Country Risk Climate: Trends to Keep an Eye On

Trends to Keep an Eye On:

Argentina – a scheme to pardon tax dodgers is not likely to accomplish its purpose;
Brazil – an unexpectedly sharp interest rate hike;
Slovenia – still not certain to make it without a bailout.

Other countries mentioned in this report:

Colombia: The weakened peso should make it possible for the Central Bank to end its interest rate cutting and not to have to add to the stimulus package it announced in April ….

Egypt: The Central Bank has been stepping up hard-currency sales for essential imports …. Iceland: The new government, based on the same party combination that led the country to its financial collapse, will not find it easy to make good on the promises with which it beguiled the voters ….

Kosovo: It is not certain yet whether the historic deal brokered by the European Union between Kosovo and Serbia will hold ….

Portugal: Just as the financial markets express their faith in the government, the notion is growing among the people that Portugal, perhaps, would be better off outside the Eurozone ….

South Africa: The rand has dropped to a four-year low as the threat of escalating labor unrest is starting to overshadow the attraction of high yields ….

Spain: The government has achieved much in its drive to rescue the economy from near-bankruptcy, but much remains to be done ….

Switzerland: The famed Swiss bank secrecy is coming to an end ….

To read the full report click on this link: Weekly Focus 5-30-13