Currencies
SWOT Analysis: Kenya, East Africa’s Largest Market
In advance of our Bonds, Loans & Sukuk East Africa 2018 conference and forthcoming special report on the region, Bonds & Loans visited the region to meet with a broad range of finance leaders in order to get a sense of the risks and opportunities on the horizon.
6 Apr 2018
On the Ground, Off the Record in Africa: Public Debt Access, ESG, and Reform
Will 2018 see more African corporates tap into the public debt market? Are green bonds, sukuk, and other alternative fixed income structures likely to grow in prominence across the continent this year? And will political reversals in some of the region’s largest economies be matched by deep reform? Bonds & Loans spoke with dozens of borrowers, investors, bankers and government representatives at…
26 Mar 2018
Blockchain and the Capital Markets: A Love Story
Driven by the need for greater transparency and efficiency, blockchain is making its first inroads into the capital markets and bank operations more broadly. The technology could be a gamechanger for emerging markets, according to CFOs and analysts.
23 Mar 2018
Brown Brothers Harriman: Emerging Markets Preview for the Week Ahead
EM ended Friday under renewed selling pressures, and capped off a mostly softer week. COP, THB, and TWD were the best performers last week, while TRY, RUB, and ZAR were the worst. Despite a widely expected 25 bp hike, this week’s FOMC meeting still has potential to weigh on EM.
19 Mar 2018
Post-Arab Spring North Africa Could Dominate Key Sectors
In 2011 winds of change swept through MENA, and what followed was a tumultuous period for many African economies in particular. Seven years on, some, like Libya, are still struggling to recover from the turmoil, but others, like Tunisia or Morocco, are revitalized and in many ways emboldened. Indeed, many of their markets have much to show for it.
13 Mar 2018
Brown Brothers Harriman: Emerging Markets Preview for the Week Ahead
EM FX ended Friday on a mixed note, and capped off a soft week overall. Best performers last week were ZAR, CLP, and PHP while the worst were TRY, ARS, and IDR. Fed Chief Powell’s testimony to Congress will likely draw market attention back to Fed policy.
27 Feb 2018
Angola: Next in Line in Africa for an IMF Programme?
Angola’s new President João Lourenço – locally referred to as J-LO – has had a busy first 100 days in office. Under the mantle of high popularity, he has been implementing core changes that are putting the country onto a different, necessary, and most likely difficult, path. Is all of this leading the country towards an IMF programme? It would be music to investors' ears if it were.
23 Feb 2018
Ukraine Makes Strides Forward Despite Lingering Corruption Woes
After a traumatic few years catalysed by the annexation of Crimea and the ensuing civil conflict with its easternmost regions, Ukraine has developed a certain degree of flexibility in managing a series of shocks encountered since. But a lack of progress on crucial reforms, political mismanagement, and consistent lack of access to credit for key sectors like agriculture threaten the progress…
21 Feb 2018
Brown Brothers Harriman: Emerging Markets Preview for the Week Ahead
EM FX ended on a mixed note Friday, but capped off a very strong week overall. Best performers over the past week were RUB, ZAR, and COP, while the worst were PHP, CNY, and TWD. There is not much happening this week that could disrupt the weak dollar narrative, and so EM FX should continue to rally.
19 Feb 2018
As Chile Elects a Conservative, is Latin America Cooling on Populism?
Chilean politics is often seen as a bellwether for deeper shifts occurring across the continent’s political scene. The recent election of the “old new” president Sebastián Piñera is in line with the apparent swing to the right seen in recent years – but, more importantly, indicates that politics in Latin America is becoming more nuanced, predictable and mature.
13 Feb 2018