Policy & Government
Brazil: More Taxes in Sight?
Well-balanced public accounts are the basis of a sound economy, by impeding explosive growth of the public debt and its financing through inflation. The government’s budget shortfall threatens this equilibrium.
18 Apr 2017
Colombian Banks’ Shopping Spree in Central America is Paying Dividends
When in 2008, large US and European banks left Central America as the economic crisis unfolded in developed markets, Colombian banks spotted an opportunity to take the lead in the region’s oft- overlooked financial system – a move that is paying dividends given the region’s strong growth.
13 Apr 2017
Nigeria: A Struggling Economy Embraces Reform - Part II
Over the past year Nigeria's economy, hit by rising inflation, low FX reserves and deflated oil price, shrank by about 1.6%. But with a better market outlook on the horizon, as evident from the recent success of a US$1bn Eurobond, the Bonds & Loans Nigeria Special Report looks into what 2017 may bring.
13 Apr 2017
Low Oil Price is Testing GCC Commitment to Currency Pegs
Low oil prices and a strong dollar are putting pressure on GCC currencies, forcing the Gulf countries to continue with painful fiscal consolidation. But, analysts expect the region to stick to its policy of pegging against the dollar – for now.
11 Apr 2017
VIDEO: Interview with Jean-Marc Mercier, Global Head of Debt Capital Markets, HSBC
Bonds & Loans interviewed Jean-Marc Mercier, Global Head of Debt Capital Markets at HSBC to discuss how effective Russia's banking sector consolidation has been and how well the international banks have adapted to the new conditions?
10 Apr 2017
Making Cents Out of Dollar Strength: The Effect on Emerging Markets
In the aftermath of the financial crisis, the US largely benefited from having a strong dollar on its path to recovery. Ten years later, however, the same currency’s value is so distorted that it may well be enough to strangle its economy.
7 Apr 2017
Social Unrest in Latin America: Back to the Old Ways?
As political chaos erupted this week in multiple South American countries, investors must now decide if Latin American sovereigns are still worth the risk.
5 Apr 2017
The Cape Town Shuffle: Rand Plummets as Zuma Sacks Chief Treasurer
The sacking of South Africa’s finance minister and his cabinet prompted another all-too-familiar slide in the rand and bond prices. As his successor takes office, the markets are tentatively awaiting signs about the direction of economic policy.
5 Apr 2017
VIDEO: Interview with Konstantin Vyshkovsky, Director of the Public Debt, MinFin, Russia
Bonds & Loans interviewed Konstantin Vyshkovsky, Director of the Public Debt and State Financial Assets Department, Finance Ministry, Russia, to discuss the more prominent developments in the country’s debt markets
4 Apr 2017
Brazil: We Want to Work
Although the fiscal crisis is a major cause of Brazil’s recession, by generating higher inflation and feeding fears of a debt default, distortions of the economic system, such as the malfunctioning labor market, greatly aggravated the economic crisis. This is precisely what affects peoples’ lives the most, and can hamper the pace of economic recovery and define the political scenario in 2018.
3 Apr 2017