Filtered by Subscriptions: Emerging Markets Economics Use setting Emerging Markets Economics
Financial risks across the major EMs look relatively well contained for the time being but there are some areas of weakness. Most immediately, following President Erdogan’s election victory the prospect of continued unorthodox policymaking in Turkey …
31st May 2023
Financial risks across the emerging world have eased since the start of the year but, with the Fed’s Jerome Powell all but confirming a higher peak for US rates, there is still scope for EMs with weak balance sheets to get punished. Although current …
8th March 2023
Global risk appetite has improved in recent weeks, easing some of the strains in EMs. But economic and financial vulnerabilities in EMs are larger going into 2023 than they were at this point last year. More Frontier Markets are likely to join Sri Lanka …
7th December 2022
Foreign capital inflows into EMs picked up sharply over the past month amidst improved investor risk appetite and a depreciating US dollar. But there are signs in the very latest data points that flows into both equity and bonds have eased a little. If …
6th December 2022
Tighter global monetary policy and the strength of the US dollar continue to punish a number of frontier markets with weak sovereign balance sheets. Meanwhile, worries about Turkey’s balance of payments position remain acute, and external risks are …
5th September 2022
The effects of the war in Ukraine and strong dollar are causing sovereign debt risks to build in a handful of frontier markets with weak balance sheets, while public debt dynamics in parts of Emerging Europe also look increasingly concerning. Meanwhile, …
7th June 2022
Recently-released Q1 GDP figures showed that most EMs performed well at the start of this year, but headwinds are growing. Lockdowns are dealing a heavy blow to China’s economy and spillovers from the war in Ukraine will weigh on Emerging Europe in …
26th May 2022
Many EMs have started the year on a solid footing, but challenging months lie ahead. While high inflation is likely to weigh on consumption, spillovers from lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine are likely to exacerbate supply shortages and hamper …
25th April 2022
Activity in large parts of the emerging world has rebounded following the easing of Omicron waves, but the war in Ukraine has caused the growth outlook for most EMs to worsen again. While commodity producers across the Gulf and parts of Latin America …
24th March 2022
Financial markets in Central Europe have been hit hard by the contagion from the war in Ukraine, but spill-overs to other EMs have been limited so far. If the war were to result in a sustained period of risk aversion and capital outflows, this could cause …
10th March 2022
Large Omicron waves have caused activity to weaken in many EMs in Q1, but the good news is that mobility appears to bounce back quickly once outbreaks subside. As a result, the economic hit is likely to be small and short-lived. Instead, high inflation …
22nd February 2022
The latest activity figures suggest that the EM recovery held up reasonably well at the end of last year, although China’s economy was struggling for momentum. While Omicron virus waves are likely to dampen activity this quarter, the impact will probably …
27th January 2022
The recovery from the crisis over the course of this year has been uneven, with strong retail spending and industrial output setting the stage for a sharp rebound in the likes of Chile, Colombia and Poland, while recoveries in South Africa and Brazil have …
15th December 2021
The dramatic slump in the Turkish lira over the past month once again leaves the currency firmly in crisis territory. One crumb of comfort is that Turkish banks are in a better position to cope with large falls in the lira than they were during the 2018 …
7th December 2021
If the new Omicron variant leads to tighter containment measures across the world, that would probably prop up demand for pandemic-related goods to the benefit of Asian exporters. Meanwhile, oil producers are likely to see external positions deteriorate …
30th November 2021
Persistent supply shortages, fading reopening boosts and tighter financial conditions all pose headwinds to recoveries in Emerging Europe and Latin America over the coming quarters, while cooling construction activity looks set to weigh on growth in …
25th November 2021
The big increases in EM commodity producers’ trade balances this year are likely to go into reverse if, as we expect, the prices of energy and metals fall back. At the same time, the manufacturing-based EMs whose exports have been held back recently by …
29th October 2021
After what appears to have been a strong Q3, we expect recoveries in many EMs to enter a slower phase as re-opening boosts fade and goods shortages bite. Q3 GDP data due over the coming weeks should show strong quarter-on-quarter growth in Emerging …
26th October 2021
It looks like EM exports rose further in August and, possibly, September too. And while we expect them to decline over the coming quarters, they will remain elevated. However, China’s property slowdown means that the risks to the export outlook for some …
29th September 2021
The latest data suggest that GDP growth in much of Emerging Asia slowed markedly in Q3, and that the recovery in Emerging Europe lost a bit of steam. Latin American economies generally strengthened, although the property slowdown in China poses a headwind …
27th September 2021
The combination of large foreign-currency debt burdens, low FX reserves and weakening currencies means that the risk of sovereign defaults in Sri Lanka and Tunisia is growing. Elsewhere, China’s largest property developer, Evergrande, appears to be close …
9th September 2021
Most economies in Emerging Europe and Latin America look set for a strong third quarter and, while the near-term outlook for Southeast Asian economies remains challenging, high-frequency mobility provide early signs that at least parts of the region are …
25th August 2021
Having surged over the past year or so, EM exports appear to be peaking as final demand is levelling off and commodity prices are dropping back. That said, exports will likely remain at elevated levels for some time yet. Our seasonally-adjusted measure of …
23rd August 2021
While the pandemic continues to hold back recoveries in Southeast Asia, the near-term outlook appears brighter in Emerging Europe and Latin America. However, low vaccine coverage in the latter means that economies remain susceptible to renewed outbreaks …
30th July 2021
After surging over the past year, the latest data provide signs that EM goods exports have now passed their peak. However, they are still likely to stay at elevated levels for some time yet. Our seasonally-adjusted measure of aggregate EM goods exports …
