In October 2018, S&P Global Ratings issued a stark warning pertaining to China’s mounting debt problems. According to the ratings agency, the country’s local governments may be sitting on a pile of debt worth up to 40 trillion yuan ($6 trillion).
Emerging markets are already looking forward to 2019, glad to see 2018 nearly behind them. It turned out not to be a good year for emerging markets as a whole, after being on top of the world in 2017. Factors beyond their control—such as the monetary-tightening regime in the United States and high-flying dollar, trade wars and market corrections in developed economies—are largely to blame, but recognizing this will not erase the pain.
The road ahead for investment banks remains bumpy and curvy, and navigating it will require that each institution take bold action to enact the business model that will enhance its strengths in today’s challenging economic climate. Despite some recent gains, factors such as high costs and product complexity are still weighing the sector down.
The fears of a Brexit-inspired recession seem to be receding fast. Fresh data is emerging that shows that the British economy is performing more robustly than originally expected.