Lacklustre demand for Bunds is not something new. As the most expensive bonds in Europe, they have always been a tough sell, but their safe haven status and scarcity value have made them a must have for investors. But recent transactions by Germany’s Finanzagentur show demand is not just lacklustre, but extremely weak. ‘There’s no easy deal right now,’ said a bond syndicate banker. ‘Every day the tone gets slightly worse.’
IMF annual meetings reflected global gloominess By Mark Sobel The annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank wrapped up on 16 October. Thousands of delegates packed into innumerable meetings, seeing each other face-to-face often for the first time in years.
Industrial policy: sounds good, but unsound By Taimur Baig Industrial policy is all the rage in western policy circles these days. But investments in education, scientific undertakings, healthcare and climate change are the elixirs of long-term productivity and prosperity.
MEETINGS Team Europe borrowers forum: a new era for sovereign debt Tuesday 25 October, Seminar Europe’s sovereign borrowers face a dramatically changed environment. This event brings together the three leading issuers of the European Union to discuss how they are managing their borrowing programmes.
ON DEMAND James Athey on inflation, Italy and QT James Athey, investment director at Abrdn, speaks to Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, about the outlook for the European government bond market and the high and rising inflation.
LATEST REPORT Absa Africa Financial Markets Index 2022 Now in its sixth year, the Absa Africa Financial Markets Index evaluates countries’ financial development based on measures of market accessibility, openness and transparency.
