Magazine Cover

Cover Story

Cover: Global Impact Of US Energy Boom

THE NEW OIL RUSH   By Michael Shari   As the US inches closer to its elusive goal of energy independence, the economic ripple effect promises to leave no region or industry of the world untouched.   Few would argue ...

Features

Special Report: Asset Nationalization

WAKE-UP CALL   By Laurence Neville   The expropriation of private assets in Argentina and Bolivia are a stark reminder of the risk of doing business in developing markets.   Nationalization of the political sort—as opposed to pragmatism designed to ...

Award Winners

Best Islamic Financial Firms 2012

LANDMARK YEAR   By Anita Hawser   Last year was a landmark year for Islamic finance—innovative new products were launched and new markets opened up that few would have considered likely candidates just a few years ago.   These trends ...

Emerging Markets

EM News: Building Frontier Markets Access

EMERGING MARKETS INVESTOR: NEWS   By Gordon Platt   The development of new frontier indexes in both the fixed-income and equity markets is making it easier for institutional investors to trade often risky and illiquid securities out of just-developing markets.   ...

Emerging Markets Roundup: India

S&P, CITING POLICY PARALYSIS, CUTS INDIA’S RATINGS OUTLOOK   By Aaron Chaze   S&P cut India’s sovereign credit rating outlook to negative in April in response to growing paralysis in government policy.   India’s rating remains at BBB-, the lowest investment-grade ...

Emerging Markets Roundup: Middle East

SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS JUMP INTO THE MARKETS By Gordon Platt Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are once again dipping their toes in markets worldwide, even those that saw investments last year grow cold. Saudi power company launches landmark sukuk ...

Company to Watch: Mr Price / South Africa

RETAILER EXPANDS IN NIGERIA   By Gordon Platt   Mr Price Group has developed a successful retail formula in South Africa that could work well in markets across Africa.   The majority of Mr Price’s 1000-plus stores are in South Africa, ...

Global Salon

Global Salon: Instability And Finance

INSTABILITY AND FINANCE   By Paula Green   Global Finance sat down with noted author and international economist James K. Galbraith to hear his views on political instability, its relation to income inequality, and what the implications are for the ...

Supplements

Country Report

Country Report: Russia

BATTLING THE STATUS QUO   By Justin Keay   Although the government has pledged to improve the business clime, foreign investors remain skeptical that much-needed reform will happen—at least in the short term.   Russia is in a state of ...

Milestones

Danish Banks Fire Moody’s For “Business Reasons”

MILESTONES: DENMARK   By Gordon Platt   Moody’s Investors Service says something is rotten in Denmark’s mortgage industry. The country’s banks are still issuing interest-only loans, years after the real-estate bubble burst.   Copenhagen still home to interest-free mortgages Meanwhile, Denmark’s household ...

Corporate Finance

FX: Europe’s Crisis Deepens Euro Worry

CORPORATE FINANCING NEWS: FOREIGN EXCHANGE   By Gordon Platt   The euro is likely to decline against the dollar in the medium term, due to political uncertainty in Europe and weak economic conditions, analysts say.   “The eurozone debt crisis is ...

Newsmakers

No Joy For Rajoy

NEWSMAKERS: SPAIN   By Anita Hawser   Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy is probably glad he is not running for office at present.   Tough task to sort out Spanish banks Photo Credit : MATTHI/ Shutterstock.com Having swept to power in elections ...

Profumo Starts With A Splash At Monte Dei Paschi

NEWSMAKERS: ITALY   By Luca Ventura   When Tuscan bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena appointed the charismatic Alessandro Profumo as its new chairman in late April, the news made headlines around the world.   Profumo is ready for the challenge ...

The Fate Of Europe In The Balance

NEWSMAKERS: FRANCE   By Luca Ventura   French president-elect François Hollande is a flag-bearer for adding growth incentives to a European fiscal agreement, rather than just doling out austerity measures.   Hollande elated at defeating Sarkozy Photo Credit : SKPHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock.com ...

The Still-Seamy Underbelly Of Energy Trading

NEWSMAKERS: UNITED STATES   By Gordon Platt   As the tide went out for natural gas prices, it revealed that the seamy underbelly of the energy-trading business hasn’t changed a great deal since the days of Enron.   McClendon ran a hedge ...