Germany’s net international investment position stood at €2,073 billion at the end of 2018, thus amounting to around 62% of nominal gross domestic product. The German net external asset position rose by €281 billion year-on-year. 

Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann has spoken out in favour of taking advantage of the good global economic outlook to implement reforms. It is now vital to "push ahead with structural reforms that put national economies on a path of sustainable, higher growth," he said at a joint press conference with Federal Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, DC.

Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann expects Brexit to place a strain on Germany's economy. It is in the interests of both parties, he says, for the EU and the United Kingdom to quickly enter into level-headed negotiations on their future relationship.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are becoming increasingly important as a cost-effective option for investors, albeit one which comes with its own specific risks attached, as the Bundesbank explains. According to the current issue of the Monthly Report, the risks for the financial system as a whole stemming from ETFs are currently limited, however.