Carolyn's Feed
Feb 20, 2012
via Global Investing

Greece: heading for a credit event?

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Markets have a happy face on today, as they have for much of this year, as investors look forward to the promise of a second bail-out for Greece.

But it all hinges on agreement in debt talks between private sector creditors and the Greek government over the size of the haircut those creditors will have to wear on their Greek bond holdings.

Feb 17, 2012
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Flood of emerging Eurobonds

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The floodgates have opened for emerging market sovereign Eurobond issuers, who have been scrambling to take advantage of the new warm feeling towards riskier assets.

Latest to woo investors is Nigeria, which is on a two-day roadshow finishing today in Zurich, according to Thomson Reuters news and information service IFR.

Feb 10, 2012
via Global Investing

Brazilians hit London town

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Several Brazilian officials turned up bright and early at Thomson Reuters’ offices in London this morning, despite the snow and tricky local infrastructure (malfunctioning Tube trains), for an investment roundtable. (Here’ the  Reuters Insider broadcast of the event)

The officials, including undersecretary for public debt Paulo Valle, have been in London all week talking to bankers and investors. Some of the issues raised today included the continued imposition of the IOF tax on foreign purchases of domestic bonds, corporate governance and debt levels.

Feb 7, 2012
via Global Investing

Biting into offshore renminbi bonds

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McDonalds, Volkswagen, Tesco — they are just a few of the Western companies which have issued offshore bonds denominated in China’s currency, the renminbi, in the past year or so.

The “dim sum” bond market has expanded rapidly in a short space of time, helped by the desire of international companies to get access to funds in an otherwise restricted currency. And why wouldn’t you — China is the world’s second largest economy, its currency is on an appreciation trend — even if slower than the U.S. would like — and growth prospects are still close to double digits, while plenty of Western economies are trying to fight off those minus numbers in their economic data.

Feb 7, 2012

Geopolitics, debt refinancing leave funds wary of Gulf

LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Tensions over Iran, unrest
in Syria and concern about refinancing of upcoming Dubai debt
are making international investors wary of Gulf and other Middle
Eastern markets this year, just as developed markets enjoy fresh
gains.

Storming oil prices and healthy balance sheets among
energy-producing Gulf economies kept these markets on a
relatively even keel last year, as international investors saw
the region as an alternative to the debt-laden euro zone and
United States.

Jan 26, 2012
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About-turn for Ukraine and Belarus debt

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Emerging debt investors are a fickle bunch, even when it comes to neighbouring economies like those of the former Soviet Union.

They are starting to feast their eyes once more on Belarus, which less than a year ago looked close to default, while Ukraine, a favourite of 2010, is going out of fashion.

Jan 26, 2012

Analysis: Demand for emerging corporate debt could sour

LONDON (Reuters) – More emerging market companies are likely to default as the world economy slows and Western banks rein in lending, a risk that is unnerving investors who were snapping up their debt just a year ago.

Emerging market corporate bonds were the top pick for yield-hungry funds in early 2011, encouraged by firms’ strong balance sheets and relatively buoyant growth in domestic demand for consumer goods and financial services within emerging economies.

Jan 26, 2012

Default risks could sour demand for corporate debt

LONDON (Reuters) – More emerging market companies are likely to default as the world economy slows and Western banks rein in lending, a risk that is unnerving investors who were snapping up their debt just a year ago.

Emerging market corporate bonds were the top pick for yield-hungry funds in early 2011, encouraged by firms’ strong balance sheets and relatively buoyant growth in domestic demand for consumer goods and financial services within emerging economies.

Jan 26, 2012

BTA pursues debt restructuring after vote defeat

ALMATY/LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Kazakh bank BTA
will try to persuade angry creditors to accept a
second debt restructuring after failing on Thursday to win
shareholder approval for the proposal it says is imperative for
survival.

BTA, majority owned by Kazakh sovereign wealth fund
Samruk-Kazyna, said it failed to secure the two-thirds majority
required from a shareholders’ vote to pass a resolution for its
second debt restructuring since 2010.

Jan 19, 2012
via Global Investing

Iran looms larger on Gulf radar screens

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Tensions over Iran may be helping to push up oil prices as traders worry about a widespread embargo on the country’s crude oil but markets in neighbouring Gulf energy-rich economies are not benefiting.

One year after the Arab Spring started in Tunisia, investors remain sensitive to political risk in the Middle East.

    • About Carolyn

      "I work in London as part of the Reuters investment strategy editorial team, specialising in emerging and frontier markets. I cover emerging bond, stock and FX markets as well as global market themes, and interview emerging market policy-makers when they attend events in London. I started at Reuters in 1993, writing about foreign exchange, government bonds and Eurobonds before switching to emerging markets."
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