In The News

Gulf States Reconsider Feud With Qatar: The Economist

December 23, 2019
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ recent decision to take part in the Gulf Cup in Doha has signaled a cooling of tensions since the 2017 rift over an embargo of Qatar by the majority of members in the Gulf Co-operation Council, or GCC. The embargo stemmed from Qatar’s refusal to “comply with a list of demands from the Saudi-led camp, such as cutting ties with Islamist groups and...

$5.5 Billion IMF Loan to Ukraine: New York Times

Andrew E. Kramer December 17, 2019
The International Monetary Fund has agreed to lend $5.5 billion to Ukraine if the Kyiv government led by President Volodymyr Zelensky meets required conditions. While this agreement requires approval by the IMF board, it is still a strong signal, encouraging foreign investment and demonstrating support for Ukraine's government, especially on its anticorruption and economic policies. In...

$20 Trillion Threat of Climate Change: OilPrice.com

Nick Cunningham December 14, 2019
Businesses and investors who deny climate change is underway can anticipate the loss in trillions of market value. Natural disasters are on the rise and cost more, and entire asset classes and sectors can expect repricing. “One glaring example is the real estate market along coastlines, which will see both physical damage and a dramatic repricing as the threat becomes increasingly clear,”...

Argentina Faces Economic Crisis: Buenos Aires Times

December 13, 2019
Alberto Fernández, sworn in as president of Argentina, inherits enormous debt, recession, inflation, a 10 percent unemployment rate and 40 percent poverty rate, reports the Buenos Aires Times. The peso has lost two thirds of its value since 2018. The many challenges compound the hardship in paying external debt. Fernández promises to increase economic growth but offers no details, partly because...

China Needs More Babies: Caixin

James Liang December 8, 2019
China’s fertility rate has barely budged even though the government has loosened its one-child policy for families. Population is linked to economic growth yet uncertainty combined with a rising living standard and cultural acceptance of small families contribute to the trends. China’s fertility rate is 1.8 children per women, below the 2.1 replacement rate. The nation posted 17 million births in...

¥13 Trillion Stimulus Plan in Japan: Japan Times

December 4, 2019
Governments with heavy debt loads are hooked on stimulus and low interest rates. Japan, the world’s third largest national economy, has national debt worth more than 230 percent of its GDP. The Japan Times reports that government officials could add more debt by finalizing plans for a ¥13 trillion stimulus package. The government hopes to take advantage of negative interest rates from the country...

HK Hedge Funds Consider New Havens: Financial Times

Leo Lewis and Don Weinland December 2, 2019
Given ongoing protests in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore are trying to persuade the financial center's hedge fund managers to relocate. Smaller in terms of employee numbers than international banks, hedge funds have greater mobility. The Tokyo government sent a delegation to Hong Kong and organized a series of meetings for fund executives, report Leo Lewis and Don Weinland for the Financial...