Today's Emerging Markets Pulse
India and U.S. forge $20 billion critical minerals framework
India and the United States signed a bilateral framework in New Delhi on May 26 to cooperate on critical minerals and rare‑earth supply chains. The pact covers mining, processing, recycling and project financing and could mobilise up to $20 billion, tapping India’s estimated 13 million tonnes of monazite deposits.
How Iran Is Repricing Geography
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has tabled a proposal to safeguard Persian Gulf shipping, mirroring the Black Sea grain corridor that kept vital routes open during Ukraine’s war. Iran, traditionally wary of external maritime regulations, appears cautiously receptive to collaborating with the IMO on the plan. The initiative seeks to formalize navigation corridors, enforce vessel tracking, and establish rapid‑response mechanisms for incidents. If adopted, the framework could reshape regional trade flows and reduce insurance premiums for carriers operating in the volatile Gulf.
France Joins Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, India, and Others in Europe and Asia to Recover From Oil Shock and...
France, together with Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, India and other nations, is accelerating recovery from the recent oil shock and inflation as US‑Iran peace talks in Islamabad gain momentum. If the negotiations succeed, they could end the Middle East...
Death‑Cross on S&P 500 Triggers Bearish Alert as Jio IPO Talks Heat Up
A death‑cross on the S&P 500—where the 50‑day moving average slipped below the 200‑day line—was triggered on Tuesday, prompting short‑term traders to brace for a pullback. The signal emerged as markets digested Jio Platforms' $4 bn IPO plans and Motilal Oswal's...
The Man Who Wired Africa
Dare Okoudjou, a Benin‑born telecom engineer, founded MFS Africa—now rebranded as Onafriq—to build the continent’s underlying payments rail. The network interconnects more than 500 million mobile wallets and 200 million bank accounts across 40 African nations, turning a fragmented ecosystem into a...
Solar Power Could Slash ASEAN Energy Costs by $67 B, Halving Gas Expenses
Ember’s latest study shows that swapping ASEAN’s planned gas‑fired capacity for solar would save the region up to $67 billion and reduce electricity generation costs by roughly 50%. The finding arrives as LNG prices surge after disruptions in the Strait of...
India's Sensex and Nifty Jump Near 2% as Crude Slumps 5% on US‑Iran Ceasefire Hopes
The Sensex climbed 1.89% and the Nifty rose 1.78% after crude oil prices fell 5% on reports of a possible US‑Iran ceasefire. The rally was reinforced by Reliance Industries' first Iranian crude purchase since 2019, signaling renewed confidence in energy...
US 15‑point War Plan Lifts Stocks, Drops Yields
The heavy flow of War-related news continues this morning, with reports ranging from corroborative to contradictory. On a net basis—and mainly reflecting news that the US has proposed a “15-point plan to end the war”—bond yields and oil prices are down...
Amid Struggles at Home, 80% of Chinese Companies in EU Plan More Investment
A recent survey by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the EU finds that almost 80% of Chinese companies operating in Europe plan to increase investment, despite citing policy uncertainty. In contrast, only 38% of European firms intend to expand...
GO-BRICS Synthesis: How 15,000 Young Innovators Are Turning Crisis Into Development
The First International BRICS Countries Hackathon GO‑BRICS Synthesis brought together 15,000 young scientists and engineers from Russia and India to address energy‑security challenges amid a global crisis. Organized under the BRICS International Forum and the GO‑BRICS Business Forum, the event...
Yannis Stournaras: The Greek Economy Ten Years After the Crisis - Lessons for National Economies, the Eurozone and Future Challenges
Greek central banker Yannis Stournaras reflected on a decade after Greece’s debt crisis, highlighting how fiscal consolidation, debt restructuring and deep structural reforms restored macro‑economic stability and turned a primary deficit into a surplus. He noted that the banking sector’s...
