The International Monetary Fund's Annual Meeting is being held in early October against the backdrop of weak global growth, low inflation rates and modest growth in world trade. The risk of prolonged stagnation is being overstated, said Bundesbank Executive Board member Andreas Dombret ahead of the meeting.

For Bundesbank Executive Board member Joachim Wuermeling, Brexit marks a turning point that will weaken London's role as Europe's financial centre. Speaking at an event in Frankfurt am Main, he explained that the EU could consequently go on to develop its own global, digitally networked financial centre – a digital city of Europe.

Households’ financial assets grew by €159 billion to €7,325 billion in the second quarter of 2021. Alongside the transaction-related increase in financial assets (acquisition of financial assets), valuation gains on shares and investment fund shares played a significant role.

Despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, euro area enterprises and households have not seen their debt situation deteriorate significantly. This is the conclusion reached by Bundesbank experts after examining developments in greater detail. “The expected normalisation of monetary policy will probably not unduly exacerbate the debt situation of non-financial corporations and households,” they also note in the current edition of the Bank’s Monthly Report

Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €11.8 billion in August 2021, down €6.1 billion on the previous month’s level. While the surplus in invisible current transactions, which comprise services as well as primary and secondary income, saw a slight increase, the surplus in the goods account declined much more sharply.