Archive
Is China’s era as the world’s factory coming to an end?
A Chinese economic slowdown is a growing fear. January’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) of 50.5 seems to confirm such fears, as China’s manufacturing sector now comes dangerously close to not
US taper puts pressure on emerging markets
The Federal Reserve’s decision in January to continue reducing the pace of asset purchases has put emerging markets in a bind. At the end of January, the Federal Reserve decided
Africa’s start-ups show potential but lack access to capital
Thanks to the success of its mobile phone market, Africa’s tech start-up scene has developed rapidly, with tremendous market potential. Nevertheless, lack of capital and high service costs could stand in the way
4 numbers tell the story of U.S. immigration reform
Just behind the rhetoric of the debate, the numbers show what a massive undertaking immigration reform is. With the budget and debt ceiling having been dealt with already this year,
Why emerging markets are not collapsing
The recent rout of emerging markets prompt worries over a new emerging market crisis like those of the 1990s and early 2000s. While significant downside risks exist, differentiation is likely
EU’s trust issues may delay TTIP negotiations
Trade liberalization negotiations are on their way between the US and the EU, and may lead to the biggest bilateral trade agreement in history. However, the EU is putting the
Western energy companies to re-enter Iran’s oil and gas sector
The interim agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme with the international community began on January 20, and Iran has taken steps to attract foreign investments in its neglected oil and gas
Bank reforms to increase cost of doing business in Ecuador
The cost of doing business in Ecuador is already high for extractive sectors. Investments in Ecuador’s financial services sector may face added obstacles following recently proposed regulatory measures. Ecuador is
Dreams of tourist-friendly North Caucasus hard to realize
North Caucasus hopes to use the Sochi Winter Olympics to attract investment through improvement in tourism. Yet, insecurity, corruption and broken infrastructure make such dreams difficult to realize. The President