High numbers of unproductive firms will cut GDP growth

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Job Retention ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
New Firms ◽  
Worker Mobility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Us Studies ◽  
Low Interest Rates

Significance Low interest rates and easy financing conditions in major economies have triggered a search for yield on the part of investors flushed with liquidity and this has allowed so-called 'zombie' companies -- whose operating profits are not sufficient to service their debt -- to obtain financing to stay in business. Impacts Estimates of the zombie problem's scale may be understated, if unlisted small and medium-sized firms are worse affected than listed ones. US studies find that having fewer new firms in an industry cuts business dynamism and worker mobility, as well as sustaining zombie firms. The more unproductive zombie jobs that Europe’s job retention schemes keep alive, the lower longer-term productivity will be.

Swiss economic growth is set to accelerate this year

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Private Consumption ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
Consumption Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Interest Rates ◽  
Economic Outlook

Subject Economic outlook for Switzerland. Significance Switzerland’s GDP growth disappointed in the first quarter of 2017: it increased by 0.3% on a quarterly and 1.1% on a yearly basis, held back by weak private consumption growth. However, exports rebounded after the long blight of the 2015 franc appreciation shock. Impacts Private consumption should improve after stagnating in 2015-16, benefiting from the labour market recovery. Low interest rates are likely to boost private investment. Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, electrics and the watch-making industry are likely to benefit from the expected revival in exports. Inflation is likely to average around 0.4% in 2017 and 2018.

Australia budget keeps defence spending commitments

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
National Politics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Defence Spending ◽  
Low Interest Rates ◽  
Defence Expenditure ◽  
Conducive Environment ◽  
Made In

Significance With an election due soon, the governing Liberal-National Coalition’s pledge to ring-fence the defence spending commitments made in 2016 was under some pressure. However, defence spending in fiscal year 2021/22 will grow by over 4% in real terms and stay above the symbolic level of 2% of GDP. Impacts Growing popular and bipartisan concern with Chinese aggression is a conducive environment for increased defence spending. Low interest rates and a stronger Australian dollar are also supporting sustained levels of defence expenditure. Washington may increase pressure on Australia to conduct freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea. Major business groups are concerned that increased criticism of China in national politics will produce yet more punitive backlash.

Large US household balance sheets pose macro risks

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Health Costs ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Balance Sheets ◽  
Trade Growth ◽  
Productivity Gains ◽  
Macroeconomic Risks

Significance An examination of the factors behind the expansion indicates that outsized balance sheets will persist and will pose a number of macroeconomic risks. Impacts Slower workforce growth will pressure GDP growth, trade growth and long-term interest rates, unless productivity gains can offset this. A record number of US business deaths and births in 2020 will affect productivity and have unpredictable impacts on the economy. Lower growth makes it harder to stabilise debt-to-GDP ratios, just as pension and health costs rise as populations age in major economies.

Low interest rate environment: inventory management in Finland and Baltic states

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olli-Pekka Hilmola ◽  
Weidong Li ◽  
Andres Tolli
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rate ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Recent Decade ◽  
Baltic States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Interest Rates ◽  
Rate Environment

PurposeFor decades, it was emphasized that manufacturing and trading companies should aim to be lean with very small inventories. However, in the recent decade, time-significant change has taken place as nearly all of the “old west” countries have now low interest rates. Holding inventories have been beneficial for the sake of customer service and for achieving savings in transportation and fixed ordering costs.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, inventory management change is examined in publicly traded manufacturing and trade companies of Finland and three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) during the years 2010–2018.FindingsInventory efficiency has been leveled off or falling in these countries and mostly declining development has concerned small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is also found that inventory efficiency is in general lower in SMEs than in larger companies. Two companies sustaining in inventory efficiency are used as an example that lean has still significance, and higher inventories as well as lower inventory efficiency should not be the objective. Two companies show exemplary financial performance as well as shareholder value creation.Research limitations/implicationsWork concerns only four smaller countries, and this limits its generalization power. Research is one illustration what happens to private sector companies under low interest rate policies.Practical implicationsContinuous improvement of inventory efficiency becomes questionable in the light of current research and the low interest rate environment.Originality/valueThis is one of the seminal studies from inventory efficiency as the global financial crisis taken place in 2008–2009 and there is the implementation of low interest rates.

