US operation in Venezuela seized Maduro; AI rally renewed. Hassett tipped as Trump’s next Fed chair. Russian crude exports hold up via Asia; Korea offers repatriation tax breaks to support won. Argentina passes Milei budget; Fitch: Ukraine up, Gabon down.
ECB held; BoE cut 25bp; BoJ hiked 25bp; Thailand/Chile/Mexico eased. US announced $11bn Taiwan arms & blocked Venezuelan oil; EU okayed €90bn Ukraine loan. Fitch/S&P upgrades; Colombia downgraded; Argentina unveiled new FX plan.
Fed cut 25bp plus $40bn/month T-bill buys. BOE set to cut, BOJ to hike; EM MPCs in focus. $52bn tech investment in India; IMF okays $1.2bn for Pakistan. Chile elects Kast; Vietnam FDI 5y high; ratings mixed (Oman up, Hungary down).
US operation in Venezuela seized Maduro; AI rally renewed. Hassett tipped as Trump’s next Fed chair. Russian crude exports hold up via Asia; Korea offers repatriation tax breaks to support won. Argentina passes Milei budget; Fitch: Ukraine up, Gabon down.
ECB held; BoE cut 25bp; BoJ hiked 25bp; Thailand/Chile/Mexico eased. US announced $11bn Taiwan arms & blocked Venezuelan oil; EU okayed €90bn Ukraine loan. Fitch/S&P upgrades; Colombia downgraded; Argentina unveiled new FX plan.
Fed cut 25bp plus $40bn/month T-bill buys. BOE set to cut, BOJ to hike; EM MPCs in focus. $52bn tech investment in India; IMF okays $1.2bn for Pakistan. Chile elects Kast; Vietnam FDI 5y high; ratings mixed (Oman up, Hungary down).
ChatGPT said: Markets navigated rising political and geopolitical noise as Brazilian election tensions grew, the US moved toward a well-telegraphed December rate cut with a data-dependent path in 2026, and commodities threatened to disrupt disinflation.
EM local bonds stayed strong despite choppy markets, as UK/German policy stayed on a consolidation/investment path. India and South Korea surprised with strong growth, while EM sovereigns like Zambia and Qatar saw rating support.
Risk-off sentiment reversed as US liquidity expanded and bond yields recovered. NVIDIA earnings bolstered AI sector. Ukraine, South Korea, Malaysia, and Brazil saw trade progress; Mexico's economy contracted but recovery expected.
EM assets extended their outperformance as supportive macro conditions held firm, with Ghana and Colombia showing policy progress and S&P issuing mixed rating actions across Nigeria, South Africa and Senegal.
China issued tight 3- and 5-year bonds. Multiple nations accessed Eurobond markets; Congo returned after 18 years. US shutdown neared resolution; job cuts surged to 153k. Democrats won electorally. European carmakers rebounded. Ghana's inflation hit 8.0%
EM equities up a 10th month. US-China truce delays rare earth curbs; US inks deals with Thailand, Cambodia & Malaysia; tariffs remain. Fed cuts 25bp with split. India announces market/strategic metals reforms. Korea lifted by Nvidia’s 260k GPU sale.
Attending the IMF World Economic Outlook Forum provided reassurance that the global macro environment favours risk assets, especially EM/FM. Debasement fears are overblown. AI capex and Fed support keep spirits high.
Watch the replay now to see why we believe Frontier Markets could merit a strategic allocation across both Fixed Income and Equities in today’s global backdrop.
US–China agree trade framework; China prioritises tech and posts 22% y/y profit rebound. US sanctions Russian refineries. BI seen easing to ~3.5%. SK–US talks stall. Argentina’s ruling party wins midterms. Moody’s puts US tariffs on Mexico at 7.5%.
US private-credit failures lift risk; oil flips to contango; Trump reverses Ukraine Tomahawks; Israel-Hamas truce collapses after 2 Israeli soldiers shot; China credit weak; S Korea tightens property; US $40bn for Argentina; Mexico eyes excise hikes.
An insightful discussion on the fast-growing Shariah investment opportunities in Emerging Markets, offering Shariah investors the potential to benefit from the growth and diversification offered by Emerging Markets.