The Bundesbank believes that, in the third quarter of 2017, Germany’s economy may well have maintained the brisk pace of growth seen in the first six months of the year. According to the current issue of its Monthly Report, the industrial sector, still driven by buoyant export demand, is an important factor behind the strong economic activity.

The Bundesbank presents film awards at the Frankfurt Book Fair The Deutsche Bundesbank presented awards to the winners of its video competition at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The competition focused on the question: "What does stability mean for you?"

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.

Euro area central banks "can't take any consideration of government financing burdens" when normalising monetary policy, Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann says. "If price pressures rise, then we have to tighten our monetary policy," he told the Wirtschaftswoche business periodical.

Bundesbank Executive Board member Andreas Dombret has warned financial institutions against underestimating climate risks. The financial sector is being increasingly affected by the rising costs resulting from extreme weather events, as well as by far-reaching changes in climate policy, he said in a speech in Singapore.

The upswing in the global economy is gaining momentum, believes Bundesbank Executive Board member Andreas Dombret. In the run-up to the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund, he argued for taking advantage of favourable economic conditions to increase the growth potential of national economies through structural reforms.

German external assets grew by a net €231 billion in 2016, closing the year at €1,709 billion. This increase was chiefly attributable to net capital exports, which were primarily a reflection of last year’s current account surplus.

As in previous years, the Bundesbank will be taking part in this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, which will be held from 11 to 15 October. The Bundesbank is organising a programme for children, coin collectors and banknote buffs, and this year, there will be something for film fans, too. You will find the Bundesbank stand in Hall 3.1 (C49).

Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann has been appointed to sit on an international board for the promotion of financial literacy among young people in Europe.

The profitability of German banks declined in their core business areas in 2016, as the latest Monthly Report points out in an analysis of the annual financial statements of German credit institutions. Earnings from interest and commission business fell by €5.4 billion to €120.9 billion last year.