21st July 2021
EM goods exports have surged in Q2. There are some early indications that EM exports will now come off their record highs, but they are still likely to stay at elevated levels throughout the rest of the year. Our measure of EM goods export values rose for …
24th June 2021
The latest data suggest that the Central European and some Asian economies will probably post strong GDP growth in Q2, but virus outbreaks have weighed on recoveries in India and parts of Latin America. High-frequency mobility data paint a mixed picture …
22nd June 2021
Growing political turmoil in Latin America over recent weeks has raised concerns about public debt, though vulnerabilities are most likely to crystallise over the medium term. Meanwhile, EM currency and banking sector risks are largely centred on Turkey, …
10th June 2021
EM exports are set to hit a new high in Q2, which will help to support economic growth, particularly in East Asia where virus cases are hitting domestic economies. While EM exports are likely to come off their current highs, they will probably stay at …
27th May 2021
High-frequency data suggest that economies in Emerging Europe and parts of Latin America are over the worst of their latest virus outbreaks, but the worrying surge in virus cases in some Asian economies has hit activity. While more targeted restrictions, …
The economic data for Q1 across many EMs look reasonably strong, but the latest COVID-19 outbreaks and the reintroduction of containment measures in some countries will weigh on underlying growth in Q2. The key exception is China, where activity should …
30th April 2021
The broad-based improvement in EM goods trade balances over the past year is likely to unwind over the coming quarters as consumption patterns gradually normalise and oil prices recover further. But at the same time, a big build-up of external imbalances …
22nd April 2021
The economic data out of the emerging world for Q1 look reasonably strong, but worsening COVID-19 outbreaks and a shift towards policy tightening are creating headwinds for some EMs. Activity in Central Europe, Brazil and the Philippines is already …
31st March 2021
EM exports have continued to rise sharply in recent months and this strength may persist for a little while yet. But the big tailwind to some of the Asian economies from strong demand for electronics will turn into a headwind in the coming quarters, which …
24th March 2021
While further market turmoil is a risk over the coming quarters, the likelihood of outright banking, sovereign debt and currency crises among the large EMs is low. More acute vulnerabilities lie in some of the smaller frontier markets. Regular readers …
5th March 2021
A global shortage of semiconductors is disrupting auto production, and – among EMs – it could hit exports from Central Europe and Mexico in particular. But some of the lost revenue should be made up once shortages ease. Meanwhile, strong semiconductor …
26th February 2021
The outlook for emerging markets has improved in recent weeks, but we still expect a relatively slow and bumpy economic recovery over the next 12-18 months. The raft of Q4 GDP data released so far have been encouraging . Despite tighter social distancing …
24th February 2021
While we expect a swift recovery in developed economies over the course of this year, we doubt that this will come alongside a boom in EM goods exports. Instead, as global consumption patterns start to normalise, the key story over the next year or so …
29th January 2021
High COVID-19 cases across parts of the emerging world have grabbed headlines over the past few months. But while these outbreaks will inevitably create bumpiness in the affected countries’ economic recoveries, large downturns should be avoided. The …
28th January 2021
The latest activity data continue to show a divergence across countries, but also sectors. Consumers have generally driven recoveries in parts of Latin America, while manufacturing has been the main area of strength in much of Emerging Asia and Emerging …
21st December 2020
One striking observation from the latest EM goods trade data is that exports have continued to rebound faster than imports, causing trade positions to improve further. While some of these gains may endure, various factors that have boosted EM trade …
11th December 2020
Positive vaccine developments have diminished, but not dispelled, financial risks in emerging markets. Brazil and South Africa are still facing slow-burning fiscal crises, while India’s banking sector looks worryingly frail. Elsewhere, despite the recent …
3rd December 2020
The latest activity and mobility data are consistent with economies in Latin America, India and South Africa registering another quarter of positive growth in Q4, and those in Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) suffering renewed contractions. But we still …
27th November 2020
An effective vaccine rolled over the course of 2021-22 would probably result in weaker demand for COVID-19 related products and some consumer goods, removing a tailwind to exporters in parts of Asia and Central & Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, higher …
12th November 2020
The rapid spread of COVID-19 in Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) will cause a renewed slump in the region in Q4. That contrasts with India and parts of Latin America and Africa, where falling new cases and easing containment measures should support …
30th October 2020
At the aggregate level, EM exports continued to recover in August and September. But this masks a wide divergence in performance at a country level, which we expect to persist in the coming months. Our seasonally-adjusted measure of aggregate EM goods …
27th October 2020
The latest activity and mobility data indicate that the EM recovery has lost some steam in recent months and we expect the pace of recovery to remain slow-going in the coming quarters. The main exception is China, where the recovery looks set to stay …
30th September 2020
The rebound in EM exports continued in July, but further gains will be harder to come by from here. Indeed, the initial boost from re-opening economies is likely to fade and the slowing global recovery is dimming the outlook for exporters. Having tumbled …
17th September 2020
Most major EMs have managed to avoid acute balance of payments, banking sector and sovereign debt problems so far this year. But pockets of vulnerability remain. In particular, the risk of another full-blown currency crisis in Turkey is very high. And …
4th September 2020
Our Tracker suggests that EMs experienced net capital inflows last month for the first time since the coronavirus crisis began. Daily data suggest that net capital inflows were generally sustained in August, with Turkey a key exception. But even if …
26th August 2020