iMFdirect – The IMF Blog

By José Viñals

(Versions in  عربي, 中文, Español, Français, Русский, 日本語)

Since September of last year, risks to global financial stability have deepened, notably in the euro area.

However, over the past few weeks, markets have been encouraged by measures to provide liquidity to banks and sovereigns in the euro area. This recent improvement should not be taken for granted, as some sovereign debt markets remain under stress, and as bank funding markets are on life support from the European Central Bank (ECB).

Main sources of risk

Many of the root causes of the euro area crisis still need to be addressed before the system is stabilized and returns to health. Until this is done, global financial stability is likely to remain well within the “danger zone,” where a misstep or failure to address underlying tensions could precipitate a global crisis with grave economic and financial consequences.

Despite the recent improvements, sovereign financing stress has increased for many countries—with almost two-thirds of outstanding euro area bonds at spreads in excess of 150 basis points—and financing prospects are challenging. Markets remain very volatile and long-term foreign investors have sharply reduced their exposure to a number of euro area debt markets, including some in the core. Keeping these investors involved is essential to stabilizing markets.

(more…)

Filed under: Advanced Economies, Economic Crisis, Emerging Markets, Europe, Financial Crisis, IMF, International Monetary Fund | Tagged: Asia, banks, banks deleveraging, capital buffers, cross-border, economic crisis, economy, emerging economies, euro area crisis, European Central Bank, financial crisis, financial institutions, firewalls, Fiscal Monitor, global economic outlook, Global Financial Stability Report, Great Depression, housing, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Italy, Japan, liquidity, solvency, sovereigns, Spain, spillover, trade, United States, Vienna Initiative, WEO | 2 Comments »