Coronavirus
Spike in Airline Debt to Weigh on Sector's Recovery
A recent report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) notes that the global debt of the airline industry could climb by 28% to USD550bn by end 2020 – a USD120bn increase from the start of the year.
28 May 2020
Intellidex: South Africa Should Issue a Social Bond to Finance Pandemic Support
South Africa should explore the possibility of issuing a social bond to help finance programmes aimed at countering the impact of COVID-19, according to a recent paper published by a group of economists.
28 May 2020
External Financing Risks to Turkish Banking Sector ‘Manageable’ - ING
As Turkey braces for the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the banking sector looks likely to be called to play a larger role in facilitating the government’s stimulus plans. But despite a recent spike in NPLs and foreign exchange pressures, the risks to the country’s banks appear manageable, according to a recent report by Oleksiy Soroka, Senior High Yield Credit Strategist at ING.
22 May 2020
Moody's: G20 Debt Suspension Will Only Marginally Ease Pressures on EM Economies
The decision to suspect debt payment on debt to some of the world’s poorest economies will only marginally ease pressures on financing, according to a recent report from Moody’s Investors Service.
22 May 2020
OPEC+ Production Cuts Will Place Additional Strain on Nigeria’s Economy
Adhering to the recently agreed OPEC+ oil production cuts will only deepen Nigeria’s economic problems and exacerbate its difficulties with external finances, according to a recent report by Fitch Ratings. Whilst liquidity provided by multilaterals will help ease some pressures in the short-term, macroeconomic strains will continue.
20 May 2020
Oil Market is Rallying ‘Much Too Soon’ – ING
Oil markets continued to make a modest recovery this week amidst moves to ease lockdown restrictions in a number of countries worldwide. But a sustained recovery could be some way off, according to Warren Patterson and Wenyu Yao, commodities economists at ING.
19 May 2020
India Announces Whopping INR20tn Stimulus Package
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced part of a colossal INR20tn (USD265bn) stimulus programme aimed at reviving India's faltering economy, including measures aimed at supporting SMEs and the shadow banking sector.
13 May 2020
South Africa Details Rise in Government TB Auctions
The National Treasury announced a step-up in local currency borrowing in the form of South African Government Bills (SAGB) and inflation-linked bonds (ILB). But according to Peter Attard Montalto, Head of Capital Markets Research at Intellidex, additional government borrowing in the mid- to long-term may become unsustainable.
12 May 2020
RBI to Increase Borrowing, But Unclear How Else Government Will Raise Funds
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is upping its borrowing requirements by more than 53% to INR12tn for the financial year, but it's unlikely to be enough to finance the government's ambitious stimulus programme.
12 May 2020
Sustainable Bond Issuance Falls, But Social Bonds on the Rise – Moody’s
Total volumes of sustainable bond issuance are set to fall as the COVID-19 pandemic creates a rocky environment for borrowers, according to Matthew Kuchtyak, AVP-Analyst at Moody’s. Sustainable bond issuance is likely to total USD325bn this year, a downward revision of USD75bn from the USD400bn forecast previously.
11 May 2020
Private Sector Deleveraging Required to Plug EM Current Account Deficits - IIF
As countries worldwide are forced to spend unprecedented amounts to counter the economic and health effects of COVID-19, fiscal and current account deficits are set to rise globally. Rocky market conditions mean most EM sovereigns will struggle to access external funding, however, leaving the local private sector to pick up the slack, according to a recent report from the Institute of…
7 May 2020
Lebanese Political Parties, For Now, Agree to Approach IMF
Lebanon is a step closer on the path towards economic reform, as the government agrees to approach the IMF for support. Hezbollah finally withdrew their opposition to the country requesting funds from the multilateral, which could help the struggling economy, but other political spats risk delyaing the process.
5 May 2020
Gold Prices Surge Due on Pandemic Disruption
The ongoing volatility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has seen the price of gold become dislocated, as it has avoided becoming victim to the demand shocks that have hit the price of other commodities.
4 May 2020
Fall in SAMA Assets Exceeds Expectations - HSBC
Saudi central bank reserve assets fell by around USD24bn in March, according official data. Accounting for non-reserve holdings, net foreign assets fell by just under USD27bn throughout the month.
4 May 2020