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IW-Reports

Research papers from the German Economic Institute

Second Quarter 2018
  • Markus Demary ·
  • IW-Report No. 4 ·
  • 16 Jan 2019

IW Financial Expert Survey: Second Quarter 2018

Pessimism determines the experts’ predictions for the first and second quarter of 2019 which can be inferred from the downward revisions of the experts’ forecasts.

Homesharing in the German federal state of North Rhine - Westphalia
  • Vera Demary ·
  • IW-Report No. 3 ·
  • 14 Jan 2019

Homesharing in the German federal state of North Rhine - Westphalia

A professional, continuous short term letting of accommodation via home sharing platforms like Airbnb can lead to a reduction of housing space and therefore intensify housing shortages.

The challenge of moving to a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base in the EU
  • Tobias Hentze ·
  • IW-Report No. 2 ·
  • 14 Jan 2019

The challenge of moving to a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base in the EU

International tax competition has been an emerging issue for years. There are various political approaches to agree on common standards on a supranational level. In 2013, the OECD presented a first draft of its action plan against Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), which has been eventually finalized.

Reasons for the Declining Real Interest Rates
  • Markus Demary / Michael Voigtländer ·
  • IW-Report No. 47 ·
  • 13 Dec 2018

Reasons for the Declining Real Interest Rates

The low nominal interest rate environment is a hotly debated phenomenon among politicians, financial market participants and households. Savers fear the erosion of their retirement savings, while financial supervisors warn of the stability risks caused by declining bank profitability and by the declining profitability of life insurers. Moreover, financial supervisors fear an increase in household debt triggered by a high demand for cheap loans.

Why a free trade area for goods is in the interest of the EU and how to achieve a sound balance of rights and obligations
  • Jürgen Matthes ·
  • IW-Report No. 38 ·
  • 16 Oct 2018

Brexit: Why a free trade area for goods is in the interest of the EU

In the political declaration of the Withdrawal Agreement the EU should leave the door open for a free trade area for goods that has been suggested by the UK’s Chequers proposals.

IW Financial Expert Survey
  • Markus Demary ·
  • IW-Report No. 37 ·
  • 15 Oct 2018

Fourth Quarter 2018: IW Financial Expert Survey

The experts of the IW Financial Expert Survey predict a steeper yield curve with a larger increase in long-term than in short-term interest rates by the end of the first quarter of 2019. Moreover, the average forecasts indicate higher stock market indices, a mild depreciation of the Euro vis-à-vis the US-Dollar with a larger appreciation in the first quarter of 2019.

Patent Performance of the German Vehicle Industry
  • Oliver Koppel / Thomas Puls / Enno Röben ·
  • IW-Report No. 34 ·
  • 18 Sep 2018

Patent Performance of the German Vehicle Industry

Trends like power train electrification and autonomous driving are causing a major structural change in vehicle manufacturing. This study will analyse to what extent German vehicle manu-facturers are ready to cope with these challenges.

On the relevance and perspectives of commercial construction in the EU
  • Pekka Sagner / Michael Voigtländer ·
  • IW-Report No. 32 ·
  • 5 Sep 2018

On the relevance and perspectives of commercial construction in the EU

In this paper, we present the current state of European investments in construction. Furthermore we showed how construction investments fared in comparison to overall GFCF, noting that construction investments are still below their peak levels in 2007 for both investments in dwellings and the construction of non-residential buildings and structures.

IW Financial Expert Survey
  • Markus Demary ·
  • IW-Report No. 29 ·
  • 16 Jul 2018

IW Financial Expert Survey: Third Quarter 2018

The experts of the IW Financial Expert Survey predict a steeper yield curve with a larger increase in long-term than in short-term interest rates by the end of 2018. Moreover, the average forecasts indicate higher stock market indices, a mild depreciation of the Euro vis-à-vis the US-Dollar, but a larger drop in oil prices by the end of the fourth quarter of 2018.

Are Green Bonds a Viable Way to Finance Environmental Goals?
  • Markus Demary / Adriana Neligan ·
  • IW-Report No. 28 ·
  • 28 Jun 2018

Are Green Bonds a Viable Way to Finance Environmental Goals?

The European Union is currently making significant strides to lead on green finance and align its financial system with its climate, sustainability and clean energy ambitions. The Paris Climate Agreement, the G20 Green Finance Study Group and the G19 Hamburg Climate and Energy Action Plan have provided ongoing momentum for policy moves towards a green financial system.

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