Eurozone

Many of the policy changes that populist politicians are calling for could feasibly support economic growth.

The Eurozone unemployment rate declined to 9.8% for October from a revised 9.9% for September, which was originally reported as 10.0% and was also lower than the consensus forecast of 10.0% for the month and it was the lowest recorded rate since July 2009.

Statistics agency Eurostat said Thursday that there were some 15.9 million people without jobs in the euro zone in October, down 190,000 from September and 1.8 million fewer compared with October 2015. However, the youth unemployment that applies to those under 25 years of age held steady at 20.7% in October.

Euro zone officials on Tuesday said they had approved €2.8 billion for Greece from its huge third bailout after the country delivered the needed reforms.

After the latest disbursement approved by the European Stability Mechanism, Greece will have received €31.7 billion of the €86 billion bailout granted in July 2015, its third since being engulfed by debt in 2010.

he European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday confirmed monthly purchases of $80 billion in government paper, known as the quantitative easing (QE) programme while interest rates remained flat or come lower for a prolonged period with the principal rate at 0.00%, the bank deposit rate at -0.40% and refinancing rates at 0.25%.

Portugal will introduce a tax on real estate fortunes above € 600,000 ($661,000) in 2017 to help pay for pensions, the government has said. The measure was introduced by Prime Minister Antonio Costa’s in draft budget for 2017.

He explained the property tax income would be used to sustain Portugal’s social payments – everything from pensions to the health service to family benefits.

In an environment of low global growth and slight deflation, high yield corporate bonds continue to offer attractive return prospects as long the current low default rate remains. Moreover, the distortions prompted by the ECB’s asset purchasing programme are causing a crowding out effect and accentuating a steeper credit curve. Time is notably an ally in this configuration, as it speeds up a positive carry!

Industry figures for the single currency area could bring third-quarter economic growth in the 19-country Euro zone. European Union statistical agency Eurostat said output climbed 1.6% on the month on a seasonally adjusted basis and rose 1.8% from a year earlier, after contracting by 0.7% and 0.5%, respectively, in July. Moreover, the increase outperformed expectations of a 1.4% rise and the annual advance of 1.8% was also above consensus forecasts. Although, the solid recovery has demonstrated German production for August with output rising 2.5% on a monthly pace, while new orders also strengthened and there was a robust recovery in exports.

Greece has completed new economic reforms to receive the latest tranche from its 86 billion euro bailout fund. Euro zone ministers gave Athens a positive review of its reforms while withholding part of a new loan payment. They disbursed a €1.1 billion loan but postponed its decision on a further €1.7 billion payout to later in October.