Designing Water‐smart AI Datacentres in GCC and MENA
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the world’s most water‑stressed region, yet it aims to become a global AI hub. Analysts forecast GCC hyperscale datacenters could consume 426 billion litres of water annually by 2030, dwarfing the already limited...
Follow the Money: Finance and the Future of Allied Economic Statecraft
Finance is emerging as the core instrument of modern economic statecraft, linking public priorities with private capital to shape critical sectors such as defense, infrastructure, manufacturing, and AI. The generative‑AI boom highlights how massive, capital‑intensive projects—like a one‑gigawatt data center...
Oil Prices Drop 5% Amid Hopes of Ceasefire in the War in West Asia, Brent Below $100
Oil prices plunged about 5% on Wednesday as optimism grew that a US‑Iran cease‑fire could be negotiated, pushing Brent crude below $100 per barrel and WTI to $88.31. The decline follows a recent peak near $119, but ongoing strikes and...
Trump‑Iran Talks Spark Hormuz Oil Fears, Lift Prices
Trump Iran talks revived Strait of Hormuz oil flow fears and pushed global energy prices higher. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/trump-iran-talks-put-strait-of-hormuz.html
Saudi Red Sea Exports Avert Major Hormuz Oil Disruption
Saudi oil exports from its Western ports on the Red Sea represented the most immediate and largest mitigation of the Hormuz crisis. Logically, any oil transported via pipelines from east to west and loaded at the Red Sea ports must be...
Vietnam‑Russia Nuclear Plant Agreement Announced, Details Undisclosed
Vietnam and Russia announced a partnership to build a nuclear power plant, yet the agreement’s financial size, capacity and schedule were not disclosed in the available reports. The deal highlights both countries’ interest in expanding low‑carbon energy amid rising climate‑tech...
US Navy's Proximity Stalls Commercial Traffic in Hormuz
And Trump just explained why there’s virtually no commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz right now. The Lincoln is ~600 miles off Iran’s coast. That gives it several minutes of warning time, plus an entire air wing, three destroyers, a...
Markets Rally on Hope for US‑Israel Iran Peace Plan
Hope Lifts Stocks and Bonds: There continues to be hope in the capital and commodity markets that a US-Israel war on Iran can be brought to a conclusion soon. While news reports indicate that the US had drafted a 15-point...
Taliban Frees American Academic Dennis Coyle After Year‑Long Detention
The Taliban released American linguist Dennis Coyle in Kabul on Eid al‑Fitr, ending a 15‑month detention. U.S. officials welcomed the move but warned that dozens of other Americans remain held, keeping bilateral tensions high.
Thailand May Hike Power Rates 18% Amid Middle East Conflict
Thailand is hiking power prices due to the conflict in the Middle East 🇹🇭 ⚠️ Power rates may be increased by as much as 18% for the May-Aug. billing period due to higher fuel costs Other gas importers are...
India's Economy Crippled by Gulf Dependence Amid Iran War
#IndiaWatch 🇮🇳: As the Iranian war drags on, India takes an economic hit. Eighty percent of Indian gas imports, forty percent of Indian oil imports, and forty percent of India’s remittances depend on the Gulf. MODI SHOULD SEND TRUMP AND NETANYAHU A...
Africa’s 4.3% Growth Forecast Stumbles Over Power‑Infrastructure Gap
Fresh projections put Africa’s economy on a 4.3% expansion path in 2026, with East Africa hitting 5.8%, outpacing most developed markets. The surge is being throttled by chronic power‑infrastructure deficits that cost the continent billions each year.
Asia Cuts LNG Imports to Free Gas for Europe
This is why there is so much focus on gas demand destruction 👇 Importers (particularly those in emerging Asia) will need to take less LNG to free-up more for Europe and other richer nations the longer Hormuz/Qatar is shut
China Gas Prices Surge 20% Since Iran War
Gas prices in China jumped 20% since the war in Iran began. This is big. It affects 300 million drivers. CHAIRMAN XI SHOULD SEND A BILL FOR DAMAGES TO TRUMP & NETANYAHU. https://t.co/5AEwfc2iWb
Boao Forum Projects 4.5% Growth for Asia in 2026, Cementing Its Role as Global Engine
The Boao Forum for Asia released a report projecting a 4.5% expansion of the Asian economy in 2026, keeping the continent as the world’s primary growth engine. The outlook, unveiled at the annual Hainan summit, is expected to steer investment...
