Emerging market credit ratings are finally looking up again
From Brazil, Nigeria and Turkey to even some of the riskiest emerging markets such as Egypt and Zambia, evidence is growing that a decade-long deterioration in sovereign credit ratings has…
Swiss watchdog scrutinises UBS vetting of wealthy Credit Suisse clients
Switzerland’s financial supervisor has been scrutinising how UBS vets risky wealthy clients that it wants to transfer from Credit Suisse, sources said, as the regulator takes a hands-on approach to…
Ratings and risks
The global financial system is displaying rising signs of strain, raising concerns over various potential outcomes, ranging from contagion between markets to ruptures in financial products. It is anticipated that…
Credit markets see less risk of recession, earnings may challenge that
US high-yield corporate debt markets may be underpricing for the risk of a recession even as Treasuries and macroeconomic indicators reflect rising growth fears, but that may be tested soon…
Insurers walk tightrope of risky corporate credit
Normally among the most conservative of investors, insurers facing shrinking returns and big future payouts are delving increasingly into riskier corporate debt, potentially exposing themselves to defaults and more regulatory…
All about planning and ratings
Don't worry if plan A fails, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet. - Anonymous Recently, shuffling through my "To read books and documents", I came across Pakistan's Annual…
Chinese creditors find even state-backed credit protection has its limits
Since the collapse of China's second-biggest loan guarantor, the state-backed Hebei Financing Investment Guarantee Group, creditors including powerful financial institutions have been trying to get billions of dollars of their…
The IPP negotiations
THE short-sightedness in dishonouring sovereign contracts will haunt us. The government is guaranteeing high power generation costs for years to come. The private sector began participating in capital-intensive power generation…
Big investors steer clear of French debt as government finances creak
Some of the world’s biggest investors are staying away from France’s government debt, feeling underpaid to take on exposure to its deteriorating public finances. France’s budget deficit came in well…
In sickness and in debt: right to health
Muhammad Boota, a domestic worker in Lahore, requires an insulin injection every 10 days to help manage his diabetes. But just one of these injections costs about one-third of his…
