Macroeconomy & Globalization

MILESTONES   By Luca Ventura   The announcement came early in November. Expressing the intention to break the monopoly of the Big Three in the financial ratings industry, credit ratings organizations from five countries proclaimed the launch of ARC Ratings, ...

Yanukovych: Taking the soft option ( Roland Goodman ) The Ukraine in December secured a $15 billion bailout from Russia, along with a promise that the price for Russian gas imports will by slashed by about one-third. So, is this ...

IBM in India: Kind of Blue (Bangalore photo: Vinoo202) IBM's ongoing tussle with Indian authorities shows once again how complicated the tax climate is becoming for multinationals doing business in emerging markets. It also underscores the difficulties in dealing with ...

Azevêdo: Organization man Remember the days when accession to the World Trade Organization was seen as an admittance ticket into the global economy, a prize hugely desired by China and other developing nations? Things have changed slightly in recent years, ...

Mapping out the history of Argentina (foto: Robles Pepe) Think you know what turned Argentina from an early 20 th -century success story into a Wall Street pariah? Economic mismanagement? Culture? A Latin American boom-bust cycle on steroids? Try geography. ...

Global Finance held its 17th annual Best Bank Awards ceremony recently at Washington’s National Press Club.

The prospect of US Fed “tapering” is still taking its toll on Indonesia and India, as both nations face mounting deficits and international pressure for structural reform. 

North Korea has taken modest steps in recent weeks to liberalize its economy by introducing new special economic zones (SEZs), loosening currency exchange restrictions and strengthening foreign trade relationships.

COUNTRY REPORT   Despite the change of leadership Qatar has undergone, the new emir is expected to follow his father’s lead, building on the country’s early economic gains by diversifying beyond oil and gas.

In a widely anticipated cabinet reshuffle at the end of October, Peruvian president Ollanta Humala appointed 67-year-old Cesar Villanueva the country’s new prime minister, the fourth of his four-year term.

Despite recurrent anti-government protests and corruption scandals, Slovenia, the tiny Adriatic republic of just over two million, ranks as the 24th-most-prosperous country in the world, according to the annual Legatum Institute Prosperity Index, which ranks 142 countries by criteria like entrepreneurship and opportunity and personal freedom as well as economy.

While Central Europe appears to be recovering from the effects of the global economic downturn, Southeastern Europe is in for a rougher ride.

Telecommunications was the most active industry sector for mergers and acquisitions during the first nine months of 2013 and remained active in October.

Oil may be the liquid that drives many of the economies in the Middle East, but the spread of the Internet has unleashed a new generation of tech-entrepreneurs and start-ups, fueling hopes of a non-oil economy for the future.

Doing Business: Who Improved The Most In 2012/13 “In 2012/13, 29 economies implemented three or more reforms improving their business regulatory systems as measured by Doing Business. Ten stand out as having narrowed the distance to frontier the most. Together, ...

Global energy markets are attending closely to recent natural gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean and their implications for the availability and pricing of energy resources.

Africa continues to outperform other emerging markets, but not all of its 54 countries are moving at the same pace when it comes to political, economic and social developments.

As African countries increasingly appear on investors’ radars, the world’s newest country, South Sudan, is forging ahead with its drive to attract foreign investment.

There is a new definition of the emerging markets and their characteristics that confutes many old and accepted axioms; for example, the idea that the cost of labor is cheaper in developing countries, or that governance is more advanced and regulations are more enforced in developed countries.

Global Finance sat down with John Alan James, executive director, Pace University Center for Global Governance, Reporting & Regulation. James’s distinguished career in management consulting, governance and academia spans 25 years in Europe and more than 20 years in Asia.