13 March 2026 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 … Continue reading Iran War: Assessing the Economic Fallout
7 August 2023 Africa has underperformed economically for a long time. Per capita GDP has risen less than 1% annually during the past 30 years (chart below); lagging all other emerging market regions during this period (although Latam has also slowed in the past decade). During this interval, meanwhile, output per person in the advanced … Continue reading Africa: Debt Crisis Looming?
2 May 2023 Yes, I concede the Russian economy proved to be more resilient than I expected in 2022. Indeed, Russia's GDP contracted only 2.1% last year compared to my projection that the imposition of sanctions would result in a slump of at least 7%. Of course, one must question the current reliability of Russia's … Continue reading Russia: Recession May Continue into 2024
24 February 2023 The end of China's lockdown, signs global inflation is peaking, and the slower pace of US interest rate hikes have led investors to embrace the prospect of an economic "soft landing". Financial market optimism has been particularly evident in Europe. Indeed, collapsing natural gas prices have led to a 10% rally in … Continue reading Europe: Ukraine Invasion — A Year On