Fed Says China's Exports Driven by Constrained Household Consumption
1/5 This new paper by the Fed concludes that China's export success stems from weak domestic demand "rooted in structural features of China's economy and financial system—particularly those that constrain household consumption." https://t.co/jplDeN5d6g
US Brigade Plan Risks Escalation Into Iran's Oil Heart
US weighing deployment of a combat brigade to take Kharg, repair airfields Supply lines would follow That’s a blueprint for escalation into Iran’s oil heart MARKETS AREN’T READY FOR THAT OUTCOME #IranWar #Oil #Hormuz #Geopolitics #EnergyMarkets https://t.co/ekbkXerzjV
India's Private Sector PMI Slips to 3‑Year Low Amid Middle East War
HSBC's flash PMI shows India's private sector output index fell to 56.5 in March, the lowest level since October 2022. The slowdown is tied to the Middle East war, rising input costs and weaker domestic demand, raising concerns for investors...
Morning Brief Podcast: Markets May Be Misreading This War: UBS’ Chief Strategist
UBS chief strategist Bhanu Baweja warns that the escalating Middle East conflict could generate an oil supply shock far larger than the Russia‑Ukraine war, a risk markets are currently under‑estimating. He argues investors are applying a short‑shock mindset, overlooking the...
Vietnam, India Scaling Cooperation for Digital Transformation
Vietnam and India are scaling strategic cooperation in electronics and information technology, highlighted at a New Delhi business forum. The two governments and industry leaders discussed joint opportunities in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. By linking Vietnam’s...
Crackdown Targets Use of Thai Proxies
Thailand will tighten controls on nominee shareholders starting April 1, requiring managing partners or authorized directors to certify that all shareholders have genuinely invested their own funds. The new Order 1/2026 expands registration rules, forwarding high‑risk individuals to the Central Investigation Bureau...
Trump Pushes Iran Ceasefire to Keep Strait Open
So Trump admin is [rightly] panicking about the Strait of Hormuz so they’re going to try to get Iran to agree to a 1-month ceasefire to negotiate during which I’m sure Trump wants the Strait open Iran’s main leverage is the...
Global Unity Needed: Conflict Ends, Markets Rebound
You know what I would tell people on the street? To keep calm and remain optimistic. You have to keep in mind that EVERY NATION has stake in the game, whether it’s the Middle East, the US, China, Japan, it...
Iran Is Testing a Selective Strait of Hormuz Strategy that Could Deliver Another Shock to Oil Markets
Iran is testing a selective passage strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only certain vessels to transit the waterway. Analysts describe the approach as a calibrated tactic that balances political leverage with economic self‑preservation. By targeting specific ships, Tehran...
Chaos in Middle East Markets Creates Trading Edge
The Middle East is on a KNIFE'S EDGE 🔪 Ceasefire talks. Marines steaming toward Hormuz. Saudis sharpening their knives. Oil dumping on every headline 🛢️💥 Markets are an absolute WARZONE right now But here's the cold hard truth... CHAOS = EDGE for those who...
ADB Preps Support for Asia Amid Middle East Conflict
The Asian Development Bank announced a rapid assistance package for its developing member countries to cushion the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict. The plan combines fast‑disbursing budget support through its Counter‑cyclical Support Facility and a Trade and Supply...
EM Rally and Strong Dollar: Unsustainable, Breaks Quickly
EM rallying while the dollar firms is a tough combo to sustain. If it breaks, it breaks fast. Where does the pressure show up first when this snaps? em
The Strait of Hormuz & Why It Matters
In a 3EDGE Week in Review video, Chief Investment Strategist Fritz Folts and CEO/CIO Steve Cucchiaro examine the geopolitical risks of a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz. They outline the waterway’s strategic role in global oil transport and...
