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☆ Investors can discount IMF’s emerging-market gloom
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Historically, monetary tightening in the United States has been kryptonite for emerging-market investors. Most important of all, many emerging-market central banks learned the lesson of previous cycles and raised rates early. By the end of 2021, two-thirds of the major emerging-market central banks were tightening monetary policy. Perhaps the 2020s will bring a Highly Indebted Rich Countries initiative in which emerging-market countries return the favour. But when it comes to considering the investment case for the majority of emerging-market sovereigns, investors should not be swayed.

☆ How US and allies can find common ground on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

That said, the U.S. and its allies have many common values and interests with regards to China. Reuters GraphicsJapan, Australia and other Asian countries also need American support to counter the challenge from a more assertive China. The G7 finance ministers last week took a step to address this concern. But it is unclear how much headway the G7 will make as China has already invested heavily in many poorer countries. It is not just the group’s finance ministers who are seeking to coordinate their approach.

☆ South Korea and Japan's finance ministers to hold first bilateral talks in 7 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL/TOKYO, April 17 (Reuters) - South Korea and Japan's finance ministers will hold a bilateral meeting early next month for the first time in seven years, heralding closer cooperation in economic policy that has been hampered by diplomatic conflict. South Korean Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho told reporters during a visit to the United States that he has agreed to meet Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, according to a media pool report. "It is significant in that it will be the first step toward reviving regular bilateral meetings," Choo said, without elaborating. Regular annual meetings between the two countries' finance ministers have been suspended since 2016 due to disputes over wartime history. Financial markets will likely pay close attention to whether the finance ministers will discuss resuming a bilateral currency swap arrangement - one that had served as backstop against any potential currency crisis but which expired in February 2015.

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - A committee of Sri Lanka's international private creditors sent its first debt rework proposal to the country's authorities regarding more than $12 billion in bonds outstanding, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the matter. It is the first bondholder proposal after the island nation of 22 million people defaulted on its debt a year ago. A spokesperson representing the creditor committee declined to comment. Bondholders and government officials met in Washington this week, with legal and financial advisers for both sides present, two sources said. China, Sri Lanka's biggest bilateral creditor, did not join the announcement even though it holds the key to solving debt woes for some low- and middle-income countries.

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - A committee of Sri Lanka's international private creditors sent its first debt rework proposal to the country's authorities regarding over $12 billion in bonds outstanding, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the matter. It is the first bondholder proposal after the island-nation of 22 million people defaulted on its debt a year ago. A spokesperson representing the creditor committee declined to comment. China, Sri Lanka’s biggest bilateral creditor, did not join the announcement. Sri Lanka secured last month a $2.9 billion program from the International Monetary Fund to tackle its huge debt burden.

☆ Africa needs more help with climate change, debt and food crises
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Joe Bavier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - Africa is struggling with the triple shock of rising debt burdens, an ongoing food crisis and climate change fallout and needs more help from international institutions and wealthy nations to cope, African finance ministers said on Saturday. "African countries are really victims. The trio were speaking on behalf of the continent's finance ministers. The African finance ministers, meanwhile, called for a G20-backed framework aimed at helping countries restructure burdensome debt to go further. Two African countries - Zambia and Ghana - have already defaulted on their sovereign debt since the start of the pandemic.

"Financial support is very necessary, as well as military support," he said, acknowledging growing acceptance that the military conflict could drag on. "We should be ready that this war will last longer than we expected,” he said, noting that G7 partners were no longer pushing Ukraine to accept an end to war - as they had last year - but were now signaling their support for a longer conflict. Marchenko said there was also growing openness among donor countries to explore using Russia's frozen assets to pay for Ukraine's reconstruction than even six months ago. "Our partners are thinking about the possibility of using Russian assets as a necessary tool to support Ukraine. Marchenko said U.S. Treasury officials had told him the United States had a low amount of Russian assets, but the issue was of greater concern in Japan, Switzerland and EU countries.

REUTERS/Anna KudriavtsevaWASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - Ukraine secured promises of $5 billion in additional funding to support its ongoing fight against Russia amid "fruitful meetings" in Washington this week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told reporters on Friday. Shmyhal met with representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank as well as top U.S. officials, on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank. Ukraine needs about $14 billion in funding this year to close a budget gap, Shmyhal said, noting that the United States would provide $2.3 billion to plug the hole, while the European Union would provide 1 billion euros ($1.10 billion). The IFC program aims to leverage these donor funds using private sector investments, which will be needed to help cover the staggering cost of Ukraine's recovery. "A strong private sector is essential to help Ukraine's economy recover and support reconstruction efforts," said Makhtar Diop, the IFC's managing director.

