Latin America Economics Update Downgrading our forecasts for Argentina The rout in Argentine markets is likely to push the economy back into recession. We now expect GDP to contract by 3% over this year as a whole (our previous forecast was -2.0%) and inflation to breach... 15th August 2019 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Argentina: the ways that default could play out With Argentine markets continuing to come under pressure, a sovereign debt default is increasingly likely. We think this is most likely to come in response to a request from the IMF, probably before... 14th August 2019 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Argentine debt risks: revisiting the crunch points The rout in Argentine markets yesterday, and increasing likelihood of a lurch to the left in October’s presidential election, has rekindled sovereign default fears. One crunch point could be 15th... 13th August 2019 · 3 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Argentina’s (new) crisis and the hit to EMs The falls in EM currencies today suggest that the South African rand, Turkish lira and many of those in Latin America will remain in the firing line if, as we think likely, concerns about Argentina’s... 12th August 2019 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Four key points on Argentina’s primary election The comprehensive victory for Alberto Fernandez in Argentina’s primary election paves the way for the return to left-wing populism that many investors fear. With a renewed focus on sovereign default... 12th August 2019 · 4 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Takeaways from Argentina’s latest IMF review One key point contained in the IMF’s latest quarterly review of Argentina’s bailout programme is that the Fund is now expecting the government to run a primary deficit this year (having expected a... 16th July 2019 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Argentina: better GDP data no election game-changer Argentina’s recession eased in Q1 and our GDP Tracker suggests that the economy returned to positive growth in Q2, but the recovery will be weak and the unemployment rate looks set to rise further... 20th June 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Focus Will Argentina default? One point being overlooked in the debate surrounding the sustainability of Argentine sovereign debt is that there is a significant risk of default even if an investor-friendly candidate wins October’s... 17th June 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Weekly Rate cuts coming in Brazil, Argentine political jostling The weakness of the Brazilian economy and rapidly falling inflation mean we now expect an interest rate cut, and we think there is a window of opportunity for Copom to act at next week’s meeting... 14th June 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Argentine inflation close to a peak Argentine inflation is close to a peak and should ease in the coming quarters. But bringing inflation down to single digits will require a reduction in wage indexation, improvements in the central... 28th May 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Weekly Fernández-Fernández, Brazil reform, GDP drop Investors have largely welcomed the decision by populist and anti-IMF former president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, to run for vice president (rather than the top job) in Argentina’s election in... 24th May 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Argentina: CFK shakes up the election The decision by populist and anti-IMF former president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, to run for vice president in October’s election (with a more moderate Peronist at the top of the ticket) has... 20th May 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Argentina: revisiting sovereign debt risks The growing possibility of a lurch to the left in Argentina’s presidential election in October has rekindled sovereign default fears. While the government’s FX debt repayment schedule in the immediate... 1st May 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Argentina: market sell-off intensifies election risks The broad-based sell-off in Argentine assets over the past week or so, triggered by growing political risks, has resulted in a sharp tightening of financial conditions, which will weigh on economic... 29th April 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Rout in Argentine markets to trigger policy response Argentine policymakers are likely to have been spooked by the rout in local markets in recent days, and the experience of the past few weeks suggests that they will be tempted to respond with more... 25th April 2019 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Argentine policymakers beginning to panic The decision by Argentina’s central bank to limit the extent to which the nominal exchange rate will be allowed to weaken this year raises the risk that the peso becomes overvalued. Meanwhile, the... 17th April 2019 · 1 min read