The Brazilian consumer sector is one of the most dynamic in the world, with growing incomes and a strong consumer culture driving up spending and delivering impressive revenue growth for the country’s retailers. The market is also relatively immature, with tremendous potential for expansion in underdeveloped parts of the country. Given this it is no [Read more...]

Massive capital inflows across South America raise the spectre that authorities throughout the region are about to impose capital controls. Support for exporters appears to be the main reason for such intervention, but fears over a rapid withdrawal of ‘hot money’ in the event of another ‘double-dip’ also appear to be a factor.

Risk Watchdog believes [Read more...]

On this week’s Business Monitor Podcast, we continue our theme of ‘top emerging market picks’ with a focus on Latin America. BMI’s Head of Country Risk and Financial Markets Justin Patrie discusses the region with Head of Latin America Analysis Richard Hamilton and Latin America Analyst Martha Stickings. Specific countries discussed include Colombia, Brazil, Panama [Read more...]

 

 Standard Podcast [13:31m]
Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My long-standing view that growth will cool considerably in Brazil in the latter part of 2010 is now firmly playing out, with latest industrial production data again surprising consensus expectations to the downside. June figures reveal a 1.0% month-on-month (m-o-m) contraction, the sharpest fall since the height of Brazil’s recession in December 2008. With the [Read more...]

BMI’s newest core view is that private healthcare spending as a percentage of total healthcare expenditure in emerging markets will decrease over the medium term. Governments in these countries increasingly appreciate the value of a healthy population and are boosting investment in medical services, such as pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, doctors, nurses, clinics and hospitals.

Notable public sector [Read more...]

With South Africa’s World Cup well under way, concerns that infrastructure would not be up to scratch have fallen by the wayside. The investment required to prepare South Africa was substantial, running in the billions of dollars, and far exceeding that of previous host nations. The impact of all this has been a tremendous – [Read more...]

Against an increasingly challenging global economic backdrop, Richard Hamilton, Head of Latin America analysis at Business Monitor International, outlines three core themes for the region. Having been among the first regions to emerge from the global economic downturn in 2009, we take a look at the likely impact of a double-dip in China and an [Read more...]

 

 Standard Podcast [16:20m]
Play Now | Play in Popup | Download