Emerging Markets News and Headlines
Emerging Markets News and Headlines
Emerging Markets Pulse
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Every morning
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Global equity markets began 2026 on a firm footing despite heightened geopolitical tension, with emerging‑market equities delivering an 8.85% return in U.S. dollar terms. In contrast, U.S. growth stocks slipped 1.51% while small‑cap and value segments posted solid gains. Bond markets posted a modest 0.11% rise as rates edged higher, and futures now price the first 2026 rate cut for June. Broad‑basket commodities outperformed, delivering more than a 10% return, driven by sharp moves in precious metals, oil and natural gas.
Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser warned that the Iran‑Israel‑U.S. war could trigger a catastrophic shock to global oil markets if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. The conflict has already halted up to 20% of world petroleum trade, pushed Brent...
China is rapidly expanding its south‑south trade, with the Belt and Road Initiative now responsible for roughly 52% of its foreign trade. Between 2007 and 2023, south‑south commerce grew from $2.3 trillion to $5.6 trillion, accounting for over a third of global...
Marex warns that a three‑month shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz would erode the average current‑account balance of Gulf states by 3.8% of GDP. Bahrain, lacking alternative export routes, would see its surplus flip to a 3.2% deficit, while Saudi...
Albert O. Hirschman's 1945 work *National Power and the Structure of Foreign Trade* was largely ignored when published, but its analysis of how states engineer trade for strategic advantage is resurfacing amid today’s intensifying geoeconomic conflict. The book argued that...
India’s fiscal‑deficit ratios have been revised upward for FY 2022‑23 to FY 2024‑25 after the government adopted a 2022‑23 GDP base year. The new series shows deficits of 6.7 % in 2022‑23, 5.7 % in 2023‑24 and 4.9 % in 2024‑25, compared with earlier estimates...
Saudi Arabia has replaced veteran investment minister Khalid Al‑Falih with former HSBC banker Fahad Al‑Saif amid mounting pressure to boost foreign capital. Foreign direct investment last year accounted for just 2.1% of GDP, far short of Vision 2030 targets, while government...
U.S. Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III highlighted that more than 500 American companies operate in South Africa, collectively employing around 250,000 people. He emphasized the strong presence of tech giants such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google and Visa, which...
A new working paper reveals that India’s GDP figures have been systematically misestimated over the past two decades. Growth from 2005 to 2011 was likely understated by roughly 1–1.5 percentage points, while the 2012‑2023 period appears overstated by about 1.5‑2...
Raghuram Rajan argues that India’s service‑led growth model—built on software, consulting and urban services—remains resilient despite AI’s rise. He explains how services have become embedded in tradable goods, turning back‑office functions into Global Capability Centres that command a strong cost...
India has amended Press Note 3, easing foreign‑investment rules for all nations sharing a land border, including China. The change removes the mandatory pre‑approval requirement for investments from companies with shareholders in these countries, though approval remains required for any sector....
China is strengthening its energy security framework to offset volatility caused by the Iran‑related conflict. The government has expanded strategic petroleum reserves, accelerated domestic renewable projects, and secured new long‑term contracts with alternative suppliers. These moves aim to insulate the...
Digital Realty inaugurated its first West African datacentre, ACR2, near Accra in November 2025, a 1.7 MW, 1,100 m² facility that builds on its earlier cable landing station ACR1. The launch follows the landing of Meta’s 2Africa subsea cable and reflects a broader...
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Raj Shah, head of healthcare at Nordic Capital, argues that Asia is becoming a pivotal arena for healthcare private equity. Demographic pressures, especially aging populations and rising middle‑class incomes, are creating a surge in demand for medical services. Investors, both...
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) says foreign investors will likely return once geopolitical tensions ease, positioning Thailand as a regional safe‑haven. Since the Middle East conflict, the SET index fell about 10.5% but remains 8.5% higher year‑to‑date, keeping Thailand...
