iShares MSCI Spain ETF
Latest iShares MSCI Spain ETF News and Updates
Why European Politics Are Likely To Take Center Stage in 2015
After a year with relatively less drama, European politics are likely to return to center stage next year.
IMF’s Economic Growth Expectations for Eurozone Largely the Same
In its recent update, the International Monetary Fund’s economic growth projections for the Eurozone, including Lithuania, are unchanged at 1.5% for 2015.
Subdued market reaction to Syriza party win in Greece
The Syriza party win ends over four decades of alternating rule by the New Democracy party and the Pasok party.
Greece’s Unemployment Falls, but Still the Highest Among Peers
Europe’s average unemployment has fallen to a four-year low of 9.8% as of 2016. Greece’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 23.5% in January 2017.
Greece needs to pick up economic momentum
The subdued economic momentum in Greece has had a direct—and negative—impact on its ability to honor its foreign obligations, specifically its bailout loan.
Decline in Services Increases Spain’s Unemployment in October
With an easing in the service sector, Spain’s unemployment rose by 82.3 thousand in October against a rise of 26.1 thousand in September. This is the highest since October 2013.
Should Investors Be Concerned about a Grexit?
Grexit might not precipitate a financial contagion, but the possibility of a political contagion is very likely. Spain and Italy may decide to follow suit.
Consumer confidence is up, but spending is still down in Spain
When will the consumer come back to Spain? Consumer confidence is an important indicator to follow, as it measures the pulse of an important driver of the economy, the end consumers whose demand creates businesses. As with other economic indicators discussed in this series, it’s not so much the level of an indicator that’s important […]
Must-know: What caused the Greek, Irish, and Spanish debt issues?
Tourism revenues—a key revenue component for all these countries—declined substantially because foreign tourists stayed away during the aftermath of the Great Recession. Key industries were also affected—notably cyclical industries like shipping.
Will Brexit Weaken the UK’s Competitive Advantage over the US?
On Brexit, import restrictions and tariff quotas currently applicable to importers in the UK and foreign businesses that export to the UK are set to change.
What the Spain Services PMI Says about the Economy
According to a report by Markit Economics, the final Spain Services PMI showed a weaker improvement in June than in May.
Gradual Fall in Spain Services PMI Weakening Investor Sentiment
The final Spain Services PMI showed a weaker rise in April than in March. It was 55.6 in April compared to 56.2 in March.
Spain’s Service PMI Improved in February
Spain’s final services PMI showed a strong rise in February 2018. The PMI stood at 57.3 in February—compared to 56.9 in January.
A Look at Spain Manufacturing PMI in January 2018
The Spain Manufacturing PMI rose to 55.2 in January 2018 compared to 55.8 in December 2017. The figure didn’t beat the preliminary market estimate of 55.7.
How Did Spain’s Services PMI Perform in December 2017?
According to a report by Markit Economics, the final Spain services PMI stood at 54.6 in December 2017 as compared to 54.4 in November.
Eurozone Manufacturing Activity Reaches a High in December 2017
Eurozone manufacturing activity in December According to Markit Economics, the Eurozone’s manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) rose strongly in December 2017, to 60.6 from 60.1 in November 2017. It beat the market expectation of 60.4 and marked the strongest expansion in manufacturing activity since 1997. Major Eurozone members Germany (EWG) (DAX-INDEX), France (EWQ), Spain (EWP), and Italy […]
A Look at Spain’s Manufacturing Activity in December 2017
Spain’s manufacturing activity in December According to Markit Economics, Spain’s manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) rose to 55.8 in December 2017 from 56.1 in November. Whereas the index had reached an 11-year high in November, in December, it missed the market estimate of 56.4. Despite the lower PMI figure, manufacturing activity remained strong. Spain’s manufacturing PMI performance in […]
Eurozone Services PMI: Why It Strengthened in November
The final Eurozone Services PMI stood at 56.2 in November compared to 55.0 in October. It met the preliminary market estimate of 56.2.
Insights into the Spain Services PMI for November 2017
The final Spain Services PMI stood at 56.1 in November compared to 55.8 in October. It didn’t beat the preliminary market estimate of 56.5.
Spain’s Manufacturing Activity Recovers
Spain’s manufacturing data According to Markit Economics, Spain’s manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) score rose to 56.1 in November 2017 from 55.8 in October 2017. Although the PMI figure didn’t beat the preliminary estimate of 56.5, it marked the fastest expansion seen since February 2007. Spain’s stronger manufacturing PMI performance was mainly due to increases in the following: improved […]
Eurozone Consumer Confidence in Positive Zone after a Decade
According to a report from the European Commission, the Eurozone Consumer Confidence Index stands at 0.1 so far in November compared to -1.1 in October 2017.
