News & Features Archive

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Emerging & Frontier Markets

EMERGING MARKETS BRACE FOR FED TIGHTENING

CAPITAL MARKETS | FOREIGN EXCHANGE As the Federal Reserve winds down its bond-buying program and prepares to raise rates, analysts are debating the likelihood of a repeat of last year’s “taper tantrum”—when the mere hint of a gradual end to quantitative easing in the US caused huge disruptions to emerging markets (EMs).

Emerging & Frontier Markets

FIVE MINUTES WITH…JULIE DICKSON, ASHMORE

CAPITAL MARKETS | Q&A Julie Dickson is equity portfolio manager at emerging-markets investment manager Ashmore.

Banking

GOLDMAN SACHS TO TAP GROWING ISLAMIC MARKET

CAPITAL MARKETS | ISLAMIC FINANCE To diversify its sources of financing, Goldman Sachs plans to issue a benchmark Islamic bond, at a time when demand for sukuk is outrunning supply. Meanwhile, South Africa is planning its first sovereign sukuk, and the Egyptian government is working on a new sukuk law, following the military’s overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last year.

News

GOOGLE INNOVATOR TAKES SKILLS TO WASHINGTON

NEWSMAKERS | UNITED STATES The technology community has warmly welcomed the appointment of Megan Smith as the next chief technology officer of the US.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

INDEPENDENCE VOTE MARKS THE RETURN OF GORDON BROWN

NEWSMAKERS | UNITED KINGDOM From Washington to Madrid, there was a collective sigh of relief breathed around Western capitals when Scottish voters decided by a majority of 55% to reject the call for independence and remain part of the United Kingdom. For all those who did not want Scotland to secede, an unlikely hero had emerged in the form of Gordon Brown.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

INVESTMENT BANK HELPS REVERSE BRAIN DRAIN

TRENDS | SRI LANKA Hiran Embuldeniya, managing director at York Street Partners, an investment bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka, says there are plenty of opportunities for the firm to do business in the country as it rapidly develops in the wake of a 30-year civil war that ended in 2009.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

JAPAN AND INDIA OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FUTURE RELATIONSHIP

MILESTONES | JAPAN Japanese prime minister Shinz Abe greeted his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, in late August in the city of Kyoto, where the two leaders toured temples and posed for pictures before returning to Tokyo for four days of diplomatic talks.

Emerging & Frontier Markets

KHAN PUSHES FOR PM’S RESIGNATION

NEWSMAKERS | PAKISTAN After an eventful career as an international cricket star, Imran Khan Niazi embraced politics in Pakistan 17 years ago, an environment dominated by religious and fervent groups. Gaining prominence when his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), captured 7.7 million votes in last May’s elections to become the third-largest faction in parliament...

Economics, Policy & Regulation

LAME DUCK CONGRESS TO TACKLE INVERSIONS

MANAGEMENT | TAX PLANNING When Congress returns following the November elections, the issue of what to do about US companies making foreign acquisitions to relocate overseas and save on taxes will be high on the agenda.

News

MADE IN AFRICA, FOR AFRICA

AFRICA 2014 | INTRODUCTION Though Africa has experienced impressive growth for well over a decade now, domestic markets and intraregional economic relations have remained constrained, with national economies driven primarily by mounting foreign demand for the continent’s natural resources and commodity exports.Today, however, things appear to be changing. For one thing, Africa is witnessing the emergence of a middle class.

Country Report

MOVING BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE

COUNTRY REPORT | TURKEY: OVERVIEW Recent presidential elections saw political continuity and investor appetite maintained in Turkey, but high levels of indebtedness and political divisions cause some concern.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

NAIROBI EXCHANGE LISTS OWN SHARES TO RAISE FUNDS FOR EXPANSION

CAPITAL MARKETS | AFRICAN EQUITY Initial public offerings on the Nairobi Securities Exchange have been few and far between in recent years.