Articles

The Iranian economy will see growth accelerate over the quarters ahead, as European, Russian and Chinese commitment to improving relations with Tehran facilitate an uptick in investment. US primary sanctions, limited credit availability, and various structural impediments will nevertheless prevent a boom in the economy, particularly as hydrocarbon

The prospect of rating upgrades outnumbering downgrades this year and next is higher than at any time since the financial crisis. But credit quality may start to weaken beyond this as ultra-supportive monetary policy is phased out and rising interest rates start to affect funding costs and asset quality. 

"The rating outlook trend is the most

Hungary's per capita GDP convergence with more developed economies in Western Europe will slow over the next decade relative to the pre-crisis period. Among the major headwinds dampening long-term growth prospects will be a shrinking labour force, low levels of capital investment, and weak productivity growth.

We expect the Hungarian economy to

Food security and environmental concerns are driving change in the Asian agribusiness sector, with biofuel mandates being increased and sustainable palm oil certification schemes being strengthened in Indonesia and Malaysia, while agricultural giants such as China and India modernise their production complexes by rationalising support policies and

The new price control methodology which will apply for water companies in England and Wales from April 2020 is credit-negative for the sector as it will increase both financial and business risks, Fitch Ratings says. The latest AMP proposals include the industry regulator's (Ofwat) early view of the much reduced cost of capital, reflecting the

BMI View: 2018 is expected to be a year of peak growth in the construction sector, and we expect dry ports to emerge as a new growth segment of the infrastructure market. Rising risks will emerge in 2018 that have the potential to slow the market, including widespread political risk and poor project development environments hindering Belt and Road

The world's two largest money market funds have both grown rapidly, but for very different reasons. These funds' profiles illustrate structural risk differences between their respective markets.

China's Yu'E Bao (which translates into "leftover treasure") is the world's largest money market fund (MMF), with CNY1.56 trillion (USD233 billion) in

As improving mineral prices prompt a cautious return to growth strategies for major miners, spending will focus on applying advanced technology to operations and mining minerals in demand from the high-tech sector, such as copper, lithium and cobalt. Nonetheless, regulatory uncertainty, particularly in China, will create risks to this otherwise

In 2018, pharmaceutical companies will continue to face an increasing number of external risks to their operations. In an era of fiscal pressures, governments are seeking to control growth in healthcare spending and will disproportionately target expenditure on medicines with mechanisms such as pharmacoeconomics. Furthermore, the relocation of the

Global political risks will remain at extremely high levels in 2018, owing to the North Korean missile crisis, ongoing uncertainty over Brexit, and the seemingly erratic policy backdrop under the US Trump administration. Other significant risks include forthcoming general elections in Italy, and Latin America, all of which present major