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Saturday, April 12

12th Apr - W/E: The World



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EUROPE
Brussels blog round up 5 – 11 AprilEuropp / LSE
Hungary’s radical right, Finland’s economy, and is Greece on the road to recovery?

Five explanations for Greece’s bond yieldFelix Salmon / Reuters

Europe’s Economic OutlookiMFdirect
Reza Moghadam: Economic growth across Europe is slowly picking up, which is good news. But the recovery is still modest and measures to boost economic growth and create jobs are important.

France, Italy not in same boat by EU budget rules: Eurogroup headReuters
France and Italy will get different treatment under European Union budget rules, because the situation of their public finances is different, the chairman of euro zone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said on Friday.

Finland: King of ratings no moreNordea
The credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s surprisingly changed its outlook for the AAA rating of Finland from stable to negative, the first major rating agency to do so. The action puts more pressure on the already shaky government and will deliver a hit to Finnish bonds, very dependent on the highest ratings.

Katainen’s Entry Mixes Up Race for Top EU Jobs After ElectionsWSJ
The endurance sport that is jockeying for a top EU post saw a change to its runners and riders with Finland’s Premier Jyrki Katainen announcing he would step down in June.

Northern Lights: Goldilocks?Nordea
Sweden: Riksbank to cut rates * Norway: Lower mortgage rates, higher NB rates? Denmark: Central bank in hibernation * Finland: Russia weighs on spreads

  UKRAINE / RUSSIA
Europe After UkraineProject Syndicate
Europe Folds As Putin Tells It To Pay Ukraine's Gazprom Bill, Or Else – ZH
Liberation Of
Europe From Gazprom Due To Nat Gas Exports Is Nonsense, Cheniere CEO – ZH
Ukraine halts payments to RussiaReuters

  EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK
Euro area economic outlook, the ECB's monetary policy and current policy challengesBIS
Statement by Mr Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank, prepared for the twenty-ninth meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee, Washington DC, 10 April 2014.

ECB Action: Just a Question of Time?Marc to Market
The Managing Director of the IMF and the chief economist are making no bones about it. More action by the ECB is inevitable. It is "just a question of timing," says Lagarde and "sooner was better than later", chimed Blanchard, the chief economist. The market is less sanguine.

Renewed pressure on the ECBSober Look

Toxic Debt Condemned in Crisis Heralded as Europe’s SaviorBB
Asset-backed securities were denounced for causing the financial crisis. Now the debt is being seen as a savior for Europe’s economy. The European Central Bank signaled this week that plans to ward off deflation may center on asset-backed securities

ECB Unites With BOE in Call to Ease Asset-Backed Bond RulesBB
ECB and BOE said regulators must support and promote the asset-backed bond market, ensuring that rules to safeguard the financial system don’t unnecessarily impair the securities’ use.

Praet: The financial cycle and real convergence in the euro area – ECB
Constancio: “We Will Do Something” About Low Inflation – WSJ
Draghi: ECB Open to Additional Monetary Stimulus if Needed – WSJ
Coeure: The Stronger the Euro, the More Need for Monetary Accommodation – WSJ
Nowotny: Additional ECB Easing Steps ‘Clearly Possible’ – WSJ
Euro Czar Dijsselbloem: Low Inflation Is Good News If Kept Quiet – WSJ
ECB's Nowotny says expects decision on ECB policy move in June – Reuters
Weidmann Citing QE Legitimacy Paves Way for ECB Consensus – Reuters
[audio] Berenberg’s Schulz Sees Chance of ECB Mimicking Fed – BB

UNITED STATES
The Richest Rich Are in a Class by ThemselvesBusinessweek
The richest 0.1 percent of the American population has rebuilt its share of wealth back to where it was in the Roaring Twenties. And the richest 0.01 percent’s share has grown even more rapidly, quadrupling since the eve of the Reagan Revolution.

When Will The Fed Change Its Reaction Function?Tim Duy’s Fed Watch
Fed policy - dovish those it seems - is maddenly disconnected from their actual forecasts.  What does that mean for future policy?  Given the relatively dovish forecast, I am concerned that the balance of risk lies on the upside, which implies tighter policy along the existing reaction function.

  MACRO NUMBERS
Wholesale Prices in U.S. Rise on Services as Goods Stagnate – BB
Producer inflation accelerates in March – Reuters
US Inflation Jumps To Highest In 7 Months – ZH
Consumer Sentiment in U.S. Rises to Highest Level Since July – BB
Consumers Love Slumping Stocks - Confidence Jumps To 8 Month Highs – ZH

ASIA
BoC Vice Governor: China Will Implement Deposit Insurance “Probably” This YearWSJ

China: Inflation up but no constraint on monetary policyDanske Bank

All you need to know about business in ChinaMcKinsey
Six big trends are shaping the country’s future, as investor Jeffrey Towson and McKinsey’s Jonathan Woetzel explain in this excerpt from The One Hour China Book.