Markets

The New York Times reported that the US is preparing to seize $1 bln in assets tied to 1MDB, S&P downgraded Turkey a notch to BB with a negative outlook, citing political uncertainty, Turkish President Erdogan declared a three-month state...

Increasing numbers of young Italians are following in the footsteps of previous generations in migrating to Australia, but up to 40% report feeling exploited at work, and found it difficult to have their skills recognised, new research has found. Any...

The Productivity Commission has condemned government plans for an “effects test” that would make it easier to stop large businesses exploiting their market power against small businesses and farmers. It has also criticised the Coalition’s toughening of foreign investment rules for the...

Foreign aid is a key instrument of international engagement in Japan’s foreign policy toolkit. Although Tokyo is no longer the world’s top aid donor that it once was in the 1990s, it still was the world’s number four aid donor...

India is set to become the world’s fastest-growing major economy this year. However, as the nation of 1.2 billion grapples with how to achieve rapid and sustainable economic growth, it must also ensure that such growth is inclusive — a...

  Theresa May has come into office talking about people who are “just managing”, but find life tough. Similarly, then Labour Party leader Ed Miliband talked about the squeezed middle in the build-up to last year’s general election.   Theresa May...

Poverty in Australia has declined, welfare reliance has stabilised and long-term poverty is becoming rare - but overall economic wellbeing is no longer improving, and households’ wealth has remained static, despite rising property prices, according to Australia’s most respected longitudinal...

In November 2010, Ghana Statistical Services announced new and revised gross domestic product (GDP) estimates. As a result, the estimated size of the economy was adjusted upward by more than 60%, suggesting that in previous GDP estimates economic activities worth about US$13...

The Australian dollar recorded a key downside reversal last Friday (July 15) and had seen follow through selling this week.  It is off 1.25% over the past three sessions, which makes it the worst performing major currency behind the Japanese...

The European Court of Justice upheld the principle of making creditors bear the burden for investment in banks that sour before government funds could be used.  Italian banks are particularly sensitive to the ruling, which cannot be appealed because the...

In East Asia, rapid income growth in the second half of last century has produced unprecedented and rapid population ageing. Rising living standards and incomes tend to induce longer lifespans and fewer births per woman, leading to dramatic increases in...

On 4 November 2014, Lieutenant-Colonel Chizu Kurita of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force became the first Japanese military officer to be attached to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) headquarters in Brussels. As advisor to the NATO Special Representative for Women,...

South Korea’s economic rise since the 1960s could be attributed to many factors: its geographic position, a homogenous and hard-working population, sound economic governance exercised by authoritarian governments, and a conducive geopolitical environment. It has economically matured, having raised its...

After last Friday’s failed coup attempt in Turkey, a measure of calm has returned to global markets.  We did not think Turkish developments have wide-reaching implications for EM assets, but we do remain very negative on Turkish assets in the...

EM ended last week on a soft note, due in large part to the attempted coup in Turkey.  Weakness in the lira spilled over into wider EM weakness in thin Friday afternoon market conditions.  The situation in Turkey has calmed,...