One of the big issues being debated among European leaders lately is whether political power – principally over fiscal policy – should be further centralised in order to save the eurozone from collapse. ‘Eurocrats’ seem to favour centralisation, but many national governments, not to mention their electorates, oppose this. They fear, not unreasonably, that a… [Read more]
In line with our long-held expectations of an enduring economic slowdown in India, the recently-released GDP figure showed a sharp downturn in activity – marking the sixth consecutive quarter where headline expansion has decelerated. Real GDP growth came in at 6.9% y-o-y in the second quarter of the current fiscal year (FY2011/12, April-March), down significantly… [Read more]
Our focus this week is on the Indian monsoon, which remains a significant and unpredictable factor in determining the country’s agricultural performance, as well as that of headline inflation and economic growth. We only have to look back to the miserable monsoon of 2009, which triggered the worst drought in almost 40 years, to see… [Read more]
The United Nations has published its latest population forecasts for the world from now to 2100. The accompanying press release is worth reading, and the online database has been updated accordingly. Of note, the UN sees the world population rising to 10.1bn in 2100, with Africa’s population more than tripling to 3.6bn over the next… [Read more]
Today in Business Monitor Online, and in this week’s Emerging Markets Monitor (EMM) magazine, my colleagues and I outline our latest views of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) economies. The BRIC countries remain among our top growth picks over the long run, and we forecast real GDP expansion to average in excess of… [Read more]
Global market jitters in recent weeks have forced my colleagues and I to put some of our key emerging market (EM) equity views under the microscope. One such market is India’s Sensex. Despite still holding a broadly sanguine outlook for the economy – endorsed by the strong Q3 2010 8.9% y-o-y GDP figure published on… [Read more]
The news that Italian scooter manufacturer Piaggio is looking to produce a mini car for ‘congested cities’ in Asia and Europe signals the beginning of a response by the two-wheeled segment to the wave of small cars appearing in emerging markets (EMs), largely with the aim of winning over those looking to upsize to four… [Read more]
