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...]

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...]

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...]

In an era where a global financial crisis has been caused not by developments in Russia, South-East Asia or Argentina, but by banking insolvency in the United States and sovereign default risks in a eurozone member state, namely Greece, our panel of senior commentators discusses what it means to be an ‘emerging market’. Justin Patrie, [Read more...]

 

 Standard Podcast [17:20m]
Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sugar prices have steadily weakened since they peaked at USc30.40/lb in early February, and are currently trading at USc24.60/lb. I think the technical picture is deteriorating, and this combined with expectations of a loosening market in 2011 suggests that the rally I initially highlighted in August 2009, may be coming to an end.

The monthly, weekly [Read more...]

Regular readers of this blog will know that my colleagues and I have recently been discussing the growing possibility of Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear programme (I highly recommend listening to Business Monitor’s Podcast on this subject). However, let us now do a little thought experiment: flash forward five years, and imagine that Iran [Read more...]