Covid-19 will hit emerging economies hard Covid-19 will hit emerging economies hard Coronavirus has stopped both the medical and economic worlds in their tracks. If last week’s preliminary data flashes are anything to go by, the global economy is en route to a recession that will surpass 2008 both in speed and in magnitude. The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) estimated last week that the [...]
Coronavirus and policymaking: Mario Draghi didn’t just say ‘whatever it takes’ Coronavirus and policymaking: Doing 'whatever it takes' These are unprecedented times. Our lives as we know them have been upended: the comforts of routine squarely thrown out of the window and replaced with a combination of anxiety and dread. The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is a black swan that no one saw coming (though we should have been better equipped) and has [...]
Lebanon should learn the lessons of the past to protect the future when it comes to its debt problem In a solemn press conference over the weekend, the relatively new Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab delivered a speech that will go down in history. Conceding that the country was paying for mistakes made in the past, Diab announced to the world that Lebanon would not be rendering whole the bond payment due on Monday, [...]
Move over, ‘Davos Man’, climate is the big issue this year January 21, 2020 It’s that time of the year again: policymakers, politicians, bankers, activists, journalists, and a swathe of cameras are descending upon the snowy peaks of Davos for the World Economic Forum (WEF). Once branded the playground for the elite, epitomised by the stereotypical champagne swashing “Davos Man”, this year the gathering ostensibly seems to be morphing [...]
Talk of a US recession in 2020 is a little premature October 16, 2018 Several analysts have come out of the woodwork in the past few weeks predicting not just a US growth slowdown, but the start of a recession in 2020. These calls were amplified after a week of stock market volatility. Bond vigilantes are pointing to rising real yields (that have been adjusted for inflation), while bear [...]
Why timing is essential when it comes to emerging markets September 17, 2018 Whether the big re-pricings that have occurred in Argentina and Turkey were rare events limited to those countries, or part of a wider pattern that could have further systemic implications, is a topic that frequently comes up on CNBC’s Street Signs. More often than not, our guests have leaned toward the former. Both countries have large [...]
Why timing is essential when it comes to emerging markets September 17, 2018 Whether the big re-pricings that have occurred in Argentina and Turkey were rare events limited to those countries, or part of a wider pattern that could have further systemic implications, is a topic that frequently comes up on CNBC’s Street Signs. More often than not, our guests have leaned toward the former. Both countries have large [...]