Construction companies in Europe – Size does matter

Covid-19 is sparking a profitability shock for SMEs in the construction sector. SMEs represent the lion’s share of companies in the construction sector, with about 80% of the sector’s turnover in Europe.

The risk of 9 million zombie jobs in Europe

In Europe, blanket job-retention schemes helped prevent mass unemployment in the short-term, contrary to the U.S. experience: Close to a third of Europe’s workforce or 45 million jobs in the five largest economies alone are currently benefiting from national employment support schemes. 

Equity markets: Have policymakers created Pavlovian markets?

Wall Street is responding faster and faster to counter-cyclical policies, as if it was 100% sure that past experience is a sure guide to the future. In the context of the Covid-19 crisis, the response time of the U.S. and global equity markets to the beginning of the implementation of counter-cyclical monetary and fiscal policies has indeed shrunk to zero.

Rough landing: 2020 will be a terrible year for air transportation

Global demand in air transport will not return to its pre-Covid-19 level before 2023. The unprecedented slump in international travel will make 2020 a terrible year for the air transportation industry.

Social Risk Index: Structural determinants of social risk

As the Covid-19 pandemic pushes the global economy into the worst recession since WWII, systemic social risk could become a more important factor of political risk and worsen the business climate in some countries.

Managing the curves: Shaping a sustainable COVID-19 recovery

The economy needs to be jump started while maintaining a flat infection curve and concurrently bending the global temperature increase to stay within the 1.5 degrees warming limit.

European Corporates: Loading up cash against uncertainty

At the end of H1 2020, we estimate the net savings of EU non-financial corporates, i.e. cash from operating activities, to have doubled to over EUR700bn, or more than 4.5% of GDP. 

Allianz Global Pension Report 2020: The Silver Swan

Analyzing 70 pension systems in terms of sustainability and adequacy, only a handful of countries have already made their pension system demography-proof, above all Sweden, Belgium, and Denmark.

Global trade: Recession confirmed

Q1’s strongest contraction in merchandise trade since Q1 2009 is only the first part of the story. Our proprietary Trade Momentum Index shows that Q2 is likely to see an even stronger contraction. Indeed, April could post a -13% y/y drop.

The ECB is also here to close governments´ financing gap

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, gross financing needs could amount to EUR800-900bn for the Eurozone, and only part of it will be covered by the issuance of long-term bonds. Next to state guarantees — depending on how much they translate into actual financing needs — these needs include discretionary spending (investments, tax cuts etc.), and additional expenditure on social security (automatic stabilizers). As a result, public deficits will increase.