IDB Invest has joined a multi‑lender financing package worth up to $1.175 billion to expand Rio Tinto’s Rincón Mining lithium project in Salta, Argentina. The bank will provide a $100 million loan and technical assistance, while the International Finance Corporation, Export Finance...
EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos urged European firms to invest in candidate countries, citing past enlargement’s boost to exports, supply chains and GDP. She emphasized reforms—independent courts, anti‑corruption, free media—as prerequisites for safe investment. New research from the Confederation of...
The Iran‑U.S. conflict is spilling into the Gulf, forcing BRICS to confront its first major geopolitical test since the 2024 expansion. While Russia and China back Tehran’s strategic autonomy, India adopts a cautious stance to protect its Chabahar‑linked trade interests....
China’s investment strategy in Central Asia is moving beyond the debt‑trap stereotype, emphasizing joint ventures and infrastructure that fuel industrial growth. In 2025, Chinese foreign direct investment rose roughly 15% year‑on‑year, with Kazakhstan alone attracting about $12 billion in energy projects....
The United States‑Israeli war on Iran has driven the Indonesian rupiah to Rp 17,009 per dollar, flirting with its 1997‑1998 crisis low. Bloomberg data show the currency briefly breaching the Rp 17,000 psychological barrier before settling near Rp 16,950. The conflict has also...
Starting May 1, China will waive import duties on virtually all goods from every African nation except Eswatini, expanding a previous exemption for 33 least‑developed countries. The move, announced by President Xi at the African Union summit, is framed as...
International oil service firms Halliburton, KBR and SLB have evacuated foreign staff from southern Iraq as security deteriorates amid the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict. Iraqi crude output has slumped roughly 60%, falling to about 1.3 million barrels per day after key export routes...
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is set to provide a €405 million concessional loan and co‑financing for Uganda’s first Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) phase, a 272 km electrified line linking Kampala to the Kenya border at Malaba. The €2.7 billion project, with a...
Kenya raised Sh106.3 billion by selling a 65 percent stake in Kenya Pipeline Company, creating a sizable pool of capital for infrastructure. President William Ruto announced that between Sh15 billion and Sh20 billion from the proceeds will seed the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International...
President Donald Trump has launched a direct military campaign against Iran despite a domestic economy plagued by rising unemployment and stubborn inflation. The article argues that the conflict will further erode public finances, adding new pressure on the federal budget....
The opinion piece argues that Ethiopia should be wary of joining the East African Community (EAC), citing systemic failures among current members. It highlights that several states have missed subscription payments, lack airspace integration, and prioritize arms spending over regional...
The South African rand weakened to below R16.90 per US dollar, its lowest level since mid‑December, as oil prices surged more than 25% amid the expanding US‑Israeli conflict with Iran. Higher crude costs and heightened global risk aversion pressured the...
Oil prices have surged sharply as the Middle East conflict intensifies, highlighted by Iran’s appointment of a new supreme leader. The spike has prompted an emergency G7 finance ministers meeting to discuss coordinated responses. In the UK, Prime Minister Sir...
Fitch Ratings warns that the ongoing Iran‑Israel conflict could create new credit risks for emerging‑market sovereigns. Disruptions to Gulf oil supplies may push energy import costs higher, strengthening the US dollar and tightening debt markets, especially for speculative‑grade issuers. Countries...
Vietnam’s National Assembly is central to institutionalising development policies and strengthening the legal framework for long‑term growth, says York University researcher Joe Pateman. He highlights how recent legislation on economic management, investment and public administration has created a more stable...
In 2026 Southeast Asian founders confront a macro‑antifragility dilemma, balancing rapid scaling, unit‑economic profitability, and supply‑chain stability amid rising techno‑nationalism. High‑interest‑rate environments in the West have tightened investor expectations, while ASEAN’s robust GDP growth is tempered by sovereign AI regulations...
Emerging‑market equities suffered a sharp sell‑off on March 9, with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index sliding 3.4% and edging toward a technical correction defined by a 10% pullback from recent highs. Two‑thirds of the index’s constituents posted losses, pushing the benchmark...
