EUROPE RISK TIMELINE: ECB Policy Choices, Refugee Crisis Talks
(Bloomberg) -- ECB’s meeting this month will be closely watched as slowing inflation argues for more easing, especially after steps taken in December fell short of expectations.
- Regional summits on the refugee crisis will also be eyed for signs of stress in the EU; elections in three German states could reflect growing discontent with Merkel’s stance
- Greece’s talks with creditors also be key as IMF warns the country may struggle to pay debt due next month
- MAIN RISKS:
- Money markets are pricing in more ECB easing at the March 10 meeting; comments from GC members suggest rate-setters are looking at a number of options to loosen policy: analysts
- Germany’s Merkel has said Greece needs Europe’s help to keep the refugee crisis from escalating into “chaos”
- The crisis could lead to some flexibility for Greece in the first bailout review, although Greeks and Europeans will still have to move closer to the IMF’s position on the fiscal gap, Eurasia Group analyst Mujtaba Rahman writes
- Spain’s Socialist party leader faces confidence votes in parliament on March 2 and 4, after signing a pact with the pro-market Ciudadanos to form a government
- Also high on the agenda: banking sector stress tests, the impact of ECB easing on bank profitability and debates over zero-risk weighting for sovereign bonds
MARCH
- The Italian state guarantee on banks’ bad debt may start by month-end
- 2: Spain’s Socialists face confidence vote in parliament
- 3: U.K. services, composite PMIs
- 7: Eurogroup meets: Dijsselbloem said on Dec. 8 he wants report on EU banking plan ready by this day
- To discuss progress of Greece bailout program
- Extraordinary EU-Turkey summit on migration
- If Turkey doesn’t co-operate, European countries will probably re-impose and/or tighten internal border controls on the migrant route, Berenberg’s Holger Schmieding says
- 4: Fitch may review Portugal’s rating
- 10: Irish parliament first meeting after inconclusive election result
- 10: ECB rate decision; Draghi said at January meeting bank may review its measures at the March meeting, spurring analysts to bring forward expectations for more easing
- 11: Fitch may review Finland, Greece ratings
- 13: State elections in three German states: Sachsen-Anhalt, Baden-Wurttemberg, and the Pfalz; the votes may be seen as a referendum on Merkel’s handling of the refugee crisis, BNP Paribas says
- 16: Greece needs to repay ~EU573m to the IMF, potentially exhausting its cash reserves if bailout tranche isn’t disbursed by then
- 16: U.K. budget expected to include further cuts as lower bond yields boost coffers but deficit reduction looks set to miss target; OBR publishes new forecasts
- 16: U.K. Feb. claimant count; average weekly earnings
- 17/18: EU summit
- 17: BOE rate decision
- 17: Euro-zone Feb. CPI
- 17: SNB rate decision
- 17: Basel Committee’s consultation on step-in risk closes; may lead to some banks needing more capital, Fitch says
- 18: S&P may review Finland, Portugal ratings
- 22: U.K. Feb CPI
- 23: U.K. FPC meets, record will be published April 5; HSBC expects an increase in the countercyclical buffer
- 24: Eurozone preliminary March services, composite PMI
- 30: German March CPI
- 31: U.K. Final 4Q GDP reading
APRIL
- The earliest fresh Portuguese elections can be called
- Introduction of the Living Wage in the U.K.; may support wage and price growth, CEBR says
- 1: Fitch may review Germany’s rating; S&P may review Spain
- 5: U.K. services, composite PMI
- 7: ECB accounts
- 12: U.K. Jan. CPI
- 14: BOE rate decision
- 20: U.K. Jan. claimant count; average weekly earnings
- 21: ECB rate decision
- 21: Riksbank rate decision
- 22: Eurozone preliminary April services, composite PMI
- 22: Fitch may review Italy rating; S&P may review France
- 27: U.K. preliminary 1Q GDP
- 28: German April CPI
- 29: S&P may review U.K. rating; DBRS is scheduled to report on Portugal’s rating; any downgrade would make PGBs ineligible for ECB QE
- May
- 3: Spain’s parliament will be dissolved if no govt has been formed
- 5: U.K. services, composite PMI
- 6: Moody’s may review Portugal rating
- 12: BOE rate decision; quarterly Inflation Report
- 13: S&P may review Italy’s rating, Moody’s may review Ireland
- 18: U.K. Jan. claimant count; average weekly earnings
- 19: ECB accounts
- 24: EU May prelim. services, composite PMI
- 30: German May CPI
- 27: Moody’s may review U.K.’s credit rating
Alert:
HALISTER1Source: BFW (Bloomberg First Word)
Tickers 2539Z GR (European Central Bank)
People Angela Merkel (Federal Republic of Germany)
Holger Schmieding (Joh Berenberg Gossler & Co KG)
Mujtaba Rahman (Eurasia Group)
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