Get the latest insights on the economy, industries and emerging trends that can help your business tackle the challenges it faces in today’s market. We share the learnings and perspectives of leading experts and innovators in the Nordics, both from Nordea and beyond.
Economic Outlook
Swedish labour market shows fading resilience
The labour market in Sweden has been more resilient than expected, but several signs now indicate that the situation will worsen. There is reason to believe that the deterioration of the labour market will be relatively mild, but a weaker labour market will heighten uncertainties.
As part of the ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle taxation has been significantly changed. This has led to a sharp rise in the fleet of electric cars, while the number of diesel cars has declined. Despite this increase, there is still a long way to go to fulfil the ambition of one million zero- and low-emission cars on Danish roads in 2030.
Economic growth was healthy in the first half of the year, but the outlook going forward is clearly weaker. Higher interest rates will continue to put pressure on consumers, and residential construction. Demand for exports has also deteriorated as global economic growth has slowed down.
Nordea in Shanghai: A one-stop shop for Nordic companies in China
“Newcomers and other customers often find it very helpful to learn and understand the local market from a Chinese angle. We provide that local perspective and can help explain the relevant local policies and regulations,” says the branch’s general manager, Angela Tu.
Sustainable bond markets are again showing positive signs, with both global and Nordic sustainable bond volumes beating previous years during the first half of 2023. Nordic sustainable loan markets struggled in the interest rate environment of H1 2023, although Finland and Norway showed strong performance.
European Commission adopts European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)
While many of the reporting areas initially proposed to be mandatory for corporates were diluted to voluntary before being adopted, the European Commission said it aimed to strike a balance between limiting the reporting burden on companies while enabling them to show their sustainability efforts.
Nordea continues to win top rankings in sustainable finance
Global Finance has once again recognised Nordea's sustainability leadership in its 2023 Sustainable Finance Awards. In addition to country wins for Denmark, Finland and Norway, Nordea was also named top bank for transition/sustainability-linked loans in all of Western Europe.
Beyond climate: Sustainability-linked loans embrace diverse targets
Loans linking borrowing costs to sustainability targets have surged in recent years. While sustainability-linked loans have tended to focus on climate-related goals, borrowers are increasingly going beyond climate to include social targets in their financing.
Companies large and small are turning to automation to streamline and optimise operations in their treasury and finance departments. Here are the top 10 reasons why.
ICMA Women’s Network: Together for a brighter and safer Europe
Sustainable finance in stormy times. European security and a warzone witness from Ukraine. Gender equality and women’s rights. The ICMA Women’s Network in Helsinki had it all: expert speakers with a top-notch keynote and panel views.
Staying ahead in volatile markets: Why corporates should have an FX and liquidity strategy for their cash pools
In a world of higher interest rates and currency volatility, companies have an even greater need to monitor and manage their liquidity, cash positions and FX exposure. Our Nordea Markets experts explain why a strategy for cash pool optimisation is now a must-have for treasury and finance departments.
Protecting Nordea against script kiddies and true hackers
Being a bank means being in the line of fire of cybercriminals. Keen to understand how banks protect themselves, we interviewed Kamil Medzikowski, Senior IT Security Specialist at Nordea Internal Security Testing.