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.

 

 Standard Podcast [12:46m]
Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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...]

With bad news out of Greece and other southern eurozone states casting a long shadow over much of Europe in recent months, finding relative value has become more difficult. Certainly, equities and currencies do not offer the same buying opportunities that they did during the Q209-Q309 rally.

However, a weak growth outlook on the back of [Read more...]

For all the doom and gloom surrounding European markets on the back of the Greek sovereign crisis and concomitant sell-off in euro and sterling, emerging market currencies in the region still look bid. Traditionally, when EUR/US$ has weakened, so too have benchmark central European cross rates such as PLN/EUR and CZK/EUR. However, this correlation has [Read more...]

In 2009, companies around the world raised US$892bn in initial public offerings (IPOs), which was 41% higher than in 2008.

Of that amount, a sizeable US$314bn was raised in Q4 2009, creating the impression that the year-end momentum would likely spill over into the new year. Indeed, a variety of banks and analysts produced bullish [Read more...]

On this week’s podcast, Business Monitor Chief Economist Tim Cooper, Head of Europe Analysis Justin Patrie and Senior Europe Analyst Bruce Jeffery discuss European investment strategy on the back of the Greek fiscal crisis and news of an EU support package for Athens. In addition to providing analysis on the most recent market developments in [Read more...]

 

 Standard Podcast [16:00m]
Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

There are growing indications that the Iranian banking system is in crisis, weighed down by a proliferation of non-performing loans. Although there is no timely financial reporting to speak of in Iran, a number of recent news stories suggest to me that the country’s banks are in a great deal of trouble.

Central Bank of [Read more...]