The number of analysts in the Netherlands has fallen by 12% since 2011, the Financieele Dagblad said on Thursday. In 2016, there were only 74 full-time analysts working for Dutch banks, down from 146 ten years earlier. In addition, banks are set to cut back 30% on spending for analysts' stock reports as a result of new EU regulations which come into effect on 1 January, the paper said on Thursday. Consultancy McKinsey said the 10 biggest banks in the world, which now spend $4bn a year for the reports, will cut this figure by $1.2bn next year. Smaller banks will follow suit in reducing their staff. The European Commission has said the costs of analysts' research  - now hidden in commissions charged on stock trades - must be more transparent. McKinsey said hundreds of research jobs will be lost as clients of the banks, such as portfolio managers and other investors, will have to pay separately for the service from next January.  Many, the consultancy says, will be more selective and opt to receive fewer reports.  More >

The throughput of ocean-going goods in Dutch seaports eased off by 1% in 2016, its first decline since the 2009 crisis and following  a record set in 2015. Nevertheless nearly 600 million tonnes of goods was moved through Dutch ports last year, the national statistics office CBS reported on Thursday. The agency said imports fell by 2% to 398 million tonnes, while exports were 1.5% higher at 190 million tonnes. The CBS said its figures were based on the most recent transhipment data obtained from the seaports and other authorities. Dry bulk cargoes (coal, iron ore) fell back by 2% due to the closure of several coal-powered electricity plants. Nearly half of all goods moving through the ports last year was liquid bulk (petroleum and chemicals) which declined 2%. Container throughput was nearly 3.6% higher. Nearly all the container traffic was moved through Rotterdam, Europe's largest container port. Throughput was flat in the first nine months before surging ahead by 10% in the final quarter. Figures from Rotterdam port authority suggest this trend is continuing with a 9% gain year-on-year in the first three months of 2017. Nearly half of all containers arriving in Rotterdam are inbound from Asia, with 6.5% growth in 2017. And 33% come from other European ports, the CBS said.  More >

Discount airline Easyjet will be operating the European transit services for long-haul companies like KLM at Schiphol airport within the next five years, Easyjet CEO Carolyn McCall has told the Parool. 'Only the budget carriers will be successful in Europe over the next five years. Companies like KLM will have to concentrate on intercontinental flights in order to be profitable,' she said. McCall's plan implies passengers would have a single ticket, and suitcases and passengers would be moved directly from one plane to another. With 42 European destinations and a strong presence at Schiphol airport, Easyjet could be a good partner for KLM. However, there are flaws in McCall's plan, the paper points out. KLM is already doing this with connections to 87 European cities and moving passengers through Amsterdam to intercontinental destinations. And KLM's European services are geared to its intercontinental links, cutting transfer time to a bare minimum. The budget carriers also have one major obstacle to their serving as  European transit services: they must join a global booking service and that costs money, something anathema to low-cost carriers. Theoretically, the two carriers, one budget, one traditional, would also have to work out which one is going to pay for missed connections. Moreover, Schiphol airport is designed for the efficient transfer of passengers and luggage - with the single exception of the H pier which handles the budget carriers.  More >

Railway services between Amsterdam and Eindhoven will be increased to six an hour from December, if a trial due to start in September proves a success. Six services an hour - rather than the current four - will run between the two cities on Wednesday's only from September. If successful, the six trains an hour service will be introduced across all days of the week from December. NS hopes that by running more trains, waiting times will be cut and passengers will be more likely to find a seat. In total, capacity will go up by 15% on the busy route between the two cities, the railway company said. Track operator ProRail says it has spent the past five years preparing for more frequent services by extending platforms, improving signalling and points systems and training staff.   More >