Articles

Plans to expand US sanctions on Hizbullah, which would have had a negative impact on the Lebanese banking sector, have been watered down, in a positive development for the sector. This will enable banks to continue to grow deposits and assets at a robust pace, driven by improving confidence in the economy and a loyal depositor base.

We believe

The near collapse of private bank Otkritie will not pose a systematic risk to the Russian banking sector, supported by central bank interventions aimed at ensuring stability. However, the failure highlights that some smaller players remain vulnerable amid an in increase in risk aversion. This is turn will encourage further consolidation

Despite the launch of two new models, we believe that iOS 11 will have more impact than the new iPhones, because it will include AR apps. We see AR as the greatest differentiator for Apple, whose scale can drive the development of the ecosystem, boosting its long-term services revenue growth and its attempt at greater diversification.

During its

A hypothetical rapid rise in Amazon's U.S. apparel market share could have significant credit implications for existing retailers, REITs and CMBS transactions. Sharp declines in retailer revenue and margins and accelerated store closings would likely drive significant cash flow erosion and weaken credit profiles for apparel-focused retailers, mall

BMI View : We are revising our passenger car production forecast to a contraction of 0.8% in 2017, down from growth of 1.7% previously, as a downturn in car demand in one of the country's key export markets, the Middle East, weighs on local autos manufacturing.

Having previously expected a revival in domestic vehicle sales and robust demand

Heightened tension over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme could have a substantial impact on South Korea's economy and cause broader effects if it disrupts trade relations, most notably between China and the US. Nevertheless, the risk of an outright conflict, while rising, is still low

The North Korean issues are long-standing and have shown

The limited reach of Tunisia's wireline infrastructure means that mobile networks have shouldered the burden of fast-maturing digital services consumption. This is not sustainable even with 4G technology. A national wholesale network operator would spread the load and make it easier to launch and grow the use of advanced services, benefiting the

Sanofi Pasteur maintains that a public-private partnership approach over the Zika public health emergency was the right course to take, but, given the considerable opposition over the firm's exclusive licence to patents developed through public funds, this has proved to be a useful case study for managing such contracts in the future. Companies

Vietnam is set to join the list of Southeast Asian countries that are seeking to impose a sugar tax on soft drinks. The country has relatively low levels of obesity (traditionally the rationale behind a sugar tax) and so will be looking to stymie the threat of this disease, as we forecast demand for carbonated beverages to increase.

The Vietnamese

BMI View: The ninth annual summit of the BRICS did not result in any 'groundbreaking' initiatives, but we can nevertheless glean several key takeaways: the diversity of the BRICS means few common goals are identified; trade liberalisation is being pushed by China; and India is encouraging cooperation in moving the economies up the value chain.

The