A Spain country-specific exchange traded fund jumped as the Spanish government plans out a corporate aid package aimed at bolstering companies’ solvency in a bid to strengthen an economy racked by the coronavirus outbreak.
Among the better performing non-leveraged ETFs of Thursday, the iShares MSCI Spain Capped ETF (NYSEArca: EWP) gained 3.0% on over three times its average daily trading volume.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez revealed the government will approve a 50 billion euros, or $56.4 billion, relief package as part of a new set of measures, which include other proposals like tax reform partly focused on raising taxes on larger companies rather than smaller ones, Reuters reports.
Sanchez argued that these new measures were “linked to (boosting) solvency and investment,” according to La Sexta.
As part of the economic aid package, the government will enact a 10 billion euro fund to bail out companies in “strategic sectors” that are still viable but are suffering through solvency problems after three months of lockdowns to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There will be other measures such as granting of participatory loans,” one of the sources told Reuters.
Furthermore, the additional measures were could also improve the financial structure of companies as they lower their risk of defaulting on payments with lenders.
The government has been trying to cushion the blow from the sudden economic inactivity following the widespread shutdowns. In March, the government approved state-backed credit lines of up to 100 billion euros to bolster mainly small and mid-sized companies and the self-employed against the economic fallout.
The European Union has also looked into setting aside funding for capital injections into large companies as a way to support the more beleaguered segments. Sanchez argued that it was “imperative and necessary” for the European Union to agree on a common recovery fund, but warned negotiations faced a “big battle” ahead.
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