The largest exchange traded fund (ETF) that tracks South Korean equities, The iShares MSCI South Korea Capped ETF, just saw the largest weekly outflow since its inception back in 2000 as a rout in emerging markets deepens, oil prices continue to fall, concerns about the U.S. Fed hiking interest rates, and as tensions grow in the Korean peninsula between North and South Korea. … Continue reading
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Friday that it has approved a loan of $1 billion for Kazakhstan in an effort to help counter an economic slowdown driven by a tumble in global oil prices that forced the nation to devalue its currency, the tenge. “This loan from ADB’s Countercyclical Support Facility will give the country the fiscal leeway … Continue reading
Kazakhstan’s currency fell by a record 23% in trade on Thursday, August 20th, after the country abandoned control of its exchange rate, as it became the latest emerging market to scrap efforts to prop up its currency before the U.S. Federal Reserve hikes interest rates. Vietnam’s Central bank has devalued the nation’s currency on Wednesday, August 19th, for the … Continue reading
What has been happening on Wall Street the past few days has been nothing short of stunning. By Michael Snyder On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 358 points. It was the largest single day decline in a year and a half, and investors are starting to panic. Overall, the Dow is now down … Continue reading
Kazakhstan’s currency fell by a record 23 percent in trade on Thursday after the country abandoned control of its exchange rate, as it became the latest emerging market to scrap efforts to prop up its currency before the U.S. Federal Reserve hikes interest rates. Kazakhstan is shifting to a free float of its currency and will pursue an inflation-targeting monetary … Continue reading
Vietnam’s Central bank has devalued the nation’s currency on Wednesday for the third time this year and widened the its trading band, in the latest sign of stress in Asian exchange rates following a move last week by China to devalue its currency. The State Bank of Vietnam weakened its currency reference rate by 1 percent and increased the … Continue reading
In July 1997, during the dawn of the Asian Financial Crisis, the Malaysian ringgit was heavily traded by speculators. The overnight rate jumped from under 8 percent to over 40 percent. This led to rating downgrades and a broad selloff of its stock and currency markets. By the end of 1997, Malaysia’s ratings had fallen many notches from investment grade … Continue reading
China’s Central Bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), has further devalued the yuan on Wednesday — following a surprise “one-time devaluation” announced by the Central Bank on Tuesday — which is heating up what appears to be a currency war and is thus rattling markets — sending stocks, currencies, and commodities tumbling for a second day in a row. … Continue reading
After nearly three years of intense negotiations, the European Union (EU) and Vietnam agreed to a free trade agreement (FTA) on Tuesday that will remove nearly all tariffs on goods traded between the two countries. “We have a deal. This finely balanced agreement will boost trade with one of Asia’s most dynamic economies. It sets a new, better … Continue reading
China’s ambitious New Silk Road initiative — that aims to deepen the country’s economic integration with more than 40 countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe by creating an unbroken transport and infrastructure network to boost connectivity — is credit positive for the emerging market sovereigns involved, Moody’s Investors Services said on Tuesday. Moody’s says … Continue reading