Economics & Country Risk

With comprehensive data, economic and risk forecasting models, country and sovereign risk ratings, industry forecasts, and analysis of commodity prices, Economics & Country Risk identifies market opportunities and risks.

Global

Macroeconomic conditions continue to be challenging for global markets. Supply chain issues, pandemic regulations, and geopolitical conflict impact markets and create structural risks that carry across borders

EMEA

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, continue to be affected by geopolitical conflict and changing trade flows. Rising interest rates, energy and food prices, and fear of recession will define the immediate future for these economies.

Americas

The fight to control inflation and shifting trade flows will create challenges for economies in North and South America.

APAC

The anticipated end to pandemic restrictions will drive economic growth in the immediate future. But demographic changes and changing trade flows could signal trouble on the horizon.

China in Focus

Torn between confrontation and collaboration, China continues to experience economic growth despite secular challenges in real estate and banking.

Emerging Markets

Emerging market economies are set to experience continued challenges as geopolitical risks flare, inflation increases, interest rates rise, and financing conditions tighten.

Credit Markets

Over the past decade, global debt leverage has been trending upward—and most recently exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. After an unprecedented era of easy credit, what will be the impact when the cycle turns?

Banking

Even as signs of normalization from the coronavirus-caused economic downturn sprout across countries, the pandemic is pressuring global banking sectors as they balance declining asset quality and creditworthiness with increasing demand for lending.

Insurance

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reshaped global insurance markets. Its impacts are largely felt through asset risks, notably capital markets volatility, and weaker premium growth prospects.

Digital Assets

Digital assets have moved from the fringes to the mainstream as new technologies, new players, and new concerns transform the market. From sovereigns to startups, everyone needs to know DeFI now.

Financial Services

Insights from our monthly Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI™) survey data enable financial and corporate professionals to better understand where economies and markets are headed and uncover opportunities.

Market Dynamics

The higher the volatility, the riskier the security. Current conditions are sending notable fluctuations across capital markets and commodities prices. Against this backdrop, understanding market dynamics has never been so crucial.

Private Markets

Private markets aren't just growing, they're evolving. Fundamental shifts in business models, the search for yield, and a focus on new sectors and asset classes are raising the profile of private markets and bringing new players and investors to the table

Global Trade Activity

The global economy has never been so connected—nor so prone to disruption. Geopolitics, international events, extreme weather, and supply chain pressures can cause ripple effects across countries and industries.

Supply Chains

While much of the world is rebounding from the COVID-19 crisis’ economic downturn, global supply chains are facing continuing pressures from changes in consumption patterns, surging demand for goods, shortages of workers, and pre-existing political pressures.

Maritime & Shipping

The inhibiting effects of region’s varying coronavirus conditions have been transmitted globally through trade relations—and are evident in maritime and shipping prices and processes.

Geopolitics

Geopolitical tensions are surging and core inflation is expected to move higher. The U.S. Federal Reserve and other major central banks around the world are preparing to tighten monetary policy, banks’ liquidity may be reduced and financing conditions could worsen.

Agribusiness

Agriculture feeds the global community. Discover what’s driving the production, trade, prices, and performance of corn, sugar, soybeans, pork, vegetable oils, and other food commodities.

Chemicals

The chemicals market, which involves the oil, midstream, downstream, and renewable fuel sectors, is set to experience rapid change due to changing economic conditions spurred by the pandemic and a new world aspiring to carbon neutrality.

Energy Transition

The heightened urgency of the climate crisis has accelerated calls to action for the global energy industry to shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption—including oil, natural gas, and coal—to renewable energy sources.

Metals & Mining

Metals markets have watched prices move sharply higher as geopolitical tensions weigh on the availability of palladium, aluminum, nickel, and other key commodities.

Oil & Gas

The oil and gas industries are having to learn to adapt in a world that's pushing for cleaner energy, facing geopolitical tensions and supply chain pressures, and experiencing high prices.

Climate Risk & Resilience

Climate-exacerbated disasters cost companies and investors billions. Natural capital costs were 77% higher than net income for major global companies in 2019, and 66% of such companies will have at least one asset under high physical risk in 2050.

Social Equity

The ESG conversation is evolving rapidly as investors, corporates, and the public give more priority to the ‘S’ in ESG—including social issues like stakeholder capitalism, gender and racial diversity, income inequality, worker safety, and companies' broader role in society.

Sustainable Finance

S&P; Global Ratings anticipates global sustainable debt issuance will surpass $1 trillion in 2021. This comes after green bonds grew from virtually nothing in 2012 to $282.05 billion in 2020 and social bond issuance surged during the COVID-19 crisis.

The Path to Net-Zero

Net-zero and carbon neutral commitments are on the rise as companies, financial institutions, and countries pledge to cut emissions as much as possible and offset the rest. Despite an increase of engagement and collaboration on the international stage, progress to date has been worryingly slow.

Sustainability Regulation & Standards

Investors are demanding transparency. Policymakers and regulators are imposing disclosure requirements. Companies are backing the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. But a patchwork of reporting frameworks keeps ESG data uneven.

Technology & Media

Technological disruption is the driving change agent for businesses, their competitive and industrial dynamics, and capital markets that fund growth. Media—including broadcast, cable, cinema, OTT, and telecom—is creating the culture and information channels of the future.

Cyber Risk

In an increasingly digital world, the growing frequency of cyberattacks is a concern for companies worldwide.

Automotive

Start your engines and drive your decision-making to your destination with observations and insights from our global automotive industry experts on the market’s technology, production, product strategies, sales, and marketing.