American companies continue to wrestle with critical mineral shortages even after China temporarily lifted its export ban on gallium, germanium and antimony. China still controls the bulk of heavy rare earths and other essential raw materials, creating bottlenecks for U.S....
Global crude prices jumped ~20% on Monday, breaching $100 per barrel as the West Asia war escalated. Brent hit $111 and WTI $114, driven by the near‑closure of the Strait of Hormuz and production cuts in Kuwait, UAE and Iraq....
Iran’s financial markets entered a pronounced lull after US and Israeli strikes heightened geopolitical risk, leaving many trading venues partially shut and liquidity thin. Online dollar pricing via USDT surged to IRR 1,550,000 per dollar, yet physical dollar dealers accept roughly...
The United States and Israel are escalating a military campaign against Iran, raising concerns that the conflict could divert American attention and resources. Analysts warn that this distraction may allow China to deepen its strategic foothold in the Indo‑Pacific. The...
East African economies are bracing for fallout from the escalating Gulf conflict after US and Israel attacks on Iran. Brent crude surged past $84 a barrel, pushing fuel costs and inflation higher across the region. Economists warn that higher import...
The Iran‑Israel conflict has forced Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to divert attention and resources after Iranian missile reprisals, weakening their mediation role in Sudan’s three‑year war. Analysts argue this shift could either spark renewed diplomatic pressure to end...
Foreign institutional investors dumped nearly $2 billion from Indian equities in March, driven by heightened Middle‑East tensions and Brent crude trading above $90 a barrel. The outflows, amounting to roughly Rs 21,829 crore, pushed the Nifty 50 down about 6% year‑to‑date and erased Rs 19 lakh crore...
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. departs for a working visit to New York on March 8, where he will address the United Nations General Assembly and the Commission on the Status of Women. He will call for peace in the Middle East,...
A fire erupted at Bahrain's Sitra refinery after an Iranian missile strike, but the blaze was fully contained with no reported injuries and the plant remains operational. The incident comes as the refinery, part of a $7 bn Bapco Modernisation Programme,...
UAE utility giants Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and Etihad Water & Electricity confirmed that water and electricity services remain fully operational despite recent missile attacks in the region. Both firms activated risk‑management frameworks and precautionary procedures to safeguard...
Emerging‑market (EM) bonds are delivering roughly double the yield of developed‑market debt while their volatility has fallen below that of traditional safe‑haven assets. The structural advantage stems from EM governments carrying about half the debt‑to‑GDP ratios of their developed counterparts,...
Pakistan is turning to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea corridor to import crude after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz following recent U.S.–Israeli strikes. The disruption threatens Pakistan’s already tight fuel supply, prompting the government to adopt aggressive conservation policies,...
India announced a subsidy for a $360 million back‑end semiconductor assembly plant being built by Kaynes in partnership with Japan’s Mitsui & Co. and Aoi Electronics. The government support aims to lower capital costs and accelerate the plant’s commissioning, targeted for later this...
Indo‑US trade talks have been reset after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, activating the joint statement’s review clause. Both governments now have a three‑to‑four‑month window to reassess the proposed preferential...
India’s Union Shipping, Ports and Waterways Ministry issued a standard operating procedure to mitigate disruptions from the West Asia crisis. The SOP authorises ports to consider waiving or reducing charges such as vessel fees and storage rent on a case‑by‑case...
India's Commerce Ministry announced that the full Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) benefits will be reinstated from April 1, 2026, after a temporary 50% reduction that lasted until March 31. The scheme, which refunds 0.3%‑3.9% of...
Gold prices have surged 47.6% since August 2025, reaching $5,092 per ounce, as central banks shift from Treasury securities to gold. The United States and Germany now report gold comprising over 80% of their reserve portfolios, with Italy and India also...
Iran’s low‑cost, $20,000 drones are emerging as a more disruptive strategic weapon than its nuclear program, targeting the Gulf’s diversified economic assets. The drone campaign threatens energy, logistics, tourism, real‑estate and financial sectors, raising the risk of capital flight and...
