Asia: Hormuz — Energy Security & Transition

In an earlier blog "Iran: Assessing the Economic Fallout", I identified Asia as the most vulnerable region to the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Subsequently, financial markets have reflected these risks. Indeed, countries from Pakistan to the Philippines have taken recent measures to cope with the economic fallout. Now, [...]

Iran War: Assessing the Economic Fallout

The US-Israeli attacks on Iran, and the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have sent oil prices soaring above $100 per barrel. With the war now two weeks old, I consider some of the economic and financial market fallout. As the consequences will increase the longer the conflict continues, the failure of the Trump [...]

India: Unlocking Its Full Potential

20 February 2026 As long ago as my 2019 blog "India: Long Growth Runway Ahead", I outlined why India's economy and financial markets would outperform China in the coming decade. And, indeed, India has enjoyed the strongest GDP growth amongst all major economies during the past 10 years (Chart below). As a result, India became [...]

Emerging Markets: Coping with Trump 2.0

2 November 2025 Potus 47 now has returned from his Asian visit: unsurprisingly using superlatives to describe the trade agreements reached with Japan, Korea, and China. Upon taking office, Mr. Trump pledged to impose high tariffs against countries with large bilateral trade imbalances, espcially those conducting "unfair" trade practices with the USA. Potus 47 now [...]