Publications

Larger players continue to push the supply chain on price and longer payment terms, adding cash flow challenges to mainly smaller food businesses.

While businesses´ profits are still stable and financials mainly solid, environmental issues pose a potential major challenge for agriculture and food.

Insolvencies are expected to increase by about 1%-2% in 2020, mainly in the troubled meat segment and the beverages and fruit & vegetables subsectors.

The ongoing concentration process in the domestic market will increasingly put small retailers with a poor capacity to generate cash flow under pressure.

A modest margin rebound, but commodity prices, price wars between retailers, changing consumer habits and difficulties in staff recruitment remain issues.

While several Brexit postponenements have provided food exporters with sufficient time to adapt, small retailers suffer from market price pressure.

Domestic metals and steel demand is increasingly affected by subdued investment in the construction sector and a marked demand slowdown from automotive.

Many businesses suffer from decreasing demand from key buyer sectors, high commodity prices, overcapacity, strong competition, and low profitability.

A modest increase in payment delays cannot be ruled out in the coming 12 months, but no substantial insolvency increase is expected for the industry.

The number of protracted payments and insolvencies was high in 2019, and is expected to increase further in 2020, mainly affecting private-owned producers.

Payment delays and business failures are expected to increase modestly in the coming twelve months, especially in the metal manufacturing segment.

For many businesses both demand and profit margins are expected to deteriorate further, with a moderate rebound expected in H2 of 2020 at the earliest.

The sector benefits from the lift of US import tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium, with profit margins of steel businesses expected to improve again.

Demand for metals and steel is currently impacted by the slowdown in demand from automotive and reduced investment from other manufacturing industries.

Due to a high level of non-performing assets in the sector banks are now unwilling to provide credit to the industry, causing additional liquidity issues.

Lower demand coupled with decreasing sales prices and higher prices for iron ore have led to deteriorating margins of steel producers and distributors.

Competitive price pressure has led to deteriorationg profit margins for steel producers as well as steel and metals distributors over the past 12 months.

The global economy is losing steam in 2019 and 2020. As the trade war accelerates this, consumer resilience will help avoid recession.

Regaining investors’ trust will be key to Fernández’s success in reinvigorating the Argentinian economy, but it is not the only thing.

Cyprus's economy is on solid ground but crisis legacies persist.

Ireland’s highly open economy is cooling off and demand in export markets is set to remain weak while the domestic economy faces increasing capacity constraints and lower government spending.

The UK is facing the highest increase in insolvencies in 2019 and 2020 in Western Europe.

In Italy, business insolvencies are expected to increase in 2019, by about 4%. This is due to economic stagnation, increased political uncertainty and tighter credit conditions.

Economic growth in Germany is expected to cool to 0.6% in 2019 down from 1.6% one year ago.

GDP growth in the Netherlands is expected to slow to 1.7% in 2019. After several years of sharp decreases in insolvencies, this year is likely to mark a turning point.

As economic growth decelerates, and the manufacturing sector struggles amid lower global trade, Western Europe expects to close the year with a 2.7% increase in insolvencies.

Insolvencies are rising, and structural weaknesses and the negative impact of sanctions on productivity and investment weigh on the economic expansion.

Due to the recent economic downturn the credit risk situation of some major industries has deteriorated, and insolvencies are expected to increase.

Worries over the impact of adverse external factors like US import tariffs and the Brexit decision on Polish export and investment growth remain.

In 2020 household consumption is expected to accelerate, sustained by further decreasing unemployment, low inflation, and a minimum wage increase.

The economy is highly integrated into international value chains, making it vulnerable to major foreign trade losses, especially in the automotive sector.

The forint remains vulnerable to international investors’ sentiment due to the elevated external and public debt levels and institutional issues.

As the economy is reliant on automotive-related exports to the Eurozone, especially to Germany, it is vulnerable to adverse developments in the industry.

The currency is subject to some volatility, and the country is vulnerable to capital outflows should there be adverse internal or external developments.

Political instability remains an issue for the long-term economic growth prospects, while corruption and red tape still hamper the business environment.

Economic growth in Eastern Europe is projected to remain solid this year, despite losing steam mainly because of poor growth prospects for Turkey.

Real GDP growth in Poland is forecast to reach 4.4% this year, slowing down to 3.6% in 2020.

Insolvencies are expected to increase by about 3% in the coming 12 months, mainly affecting car dealers, car part distributors and Tier 2 suppliers.

Despite a forecast growth slowdown in 2019 the economy should still experience positive momentum, with low unemployment and manageable inflation.

The USMCA has finally been signed on November 30, easing short-term uncertainty surrounding North American trade.

Despite ongoing growth, there are challenges ahead, as profit margins of businesses decreased in 2017 and H1 of 2018 due to sharply increased input costs.

Many producers are under pressure to either expand/grow or refuse orders, while difficulties in hiring skilled staff impacts further business expansion.

As in previous years, competition remains strong in the domestic market, mainly among small and medium-sized machinery companies depending on construction.

A modest insolvency increase is expected in 2019, with businesses related to oil and gas exploration, construction and agricultural markets mainly exposed.

The demand situation for Belgian machinery businesses is generally positive, but remains affected by difficulties in some major buyer industries.

There is pressure on the profits of turbine manufacturers and their suppliers along the value chain, and further consolidation seems to be likely.

Due to its high export ratio the industry is highly susceptible to rising geopolitical risks, exchange rate volatility, and rising protectionism.

Business performance and profit margins of machinery traders could be negatively affected by the ongoing trade dispute between China and the United States.

Due to its high export ratio the industry is highly susceptible to external risks like a deterioration in the Eurozone and rising protectionism.

Some caution is still advised on businesses dependent on the oil/gas and the mining industry, due to potential impacts of energy price volatility.