The current farm downturn vs the 1920s and 1980s farm crises

2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 396-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendong Zhang ◽  
Kristine Tidgren
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Real Income ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Agricultural Credit ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Farm Crisis ◽  
Low Interest Rates ◽  
Sudden Collapse

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the current farm economic downturn and credit restructuring by comparing it with the 1920s and 1980s farm crises from both economic and regulatory perspectives. Design/methodology/approach This paper closely compares critical economic and regulatory aspects of the current farm downturn with two previous farm crises in the 1920s and 1980s, and equally importantly, the golden eras that occurred before them. This study compares key aggregate statistics in land value, agricultural credit, lending regulations, and also evaluates the situations and impacts on individual farmer households by using three representative case studies. Findings The authors argue that there are at least three economic and regulatory reasons why the current farm downturn is unlikely to slide into a sudden collapse of the agricultural markets: strong, real income; growth in the 2000s, historically low interest rates; and more prudent agricultural lending practices. The current farm downturn is more likely a liquidity and working capital problem, as opposed to a solvency and balance sheet problem for the overall agricultural sector. The authors argue that the trajectory of the current farm downturn will likely be a gradual, drawn-out one like that of the 1920s farm crisis, as opposed to a sudden collapse as in the 1980s farm crisis. Originality/value The review provides empirical evidence for cautious optimism of the future trajectory of the current downturn, and argues that the current downturn is much more similar to the 1920s pattern than the 1980s crisis.

US energy high-yield bonds spur default risk

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Default Risk ◽  
Oil Price ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Us ◽  
Low Interest Rates ◽  
Investment Grade ◽  
Energy Companies

Subject Impact of the oil price drop on energy high-yield bonds. Significance The over 50% oil price drop since June 2014 is hitting bonds issued by energy companies, particularly those issued by sub-investment grade corporates. The US high-yield bond market has been growing rapidly over the past five years. The shale boom has generated considerable investment, mainly funded through the issuance of these bonds which benefit from historically low interest rates. As the oil price has plunged, the spread over Treasury yields paid by the average issuer in the energy subsector has more than doubled between July and the December 2014 peak. Impacts Yields currently offered by the energy subsector are not far from pricing in a default scenario. Persistently low oil prices will further darken the outlook for the energy subsector and the high-yield market generally. A possible default cycle in the energy sector could accelerate outflows, overstretching the sector further.

Global investment in aircraft, housing securities up

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Institutional Investors ◽  
Sparse Data ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Business Climate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mortgage Backed Securities ◽  
Rental Property ◽  
Low Interest Rates

Subject Trends in the securitisation market. Significance Investment in securitised assets fell after the financial crisis due to the role played by mortgage-backed securities as well as investor concerns about sparse data and complexity. The search for yield in a world of low interest rates has drawn investors back to securitised investment, particularly in aircraft-backed securities and rental property portfolios. Specific investor concerns have been dealt with, raising confidence, and the sector is meeting the financing shortfall arising from the pressure that traditional lenders have been under since the crisis. Impacts US-based securitisations are likely to become more available to European institutional investors if, as expected, regulation increases. The new US administration is expected to bring in measures to improve the business climate and may reduce regulation. The uptake of aircraft-backed securities will increase, but regulatory bias means that demand will still be dominated by pension funds.

Year of elections will not shift Spain's economic woes

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
House Prices ◽  
Bank Lending ◽  
Federal State ◽  
The Political ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Tax Reforms ◽  
National Elections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Interest Rates

Subject Economic backdrop to the election cycle. Significance Incumbent administrations will be helped in this year's local, regional and national elections by a number of factors that will contribute to economic growth: lower energy prices, low interest rates, easier bank lending, income tax reforms, a stabilisation in house prices and the stimulus to exports of a weak euro. Nevertheless, widespread disillusion with the political system is likely to result in significant changes in the political landscape, with repercussions for the direction of policy both within Spain and at the European level. Impacts A coalition of the left would push for an easing of austerity measures and more public spending paid for by more progressive taxation. It is also likely to be supportive of a move towards a federal state. Domestic demand should rise, unemployment continue to fall and property prices to stabilise and start to move upwards in some locations. Challenging political and economic conditions will make it difficult to sustain fragile coalitions.

China’s monetary policy will rely on banks’ compliance

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Monetary Policy ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Financial System ◽  
Fourth Quarter ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
Private Firms ◽  
Content Type

Significance China’s GDP growth slowed to 6.4% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2018, with full-year growth at 6.6%. The PBoC is loosening monetary policy to support growth by lowering banks’ RRR alongside policies to incentivise banks to lend more to the private sector. Impacts If the policy fails and leverage increases relative to GDP, then risk in the financial system will rise. If RRR cuts cause consumption to increase, China’s trade surpluses are likely to decrease, helping ease trade tensions with Washington. Liberalising interest rates will, when it eventually happens, allow banks to price loans to private firms more accurately.

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