In the third quarter of 2014, the financial assets of households rose by €28 billion on the quarter, climbing to €5,011 billion. While the transaction-related acquisition of financial assets amounted to just under €34.5 billion, leaving it roughly unchanged compared to the previous quarter, valuation losses, notably on shares, curtailed growth in assets by around €6.5 billion. With regard to types of investment, the trend towards liquid and lower-risk assets, which has been evident for some time now, continued into the third quarter.

The Bundesbank successfully continued and further stepped up its transfers of gold last year. In 2014, 120 tonnes of gold were transferred to Frankfurt am Main from storage locations abroad: 35 tonnes from Paris and 85 tonnes from New York.

Dr Johannes Beermann today took up office as a member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank. The Bundesbank's Executive Board has therefore reshuffled its areas of responsibility.

The Deutsche Bundesbank calculates the basic rate of interest pursuant to section 247 (1) of the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch) and publishes its current level in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) pursuant to section 247 (2) of the German Civil Code.

Outlook for the German economy – macroeconomic projections for 2015 and 2016

The Deutsche Bundesbank mourns the passing of its former President Dr hc mult Karl Otto Pöhl. He was the Bundesbank's Vice-President from 1977 to 1979 and President from 1980 to 1991. Karl Otto Pöhl passed away on 9 December 2014 at the age of 85.

Following a brisk start to the year, which was due in part to the very mild winter, the German economy subsequently lost momentum to a surprising extent.

Low interest rates and low volatility raise market participants’ risk appetite. This harbours the risk of exaggerations. Although German banks’ deleveraging has been successful, their earnings are weak. The banking union is creating better conditions for the recovery and resolution of failed banks. The real estate market remains under observation, but mortgage loans are currently recording relatively moderate growth.