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Zika A Public Health, Not An Economic, Crisis

Economists don’t anticipate a major economic impact from the mosquito-born Zika virus—so far, at least—although it’s certainly a kick in the shins for struggling Brazil and an overhang for tourism in Latin America.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

ASEAN Midwifes A Regional Trade Powerhouse

A new era kicked off on December 31, 2015, for the 10 countries that are part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations: The alliance launched the Asean Economic Community (AEC), a trade bloc aimed at creating a unified, cross-border market where labor, services and capital can flow without restrictions.

News

Business Gets An App For That

Smart corporates are using mobile apps to collect real-time data, analyze it and feed it to employees, who can respond immediately. Companies that neglect these tools could find themselves at a disadvantage.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Catalan Leader Amps Up Independence Call

Spain: Legislators in Catalonia elected Carles Puigdemont, who has been pushing for independence for the big Spanish region for years, as president on January 10.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Cuba Learns The Art Of The Deal With Unilever

Cuba: News that Anglo-Dutch consumer products company Unilever will return to Cuba to build a $35 million plant in the special development zone at the port of Mariel, about 40 kilometers west of Havana, is one of the clearest signs yet that the communist nation is taking a more pragmatic approach to foreign direct investment.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Gordhan Gets His Turn To Heal South Africa’s Woes

South Africa: After burning through two Finance ministers in 18 months—with the second having held the job for less than a week—South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, moved in mid-December to restore a measure of stability to the post.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Looser Rules May Spur Japanese Fintech Revolution

Japan’s Financial Services Agency is preparing legislation allowing the government to relax restrictions on fintech investment, promising a technological jolt to one of the world’s biggest financial markets.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Real Estate: Is The Party Over?

Peter Hayes, global head of invest-ment research for Prudential Real Estate Investors, joined Global Finance editors in New York to talk about which property markets look hot in 2016—and which look too hot.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Steady Interest Rates Help Brazil’s New Finance Minister

Brazil: The Banco Central do Brasil gave new Finance minister Nelson Barbosa a bit of help on January 20, when it decided to hold the short-term interest rate, the Selic, to 14.25%.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Taiwan’s New President To Focus On Growth, Not China

Tsai Ing-wen, leader of what was—until a couple of weeks ago—Taiwan’s opposition party, will become the island’s first female president this spring following a January 16 election in which she and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won control of both the presidency and the legislature from the incumbent Kuomintang (KMT) party.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Argentina’s New Finance Minister Wrestles With Peso

Argentina The appointment of Alfonso Prat-Gay as Argentina’s new Finance minister was a clear sign to international investors that president Mauricio Macri, sworn in December 10, was serious about unraveling the populist policies of the previous government.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Brazil Reeling After Another Junk Rating

The axe fell on Brazil heading into 2016 as it suffered a downgrade to junk status by Fitch Ratings, heightening the air of crisis as the beleaguered nation grapples with political turmoil and recession.