Why the Eurozone Services PMI Weakened in October 2017
The final Eurozone services PMI (purchasing managers’ index) stood at 55.0 in October 2017 compared to 55.8 in September 2017.
Why Spain’s Services PMI Fell in October 2017
According to a report by Markit Economics, the final Spain services PMI stood at 54.6 in October 2017 compared to 56.7 in September 2017.
Why the IMF Upgraded Its Eurozone Growth Forecast
The International Monetary Fund (or IMF) has upgraded its growth projections for Eurozone countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Charting the Steady Rise of the Eurozone’s Manufacturing PMI
The Eurozone’s final manufacturing PMI showed solid improvement in October 2017, coming in at 58.5, compared with 58.1 in September.
Behind Spain’s New and Improved Manufacturing PMI
Spain’s manufacturing PMI rose to 55.8 in October 2017, compared with 54.3 in September 2017. The PMI figure beat the preliminary market estimation of 54.9.
Analyzing the European Central Bank’s October Statement
The reduction to the ECB’s bond-buying program will likely have a mixed impact on the bond markets of countries in the European Union.
What’s behind the European Central Bank’s Normalization Plans?
Economic growth has picked up in recent quarters. According to data from Eurostat, the European economy (VGK) grew 2.3% in the recent quarter.
Chart in Focus: Spain’s Services PMI in September 2017
According to a report by Markit Economics, the final Spain services PMI stood at 56.7 in September 2017 compared to 56.0 in August.
Does Eurozone Manufacturing Signal a Healthier Economy?
According to a report by Markit Economics, the final Eurozone manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) improved strongly in September 2017.
Why Spain’s Manufacturing Recorded a Strong Rise in September
According to a report by Markit Economics, Spain’s manufacturing PMI rose to 54.3 in September 2017, compared to 52.4 in August.
Eurozone Services PMI Weakened: Will It Affect the Business Climate?
According to a report by Markit Economics, the Eurozone services PMI (purchasing managers’ index) stood at 54.7 in August as compared to 55.4 in July 2017.
Why Spain’s Service Activity Dropped in August 2017
According to a report by Markit Economics, the Spain Services PMI (purchasing managers’ index) stood at 56 in August compared with 57.6 in July.
How ECB Tapering Could Impact European Bond Markets
The European bond market’s reaction to the ECB’s (European Central Bank) September 7 statement has so far been positive.
Why Strong European GDP Growth Momentum Gives Confidence to the ECB
In its September 7 meeting, the ECB (European Central Bank) governing council sounded optimistic about the strong growth momentum in the EU.
Why Spain Manufacturing PMI Showed a Huge Drop in August 2017
According to a report by Markit Economics, Spain’s manufacturing PMI fell to 52.4 in August 2017 as compared to 54 in July.
Why Eurozone’s Flash Manufacturing PMI Could Be Signaling a Change
According to a report by Markit Economics, the flash Eurozone manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) improved in August 2017.
Eurozone’s Growth Rate Rose 0.6% in 2Q17
According to Eurostat, the Eurozone’s economy posted a growth rate of 0.6% in 2Q17. In 1Q17, the economy posted a growth rate of 0.5%.
What Happened to the Eurozone Services PMI in July
The Eurozone Services PMI remained unchanged in July 2017, coming in at 55.4 but missing the preliminary market estimation.
Why Spain’s Services PMI Declined in July
The Spain Services PMI stood at 57.6 in July, compared with 58.3 in June. The PMI figure didn’t meet the preliminary market estimation of 58.3.
Spain’s Manufacturing Activity Fell in July
According to a report by Markit Economics, the final Spain Manufacturing PMI stood at 54 in July 2017 as compared to 54.7 in June.
Why the International Monetary Fund Expects Continued Euro Growth
Growth projections for Euro area upgraded The International Monetary Fund (or IMF) has revised its growth projections for France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Growth projections for Germany (FGM), France (EWQ), and Italy (EWI) were upgraded by 0.2% for 2017, and 0.1% for 2018. Spain (EWP) had a higher upgrade to growth expectations, with a change of […]
Is the Euro Unstoppable?
Economic data from the Eurozone continued to improve.
