NEW YORK | Yields on Greek bonds are the highest ever. Spanish and Italians are pretty good also. If they pay back, it could be a very sweet deal for every savvy investor. And private assets are on sale too. In 2010, Apollo Global Management bought a portfolio of distressed property loans owned by Credit [...]
“Most bankers cannot see beyond the daily negative headlines about Greece”
By Begoña Castiella, in Athens |Yorgos Peristeris is CEO at the Greek construction company Gek Terna and chairman of Terna Energy, specialised in renewable energy. Peristeris smiles from his desk at the top floor of the company’s headquarters, an interesting building designed by Michael Hopkins in Athens. Gek Terna is a renowned construction company, while Terna Energy [...]
Until Spain’s new budget shows austerity muscle, Brussels must tread carefully
By Juan Pedro MarÃn Arrese, in Madrid | Once again Spain is riding the storm. The sharp reduction witnessed in risk premium over the last months is vanishing. A sharp budget deficit coupled with gloomy growth prospects and soaring unemployment rates are melting confidence down. Claims on a rather subdued debt position fail to impress [...]
UK warned to lift unfair exit tax on companies moving to other EU countries
LONDON |Â The European Commission said Friday it had formally requested the United Kingdom to amend its legislation providing for exit taxes on companies. As it stands, the UK legislation that has risen concerns results in immediate taxation of unrealised capital gains in respect of certain assets when the seat or place of effective management of [...]
Why Geithner wants the EU to increase their firewall
NEW YORK | There has been a lot of anxiety in the US with the European crisis, no doubt of that. The New York Times has published an enormous amount of editorials (not counting Krugman’s op-eds) complaining about Merkozy not increasing the firewall enough to contain contagion from Greece and saying that they were not [...]
Europe toughens powers to grab higher share in crime loot
The European Commission wants new rules for more effective and widespread confiscation of funds and other property acquired through crime. An enhanced legal framework will increase member states’ ability to confiscate assets that have been transferred to third parties, it will make it easier to seize criminal assets even when the suspect has fled and [...]
Portugal behaves
By Carlos DÃaz Güell, in Madrid | Portugal has gained the confidence of the Troika (staffers from the IMF, the European Commission and the European Central Bank), as one could infer after reading the note published at the end of their visit last week to Lisbon for the third quarterly review of the adjustment programme. The group [...]
AXA Real Estate: growth across EU due to bank deleveraging, market mispricing
LONDON | AXA Real Estate confirmed Monday that transaction volumes across the full risk spectrum of opportunistic to core have substantially increased in Europe. The real estate portfolio and asset fund was during 2011 a net buyer on behalf of its clients, with acquisitions totalling €2.6 billion, which included €900 million of committed development expenditure, compared to sales amounting to [...]
Google does not care what the European law says
NEW YORK | “It’s the same Google experience that you’re used to, with the same controls,” said the company about its new privacy rules on Thursday. Really? Announced in January 24 and despite warnings from the EU earlier this week, Google’s highly controversial privacy changes took place on March 1st. European justice commissioner insisted they [...]
The Irish referendum, as seen from Madrid: don’t be trouble, get in!
MADRID |Â While in Spain the formalities for the approval of the European Fiscal Treaty that was agreed last month by 25 countries of the EU are being carried out virtually unnoticed, Ireland announced February 29 that it will submit the matter to referendum. Despite this display of democracy, it is precisely just a display. Under [...]
