The title of a recent Business Monitor International report highlights the view that the eurozone is expected to muddle through. However, as Bruce Jeffery, Global Markets Strategist at Business Monitor, explains, a resolution to the ongoing sovereign debt debacle will require a crisis of epic proportions. While implausible at this juncture, alternative scenarios cannot be… [Read more]
The Portuguese government finally caved in on April 6 and requested a European Union (EU) bailout. This was effectively a non-event, however. My colleagues and I had long expected the Portuguese to seek external assistance in Q2 2011, and judging by the muted reaction in the euro and bond spreads, the market had already priced… [Read more]
Ireland’s decision to apply for a bailout from the European Union has not helped defend the euro or calm treasury markets elsewhere in the periphery. On this week’s Business Monitor Podcast, BMI’s Head of Country Risk & Financial Markets talks with Global Economic Strategist Tim Cooper and Head of Europe Analysis Mark Schaltuper about the… [Read more]
Last week Mark Schaltuper, BMI’s Head of Europe Analysis, spoke on CNBC European Closing Bell about the prospect of an internal devaluation for the least competitive eurozone economies.
Financial markets seem to have a very short memory span when it comes to aligning with macroeconomic fundamentals these days. Though the release of housing sales numbers in the US today and the short-lived euphoria of China’s loosening of its exchange rate regime at the start of the week seem to have shaken up equities… [Read more]
Justifiably, much of the media focus on global markets this past week has been on Southern European treasury yields, which spiked further upward as investors priced in an increasing likelihood of a Greek default. To me though, the far more interesting and meaningful market move of the week, has not been on Southern European bonds,… [Read more]
The outlook for the eurozone is looking steadily worse. Key European economies have thus far failed to capitalise on the bounce in headline growth seen in the US and emerging markets. Concomitantly, a brewing sovereign crisis in Greece has highlighted serious problems of overleverage in Portugal, Spain and Italy. On this week’s podcast, Business Monitor… [Read more]