Understanding Vodafone’s Vodacom Performance
Vodacom is a South African mobile communications company that is 65% owned and controlled by Vodafone.
Why Vodafone Spain’s EBITDA Margin Keeps Growing
Vodafone Group’s (VOD) revenue in Spain rose ~0.3% YoY to ~2.5 billion euros (about $2.61 billion) in fiscal 1H17.
How Could Trump’s Victory Affect Europe?
Donald Trump’s victory in the recently concluded US presidential elections could have a measurable sociopolitical and economic impact on Europe.
Why Monetary Policy Remained in Focus in October
Like in September, monetary policy and associated releases were made headlines throughout October.
Stimulus Tapering, Brexit, and Your Europe Fund Investment
In this series, we’ll look at how 2016 has panned out for Europe-focused mutual funds so far. We’ll take an in-depth look at the portfolios of 12 funds and conduct attribution analysis to see which sectoral or stock picks helped or hurt these funds.
ECB Keeps Markets Guessing on Monetary Policy
The ECB (European Central Bank) released its latest monetary policy statement on October 20, 2016.
Inside the IMF’s Forecast for the Eurozone: Is the Region Poised for Economic Growth?
In its October 2016 WEO report, the IMF forecasts that the Eurozone will grow by 1.7% in 2016 and 1.5% in 2017—up from its prior forecast of 1.6% and 1.4%.
What Does the Global Markit Services PMI Show?
Markit published the July services PMI number for European countries (EZU) on August 3. The services activity expanded in Europe.
French Inflation Rose: Will It Impact the ECB’s Stimulus Decision?
Consumer prices in France increased by 0.2% on an annual basis in June—compared to unchanged inflation in the previous month.
Weak Data Puts Downward Pressure on European Indexes
On July 6, major European indexes were trading lower for the second day. The fall in the indexes was led by the Italian FTSE MIB and the UK-based FTSE 100.
Contrasting Services PMI from the Eurozone and the UK
The composite PMI came out at 53.1—above the flash estimates of 52.8. The rise was primarily due to the rise in manufacturing production.
Asian Markets Rise as Australian Housing Data Disappoint
Key Asian indexes (AAXJ) were trading higher on July 4. This week, the major data release on the Asian front will be Australian monetary policy.
Why Novo Banco Isn’t as Good as It Looked
The Bank of Portugal took control of Banco Espirito Santo’s assets and deposit-taking operations by transferring them to a new company—Novo Banco SA.
Spain’s Manufacturing Activity Hit 2-Month Low in December
According to Markit, Spain’s manufacturing PMI increased to 53.0 in December, a decline of 0.1 points from November’s reading of 53.1.
Euro Strengthens after Spain’s Election Results
The euro appreciated against the US dollar on December 21. The political parties in Spain are working to form a stable government after historic election results.
Telefonica’s Fixed Services Supported Revenue Growth in Spain
Telefonica’s revenue from fixed services in Spain increased sharply by 4.6% YoY to 2.2 billion euros in 3Q15, largely due to a YoY increase in the fixed broadband and new services component.
Spain’s Economy Is Facing a Deleveraging Dilemma
The ratio between government debt and the GDP (gross domestic product) for Spain has been rising at a high rate. It reached 97.7% by the end of 2015.
Services Lead the Jump in Spain’s September Unemployment Data
Spain is one of the fastest-growing regions in the Eurozone. However, its increasing unemployment rate has become the biggest concern for the country’s policymakers.
Why Greece Is Opposed to the Austerity and Reform Agenda
Greece is opposed to the austerity and reform agenda. In the past, austerity measures helped reduce Greece’s fiscal deficit, but reduction came at a heavy price: crippling social and economic impacts.
Spring could warm up home prices in Canada even more
Rising home prices lead to households taking on more debt to fund the purchase. Increased bank lending to fund the purchases drives real estate prices up more.
Exiting the Eurozone: The implications of a ‘Grexit’
Exiting the Eurozone would mean Greece would no longer be bound by the austerity measures that have resulted in massive cuts to public spending.
Investor fears in Greece send yields up, market index down
Two bailouts got Greece up and running. After trending downward until early 2012, the Athens Stock Exchange Composite Index began to show signs of life.
Why are yields in the Eurozone at an all-time low?
Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank (or ECB) and former Goldman Sachs (GS) managing director, unveiled a suite of stimulus measures on Thursday, June 5 at the ECB’s policy meeting. Initially, bond yields fell. Yields on short and long-term debt in the Eurozone also fell.
