009...
Source: Bloomberg, Alessio Urban
Germany economic challenges in one chart
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt
In case you missed it... European gas price falls to pre-energy crisis level
Strong imports of liquefied natural gas, warm weather and demand reduction as a result of high prices in recent years have all helped keep gas stored in the EU’s underground storage facilities at historically high levels during this winter, putting pressure on prices. The price of Title Transfer Facility (TTF), the European benchmark, fell to as low as €22.53 per megawatt hour on Friday, the lowest since May 2021, on course for a third consecutive weekly decline. Source: FT
