Economics, Policy & Regulation Archives

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Banking

ECUADOR TO LAUNCH ITS OWN “BITCOIN,” BANS RIVALS

TRENDS | DIGITAL CURRENCIES Ecuador is gearing up for the launch of a new digital currency that will go into use as early as October alongside the US dollar, the country’s official tender.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

INSURERS OFFER LONGEVITY HEDGES TO DE-RISK PLANS

MANAGEMENT | PENSIONS As people live longer, many companies are discovering that they have to pay pension benefits to retirees for longer than they had expected. Insurance companies are stepping in with new products that can help take this “longevity risk” out of corporate defined-benefit pension plans.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

LONDON’S COLORFUL MAYOR MULLS TORY LEADERSHIP

UNITED KINGDOM With a seminal speech at the beginning of August, London’s larger-than-life mayor, Boris Johnson, positioned himself as a candidate for the future leadership of the Conservative Party.

Country Report

MENDING EGYPT’S DAMAGED ECONOMY

COUNTRY REPORT | EGYPT Pressure is building on Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to deliver economic gains. Falling investment and a sharp drop in tourist arrivals have weakened growth over the past three years. But a rapid return to pre-2011 expansion levels appears unlikely.

Banking

NO MORE FALSE DAWNS IN TAIWAN

COUNTRY REPORT | TAIWAN Taiwan’s bright fundamentals are underpinned by a revival in both export and import demand, but could a housing bubble be on the horizon?

Economics, Policy & Regulation

NO QUICK FIX FOR SOUTH KOREA’S ECONOMY

SOUTH KOREA Appointed as part of Park’s cabinet reshuffle——Choi had been on the job only a few days when he unleashed a $40 billion stimulus plan to revitalize the country’s faltering economy, a package equivalent to almost 3% of GDP.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

PUTTING THE BREAKS ON GLOBAL TRADE

DEAR READER Do ongoing conflicts and increasing geopolitical tensions represent a threat to globalization, or are they simply redesigning the map of the world?

Economics, Policy & Regulation

RECOVERY IS UNDER WAY IN CEE

REGIONAL REPORT | CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE Central European countries are starting to recover, with growth accelerating in most markets. But the region’s banks still have some trials to overcome.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

RUSSIA: FRICTION WITH THE WEST, NEW TIES WITH THE EAST

Events in Ukraine have changed the outlook for Russia. Now the country faces choices about its global role that could affect the rest of the world for decades. Which path will it take?

Economics, Policy & Regulation

SWEDEN: WILL LÖFVEN BE THE NEXT PM?

SWEDEN Known as a credible and pragmatic politician, the leader of Sweden’s Social Democratic party, Stefan Löfven, is gearing up to become the country’s next prime minister.

Banking

UPSTART BRICS DEVELOPMENT BANK TAKES ON THE IMF

THE BRICS Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa now have something more in common than rapidly developing economies that have recently stalled. In July they gave life to the New Development Bank (NDB), the first multilateral institution controlled by developing countries.

Banking

US EX-IM BANK FACES AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

UNITED STATES In its 2013 report to Congress, the Export-Import Bank of the United States says that its “overriding mission is to create and sustain American jobs by supporting US exports.” But that very mission is under threat, with House Financial Services Committee chairman Jeb Hensarling, among others, seeking to abolish the bank.