IMF raises Italy growth forecast May 18, 2015 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its forecast for Italy's growth to 0.7 per cent this year, up from 0.5 per cent. The organisation said Italy was "emerging slowly from a painful recession", but had been buoyed by the European Central Bank's (ECB) quantitative easing programme. "Government bond yields have fallen to pre-crisis lows, [...]
Markets hit as Greece letter shows just how close it came to defaulting on a €750m IMF payment May 18, 2015 The FTSE 100 started the day on a positive note, edging back above the 7,000 mark – but that was quickly curtailed, after the publication of a letter from Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras to International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde showed just how close it came to defaulting on a €750m (£544m) payment [...]
Greece raided reserves at IMF to meet debt repayment deadline May 12, 2015 Greece had to raid emergency reserves in its holding account at creditor the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to meet the deadline for its sizeable €750m (£544m) repayment. An official told Reuters the cash-strapped country had been forced to tap into around €650m (£467m) from its holding account with the organisation. "We made use [...]
Greece beats deadline for €750m loan repayment to IMF May 11, 2015 Some expected Greece to default on it's latest debt repayment, but it has proved them wrong. Today, following extensive discussions with creditor nations on the struggling economy's future in the Eurozone, a transfer of €750m (£544m) was made from Greece to the IMF, beating tomorrow's deadline for the payment. It is not clear how [...]
Could Greece ever pay off all its debt? Tomorrow’s IMF repayment is just the tip of the iceberg May 11, 2015 Eurozone ministers have once again gathered in Brussels to try and negotiate a deal between Greece and its creditors, but a big question mark hangs over whether the struggling nation could realistically remain in the Euro. Tomorrow, it must fork out a €750m (£544m) loan repayment for the IMF, but this is just the start [...]
IMF boss Christine Lagarde: The world needs more women with top jobs in finance May 6, 2015 The bad culture in banking is still not fixed, and more women at the top of the industry could help, International Monetary Fund boss Christine Lagarde said yesterday. “Several studies have shown that female leadership is more inclusive,” she told an audience in Washington DC. “You may be familiar with a question I have posed in the [...]
European markets shrug off jitters over Greece as IMF pushes for debt relief May 5, 2015 European markets kept calm this morning, despite more jitters as the Greek government entered yet another round of talks with its creditors. The FTSE 100 rose 0.43 per cent in mid-morning trading, suggesting market uncertainty over the election is muted, while Germany's Dax fell 0.23 per cent and France's Cac edged down 0.03 per cent. [...]
Greece set to meet €200m IMF payment but refuses to cross “red lines” on reform May 4, 2015 Greece will make its near €1bn payments due to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month, officials insist, yet the country remains at loggerheads with its creditors over fiscal forecasts and labor reforms just days before the European Central Bank's (ECB) next decision on emergency aid. The country's labour minister Panos Skourletis told local TV [...]
IMF says Greek talks gaining momentum as default looms April 20, 2015 An International Monetary Fund (IMF) official has said the Greek debt negotiations have stepped up a gear recently – and there's hope for a positive outcome as the prospect of a default draws closer. "There has been a little bit more impetus in the negotiations between the three institutions and the Greek government for several days," the [...]
IMF official: The risk of a Greek exit from the Eurozone should not be underestimated April 17, 2015 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) "doesn't expect a Greek exit from the euro", Poul Thomsen, one of its top officials, said a press conference today. However, he added that risks of a Grexit should "not be underestimated". The press conference came just over a day after the FT reported the IMF had "persuaded" the Greek government [...]