Economy
Economic sentiment drops sharply in Apr, consumer confidence hits lowest since 2017
Greece’s economic sentiment (ESI) dropped sharply by 7.1 points to 105 points in April, following a 1.9-point decline in March, according to European Commission figures released on Monday.
Credit growth edges up to 1.6 pct in Mar, led by rise in business loans
Credit movement in the Greek private sector accelerated slightly to 1.6 percent year-on-year (YoY) in March, from 1.4 per percent in February, 0.9 percent in January, Bank of Greece (BoG) figures released on Friday showed.
Deposits drop for third straight month as corporates lead fall of 988 mln
The net private sector deposit movement in the Greek banking system in March stayed negative, falling by a further 988 million euros, from 260 million in February, and 2.23 billion seen in January, based on Bank of Greece (BoG) figures released on Friday.
Spike in producer prices continues with 46.2 pct energy-led rise in March
Greece’s Producer Price Index (PPI) continued its explosive rise in March, when it jumped by 46.2 percent year-on-year (YoY), after a 33.6 percent increase in February, ELSTAT data said on Friday.
Retail sales remain on upward path, rising by 16.8 pct YoY in Feb
Greece’s retail sales increased by 16.8 percent year-on-year (YoY) in February, from a slightly downwards revised 13.5 percent rise in January, Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data showed on Friday.
Growth in building permits slows to 4.3 pct YoY in Jan
The new year started with a slowdown in the growth of building permits in Greece, with total permits rising by 4.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) in January, after closing 2021 with a rise of 18.3 percent in December, according to the latest data released by the Hellenic Statistical Agency (ELSAT) on Thursday.
Reopening of 7-year bond affirms tougher conditions on sovereign debt market
Amid the uncertain times of the Ukraine conflict and the inflationary pressures globally, but after Greece’s upgrade by S&P last week to one notch from investment grade and the recent prepayment of IMF loans by the government, the PDMA saw a window of opportunity to dip back into the bond market.
March budget primary balance short of target, but taxes continue to overperform
The budget primary balance for the first three months of 2022 was confirmed at 1.65 billion euros, compared to a deficit of 13.4 billion euros during the same period last year, according to the final Finance Ministry (MoF) budget execution data released on Tuesday.
S&P moves Greece closer to investment grade, puts focus on budget and growth
S&P on Friday night upgraded Greece’s credit rating by one notch to ‘BB+’, while the outlook was revised from positive to stable. Greece is now just one notch away from securing an investment grade with S&P.
Travel balance improves significantly in first two months of 2022
Greece’s travel balance recorded a surplus of 63 million euros in February, from 60.8 million euros in January 2022, according to Bank of Greece (BoG) data released on Thursday.