The Q211 GDP data released recently by Statistics South Africa has confirmed many of my suspicions about the state of the South African economy. The recovery is losing momentum and moreover, it is uneven with the supply side in the doldrums while the demand side continues to post robust growth. The economy as a whole… [Read more]

Currently, the price of a tablet computer in Brazil is prohibitively expensive for most Brazilians. An Apple iPad 2 in the United States costs US$449, while the same device would cost a Brazilian consumer US$1,049. However, BMI believes this disparity will not exist much longer. The Brazilian government is eliminating a series of taxes on… [Read more]

The impact of rapid real appreciation on Brazil’s export competitiveness will remain a key political and economic policy issue for the foreseeable future. Robust economic growth and huge fiscal stimulus injections in Latin America’s largest economy continue to fuel higher inflation, leading to higher interest rates and attracting real-boosting capital inflows due to a widening… [Read more]

By now, most informed people will be aware that much of China’s economic development and foreign investment have been concentrated on a relatively narrow coastal strip on the eastern part of the country, running from Beijing in the North down through Shanghai and all the way south to Guangdong province. By comparison, China’s inland regions,… [Read more]

BMI’s Africa team is highly optimistic about the Zambian economy, and we believe that GDP growth is likely to exceed 7% in 2011. In a recently published article on Business Monitor Online, we specify three key drivers for growth in the near future: · A good and improving business environment. Zambia is a top-ten reformer… [Read more]

Looking at recent economic data and leading indicators, such as the Ifo Business Climate Index, I get the impression that the economic recovery of Europe’s largest economy knows no bounds. Indeed, after posting its fastest economic growth rate since re-unification (at 2.2%), my colleagues at Business Monitor International have upgraded their real GDP growth forecast… [Read more]

Me and my colleagues at Business Monitor have remained outright bullish the Brazilian Bovespa since early August – a view which continues to look very strong in the BMI portfolio. At some point today, the position was up 10.4%, and continues to head towards BMI’s 64,000 target, following a strong weekly close last week (at… [Read more]