The macroeconomic environment is being shaped by the interest rate reversal and heightened uncertainty. So far, the German financial system has coped well with the rise in interest rates over the last year, but the effects of this rise have not yet fully materialised. Structural change in the economy is also likely to further increase credit risk.

The January 2018 edition of the Monthly Report describes how the internationalisation of German firms is impacting on domestic investment and analyses the importance of banks’ profitability and capital for monetary policy. It also looks at developments in corporate financing in the euro area and includes an article on the finalisation of Basel III.