With Libyan leader Muammar al Qadhafi stepping up his anti-Western rhetoric, there are growing fears that what Mark Mobius recently called ‘the ideal frontier market’ is turning its back on the reformist experiment it has been pursuing for the last few years. Mark Schaltuper speaks to Liz Martins, Head of Middle East and North Africa analysis, and Holly Pattenden, Head of Oil & Gas Industry analysis at BMI, about the diplomatic crisis and its impact on the country’s business environment, and in particular, the energy sector.
Brazil: Strong Q4 GDP To Trigger Rate Action
Brazil’s Q409 real GDP reading came in roughly in line with market expectations, posting a growth rate of 2.0% quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) seasonally adjusted – its highest reading in two years. Expectations of a robust headline number for Q4 have previously sent the interbank deposit (DI) futures market higher, amid expectations that the Banco Central do [Read more...]
The External Rebalancing Continues
China’s exports came in at US$94.5bn in February, up 45.6% y-o-y and higher than consensus estimates. The data shows a continued outperformance of exports to emerging markets relative to developed markets, with exports to emerging markets such as India (up 54%), and Brazil (up 92%) showing the most impressive gains.
On the imports side of the [Read more...]
Wired For War (Book Review)
Anyone following the US ‘War on Terror’ will probably be aware that America is increasingly using drones – unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – to carry out airstrikes. They may also be aware that remote-controlled robots are being used for the purposes of bomb disposal in places such as Iraq. The growing use of unmanned platforms [Read more...]
Commodities: Poised To Bounce
Last week on Business Monitor Online I suggested that commodities looked poised for further gains as the US dollar weakened slightly and equity markets pushed higher. Two charts in particular point to additional upside for commodities. The first is the Baltic Dry Index, which has pushed above resistance in recent trading. Indeed, the Index seems [Read more...]
Return Of Risk Appetite: Opportunities & Implications For EM
In this week’s podcast Mark Schaltuper (Head of Latin America Analysis) and Terry Alexander (Head of Country Risk and Financial Markets) discuss the return of risk appetite to global markets. Assessing recent moves and a stronger-than-expected bounce in developed markets’ equities, we explore potential opportunities and the implications for emerging markets.
Dubai: Notes From A City At A Crossroads
Having just returned from my latest business trip to Dubai, I have to report that confidence in general remains very subdued. For sheer tragic parade-raining, bubble-bursting symbolism, you can’t beat the Burj Khalifa tower (renamed at the last minute to appease the neighbours and then closed soon after opening for ‘technical reasons’ – for three [Read more...]