Climate Fund Managers Joins Climate Bonds Network to Target $2.8‑$4 B in Emerging‑Market Green Bonds
Climate Fund Managers (CFM) has entered a partnership with the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) to create a dedicated platform for emerging‑market climate bonds, aiming to raise between $2.8 billion and $4 billion. The move signals a major infusion of fixed‑income capital into...
Apple Doubles Down on China as Trump Blinks
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent trip to China, highlighted by a flagship store opening and remarks at the China Development Forum, underscores Apple’s heavy reliance on iPhone sales in the mainland, which are up 23% in 2026 despite a shrinking...
Saudi Leader Is Said to Push Trump to Continue Iran War in Recent Calls
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been urging President Trump to keep the United States engaged in a military campaign against Iran, describing the conflict as a historic opportunity to reshape the Middle East. In recent calls, MBS argued that...
India, China, and How Not to Save the Brahmaputra
China is rapidly expanding its upstream hydraulic infrastructure on the Yarlung Tsangpo, highlighted by the 60 GW Great Bend project, while withholding hydrological data from India. New Delhi has responded not with multilateral diplomacy but with a “dam‑for‑dam” strategy, exemplified by the 20,000 MW...
Short ZAR/USD as Strong Dollar Presses South African Rand
Macro: ZAR down 1.7% as a firm USD pressures EM FX. Key: stronger dollar despite improved SA leading indicator. Risk: Iran headlines could spike oil and force risk-off. Trade: short ZAR/USD on USD momentum 📉 — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More...
Novartis Pledges $480M to Expand China Presence, Following Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca
Swiss drugmaker Novartis announced a $480 million investment to expand its manufacturing and R&D footprint in China. The plan allocates about $218 million to upgrade its Beijing Changping facility, which can produce up to 3 billion tablets annually, and $262 million to expand its...
Oil Prices Stay High Amid Ongoing Iran Conflict
I talked to @kairyssdal on @Marketplace yesterday about the latest developments in oil and what to make of the latest switcheroo in the conflict with Iran. I don't think this conflict is over by a long shot, so I doubt...
Drone Strikes Threaten Russian Oil, Global Market Stability
With the Persian Gulf effectively offline, losing Russian oil would be devastating to the global markets. Drone warfare continues to evolve and reshape the way these conflicts unfold, especially when targeting energy infrastructure. #crude #russiaukrainewar #geopolitics https://t.co/L5OoXtN7DJ
Can Central Asia Become a New Hub in the Global Fertilizer Market?
Central Asian states are mobilising substantial resources to become a new fertilizer hub, with Kazakhstan targeting 6 million tonnes of potash by 2028, Uzbekistan scaling green ammonia, and Turkmenistan expanding phosphate output. The region’s existing gas‑chemical complexes, such as KazAzot and...
Russia's Oil Profits Surge; Carmakers Forced to Source Russian Aluminum
Russia is earning the most from its oil exports since the 2022 Ukraine invasion. https://t.co/71t01Q9mI9 Meanwhile some carmakers are considering buying aluminum from Russia. “We don’t really want to take supplies from Russia but we have no choice” https://t.co/fzAXIO4N0x
US Yield Rise Threatens Debt Spiral Amid Oil Tensions
Update: 10y UST yields (blue, RS1) USDJPY*oil (red, LS) USDCNY*oil (green, RS2) Hormuz is still closed; China still has several years of oil inventories; 10y UST yields are ~20-30 bps from triggering a US & global debt spiral. What happens first? Let's watch. https://t.co/ixdOHnatCg
Iran's Transit Fee Hikes Oil, LNG, and Shipping Prices
Factoring in Iran’s “transit” fee. And what it does to the price of oil, LNG, and anything else moving thru the Strait.