Eurostat issued a flash indicator last Friday to the effect that eurozone inflation has fallen unexpectedly from 1.9% to 1.6%. I say unexpectedly, but of course this is, in many ways, one of the foreseeable consequences of the euro rise.
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Tag Archives: eurozone
This Is One To Keep An Eye On
2003 was a good year for the Spanish banks, with interest rates at historic lows, lending boomed. News has it today that net profits at Santander Central Hispano, Spain’s largest bank, rose 29.6 per cent in the fourth quarter to ?681m ($857m) mainly on strong mortgage lending in Spain and growth in its consumer finance business in Germany and Portugal. Net profits totalled ?2.61bn for the full year, a 16 per cent increase over 2002 and the best year on record, while credit inside Spain was up 16.2 per cent as the housing boom continued on its relentless path hence generating strong demand for mortgages.
So good luck to the bank, and that’s it. Well again, not exactly. Why is there a boom in consumer credit and mortgage lending right now in Spain? That really should be the question.
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