Emerging Markets Economics Update Three market-moving EM elections to watch this year Elections in Brazil, Colombia and Hungary have the greatest potential to deliver large financial market moves this year. A shift towards more investor-friendly policymaking and improved fiscal... 28th January 2026 · 6 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Costa Rica’s election: the macro implications Costa Rica’s ruling party looks set to hold onto power at the general election on 1st February. A more fragmented legislature – as seems likely – may make it harder to pass reforms, including measures... 26th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Brazil: some signs of cooling in the labour market Brazil’s labour market has been a key pillar of strength during the post-pandemic boom, but there are signs that conditions are now starting to cool. While this should take some pressure off wage... 15th January 2026 · 5 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Venezuela’s potentially messy sovereign debt restructuring Venezuela faces one of the largest and most complex sovereign debt restructurings on record. A high debt ratio, a complex array of creditors, deep-rooted issues in Venezuela’s oil sector as well as... 13th January 2026 · 6 mins read
Latin America Economics Update BanRep to hike but market pricing looking too aggressive The bumper minimum wage hike in Colombia will probably push inflation above 6% this year and prompt the central bank to hike its policy rate at this month’s meeting. We’ve pencilled in a 50bp interest... 12th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Commodities Update 5 key questions on the “shadow fleet” The seizure of the Marinera oil tanker by the US has put the “shadow fleet” under the spotlight, with some estimates suggesting it now accounts for ~20% of global tanker capacity. While a concerted... 8th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Commodities Update A primer on Venezuela’s oil sector In light of the acute attention on Venezuela’s oil sector, this Update answers five key questions on the potential for oil production in the country. 7th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Venezuela’s economy post-Maduro: some lessons from history It’s still far too early to say if Venezuela’s post-Maduro government will seek to reverse the past few decades of economic mismanagement. But if it does, the experience from countries in Eastern... 7th January 2026 · 5 mins read
Latin America Economics Update What next for Venezuela? Venezuela’s economy has suffered one of the largest contractions in GDP during peacetime which in part reflects woes in its oil sector, but also the undermining of private businesses and the... 5th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Commodities Update Venezuela’s vast energy potential to remain untapped Despite President Trump’s obvious desire for US oil companies to ramp up activity in Venezuela, lower oil prices and political uncertainty will frustrate efforts to exploit its vast energy potential... 5th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Commodities Update Venezuela blockade poses limited upside to oil prices The US blockade on sanctioned oil from Venezuela crystallises a key risk that has overshadowed the oil market in recent months. That said, the upside risks for oil prices are limited, not least... 17th December 2025 · 4 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Argentina’s FX shift will still leave the peso overvalued The announcement by Argentina’s central bank that it will widen the peso’s trading bands is a step in the right direction, but it won’t be enough to bring the peso closer to its fair value. With the... 16th December 2025 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update What Kast’s victory means for Chile Chilean markets appear to have largely already priced in José Antonio Kast’s victory in the second round of the presidential election yesterday – and the prospect of stronger public finances and more... 15th December 2025 · 4 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Colombia: shifting towards interest rate hikes? There’s a growing debate about whether the Colombian central bank will hike rates. And several plausible triggers – from a pre-election spending spree to a bumper minimum wage hike – could tip the MPC... 2nd December 2025 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update AI boom fuelling Mexico’s exports The sharp rise in Mexico’s goods exports in October underscores that the country’s external sector has continued to fare well in the face of US tariffs. That has been helped by a surge in sales of... 27th November 2025 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Brazil’s easing cycle likely to be deeper than most expect Brazil’s monetary policy stance is extremely tight – the policy rate is at its highest level since the mid-2000s. With GDP growth likely to disappoint and inflation softening, there should be ample... 17th November 2025 · 4 mins read
