Weekly Eurozone Watch

Key Data Points
German 10-year Bund 8 bps higher;
France 9 bps wider to the Bund;
Belgium 11 bps wider;
Ireland 1 bp tighter;
Italy 4 bps tighter;
Spain 9 bps wider;
Portugal 1 bp wider;
Greece 72 bps tighter;
Large Eurozone banks weekly change, -2.0 to 6.0 percent;
Euro$ up 1.02 percent.

Comments
-Belgium’s sovereign spread widened 11 bps on the week and is now the only major Eurozone country wider on the year;
– EU’s Olli Rehn said a Cyprus rescue would require a substantial reduction in government and bank debt;
– Portugal issued €2.5-billion of 5-year bonds at 4.891 percent putting the government on track to return to full market access. Demand was €12-billion;
– The ECB said 278 banks would repay €137bn of the €489bn first tranche of 3-year funding they borrowed from the European Central Bank as part of the Long-Term Refinancing Operartions (LTRO);
– Flash Eurozone PMI Composite Output Index increased to 48.2 (47.2 in December). Though still contracting the PMI moved to a ten-month high;
– Angela Merkel reaffirmed that austerity must continue in order to increase the Eurozone’s international competitiveness.