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Key View

• The Australian banking sector has strong capital adequacy, and all banks in the market comfortably exceed the minimum regulatory capital requirement by a considerable margin.
• We expect that there will be a slight rise in non-performing loans over the remainder of 2024 as tight monetary conditions and weakening corporate earnings from slowing

Key View

• We maintain our view that Ursula von der Leyen is likely to be the next European Commission President. 
• However, risks to this view have risen since von der Leyen’s open advances towards the far-right European Conservatives and Reformists party.
• Although officials in the French government have recently confirmed that they are considering

Latest Development: The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) has launched the Transform 4.0 initiative, with the aim of accelerating digital transformation (DX) across the UAE's manufacturing sector. The scheme involves extending technological and business knowledge transfer to 100 'high-potential manufacturers in digitalisation'

Key View 

• The Egyptian authorities’ decision to unify the exchange rates and substantial FX inflows are positive for the banking sector, allowing them to shift to net foreign asset position.
• Banks will be able to weather the impact of the currency sell-off on their balance sheet and capital position. 
• Lending activity will remain structurally weak due

Key View:

• The relationship between New Zealand voters and the centre-right National Party-led coalition government is showing signs of strain as voter discontent appears to be on the rise. 
• The latest Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll for May 2024 indicates a significant decline in support for the NP, reaching its lowest point since the elections in

Key View

• In line with USDA forecasts, we expect that West African cotton production will increase in the 2024/25 season due to favourable weather forecasts and an increase in harvested area.
• Although the expected increase in production for 2024/25 is positive for the West African cotton industry, we highlight that production is still below 2021/22

Key View

• We now expect that the Banque Central du Congo (BCC) will cut its benchmark policy rate by 1,000 basis points (bps) from 25.00% to 15.00% by end-2024—against our previous forecast of a year-end rate of 10.00%—following a decision to maintain the current policy rate at its Q2 2024 meeting.
• While sticky inflation disincentivised a policy pivot