Showing posts with label spain debt crisis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spain debt crisis. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Spain formally asks Eurogroup for bank aid

Because of the huge news day we had yesterday, Spain asking for bailout got lost amongst the chaos.  Make no mistake:  This is a big story.  CNN Money via The Extinction Protocol.  Post:

June 25, 2012 – SPAIN - The Spanish government made a formal request to the Eurogroup on Monday for up to €62 billion ($77 billion) in financial aid for its troubled banking sector. “I have the honor to write to you, in the name of the Spanish government, to formally request financial assistance for the recapitalization of the Spanish banks that require it,” wrote Economy Minister Luis de Guindos, in a letter to Eurogroup president Jean-Claude Juncker. In a worst case scenario, Wyman found that Spanish banks would need between €51 billion and €62 billion in additional capital. Berger estimated the banks would need €51.8 billion. The auditors used stress tests similar to those conducted by the International Monetary Fund, which said last month that banks need to raise €40 billion. The Spanish government did not specify the exact amount it would need. The uncertainty around Spanish banks has raised speculation that Spain will need a bailout similar to those given to Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Investors are also worried about how Spain’s problems will impact Italy. The fear is that bailing out Spain would drain the euro area’s crisis resources and leave Italy without a safety net. The leaders of the four biggest eurozone economies agreed Friday on a plan to boost economic growth in the troubled currency union. Without going into detail, the leaders said they agreed on a set of growth-enhancing policies equal to about €125 billion, or 1% of eurozone gross domestic product.

Spain's GDP is bigger than Greece, Ireland, and Portugal together.  Spain very well could be the Eurozone's Tipping Point into collapse. 

Friday, June 8, 2012

Could Germany Implode From The Eurozone Crisis?

I'll say it again:  Germany's economy is in a bit more trouble than anyone will publicly admit.  Quite a bit.  German industrial output drops more than expected  US News And World Report.  Excerpts:

Industrial production in Germany dropped by an unexpectedly sharp 2.2 percent in April compared with the previous month, official data showed Wednesday, sending a downbeat signal about the economy's ability to shrug aside the eurozone debt crisis.


The decline was led by a 3.6 decrease in production of capital goods such as factory machinery and a 3.7 percent fall in production of consumer goods, the Economy Ministry said.

The drop followed a 2.2 percent month-on-month gain in March — a figure that was revised sharply downward from the initial reading of 2.8 percent

The Economy Ministry said that industrial production remains "very robust." It said one factor in the decline was the fact that April 30, the day before the May Day holiday, fell on a Monday — meaning that many people took the extra day off.


Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING in Brussels, took a less rosy view.

"The German economy's immunity against the eurozone sovereign debt crisis is clearly fading away," he said, pointing also to shrinking order books and a recent drop in business confidence.

"Even if it will not fall, the eurozone's last stronghold is faltering," Brzeski added. "For the time being, it is a stabilization at a high level. However, latest data clearly indicate that Germany is not an economic island."

Economic attention will refocus to Spain, Greece, and Italy, but I bet there's been a 1000 percent increase in heated, secret meetings happening all over Corporate and Financial Germany right now..  They know they're in trouble, and I'm sure some of them know just how much trouble that is. 

Spain's calling for money Saturday.  What will Germany ask for in return?  Do they really think they'll see that money again?