Each week Frontier Strategy Group’s global team shares their view on key media stories, and what the implications are for businesses that operate in emerging markets. For more information about how to contact our analysts, send us an email.
Mark McNamee on “Ukrainian Reform Activists Derail Effort To ‘Destroy’ Anticorruption Body”
“Though a small victory, the anti-corruption movement has been almost completely dismantled, effectively ending Western financial support and risking greater protest action in the coming months. MNCs should prepare for depreciation pressures on the hryvnia in light of the drop in investor sentiment and rising political risks prior to 2019 elections.”
Link to article | Read More of Mark’s Commentary | Have a Question for Mark?
Dalia Naguib on “Non-oil private sector returns to growth”
“For the first time in 25 months, Egypt’s PMI rose above 50, signaling a switch from contraction to expansion in private sector activity. Expansion was largely driven by growth in export orders, showing that businesses are taking advantage of the weak pound and becoming more export-oriented. However, job shedding continued, signaling that consumer demand will remain weak.”
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Josef Jelinek on “China Says It’s Open for Business. Foreign Firms Find It’s Not That Simple.”
“China is making every effort to present itself as being open for business. Its leaders talk of the country’s commitment to a “nondiscriminatory environment for foreign companies,” but the reality on the ground is very different. MNCs have long complained that China discriminates against them, blocks market access, or imposes onerous conditions as a requisite for doing business.”
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Athanasia Kokkinogeni on “Britain and E.U. reach divorce deal to move on to new phase in Brexit talks”
“MNCs should continue with their contingency plans, despite recent progress in the “divorce bill”. The UK and EU 27 move closer to an agreement on EU citizens rights in the UK, and the Ireland issue, prerequisites for the divorce bill to be decided on the December 15 European Council summit. This only opens up discussions for a transition deal, and thus the risk for a no-deal scenario still looms.”
Link to article | Read More of Athanasia’s Commentary | Have a Question for Athanasia?
Zeynep Kosereisoglu on “Saudi King Absent at Gulf Summit Overshadowed by Qatar Crisis”
“The Gulf summit held in Kuwait was proof that strained relations between Qatar and other GCC countries, is inhibiting inter-GCC cooperation. The dysfunctional meeting also showed that Qatar conflict is unlikely to be resolved in the immediate future, increasing pressures on Qatar’s foreign exchange reserves.”
Link to article | Read More of Zeynep’s Commentary | Have a Question for Zeynep?
Alex Schober on “Peronist bloc assures that they will not give the votes, which are key, to remove Cristina Kirchner’s congressional immunity”
“Argentine federal judge Claudio Bonadio requested the removal of Cristina Kirchner’s (CFK) immunity and preventive detention this morning for her alleged role in covering up the AMIA bombing. This assertion will likely be fruitless without an official conviction or indisputable evidence; the Peronist senatorial bloc announced that they will not vote to strip CFK’s immunity without either of those.”
Link to article | Read More of Alex’s Commentary | Have a Question for Alex?
Martin Belchev on “Social networks make Romanians buy more than they need”
“Digital retail continues to gain popularity among Romanian consumers, who are also increasingly more likely to use consumer loans to purchase durable goods. This trend is reflected by the 12.9% YOY growth in retail sales in October, and indicates that MNCs and their partners should consider developing a comprehensive digital strategy in order to capture a bigger share of consumer demand.”
Link to article | Read More of Martin’s Commentary | Have a Question for Martin?