☆ World Bank steering committee, Yellen urge more reforms at lender this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"They expect the Board of Executive Directors and World Bank Group management to finalize a work plan with detailed actions to be taken," the committee's chair said in a statement. Members underscored their commitment to "ensuring that the World Bank Group has adequate financial capacity to respond to development challenges and support its expanded mission." Yellen said upcoming events could be leveraged to keep momentum strong for the evolution of the World Bank. Malpass told the committee he felt the bank had responded with "vigor and speed" to Yellen's call for reforms. Development Committee members thanked Malpass for his leadership of the WBG during a historically challenging period, including an unprecedented surge in financing in response to multiple crises.

☆ India says G20 members see need for global crypto regulations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday there was a greater acceptance among Group of 20 member countries that any new regulations on the crypto assets need to be globally coordinated, and said crypto assets not backed by central banks can fall and cause macroeconomic instability. "The G20 and its members agree that it's not going to be possible to have an independent, standalone country dealing with the crypto assets," Sitharaman told a news conference after a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors. Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

They reiterated that the financial system is resilient, supported by prompt government responses to the turmoil and reforms implemented after the 2008 financial crisis. "We will continue to closely monitor financial sector developments and stand ready to take appropriate actions to maintain the stability and resilience of the global financial system," the G7 finance leaders said. 'SHARED VALUES'The ministers said that supply chains needed to achieve both efficiency and resilience, helping to maintain macroeconomic stability and make economies more sustainable. The statement cited the need to diversify the "highly concentrated" supply chains for clean energy technologies. JOINT RESEARCHIn addition to working more closely with developing countries on supply chains, the G7 finance officials pledged to encourage joint research and development efforts among G7 members and other "interested parties."

☆ Morning Bid: Stocks defy negativity in CPI vigil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Federal Reserve's interest rate stance hinges on incoming data such as Wednesday's consumer price report, but fears of recession remain just that. And so investors return to scrutinising the Fed to see if the central bank forces the recession by tightening ever further. With Fed policy meeting minutes due later in the day, the runes of what must have been a tense gathering of officials in the middle of the regional banking shock will be eyed closely. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari reckoned recession was still a risk but inflation wouldn't get back close to the 2% target until next year. Hong Kong stocks (.HSI) underperformed overnight - with geopolitical tensions high surrounding Taiwan and Chinese military operations around the island.

☆ G20 financial watchdog seeks to learn from latest banking turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 12 (Reuters) - The G20's financial watchdog on Wednesday said rules it introduced after the global financial crisis had prevented contagion from the latest banking sector turmoil, but it would remain vigilant as the outlook has become more challenging. Unlike other market shocks, the latest episode originated in the financial sector, and therefore "put to the test" the G20's financial reforms, FSB Chair Klaas Knot said in a letter to G20 finance ministers and central bankers meeting in Washington. He said "rapid and effective" actions by authorities in Switzerland, the United States and other jurisidictions maintained global financial stability. "Without these reforms, the stress faced by individual banks could have led to broader contagion within the financial system," Knot said. The outlook for financial stability had become more challenging, Knot said, and the need for financial authorities to learn lessons and act upon them was "all the greater".

The U.S. CPI inflation report for March will go a long way to determining what the Fed decides at its May 2-3 policy meeting. Markets expect headline inflation to continue slowing, but are still shifting towards pricing in another quarter point rate hike. Finance ministers and central bank officials from around the world are in Washington for this week's International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings. The IMF on Tuesday trimmed its global growth outlook for this year and next as higher interest rates bite, and warned that the risk of "perilous" financial turmoil could slash output to near recessionary levels. Here are three key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Wednesday:- IMF/World Bank spring meetings in Washington- India CPI inflation (March)- U.S. CPI inflation (March)By Jamie McGeever; Editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Europe cannot turn its back on China, Spanish minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, April 11 (Reuters) - Europe cannot ignore China's role as a key trading partner and important geopolitical player that could help put an end to the war in Ukraine, or provide debt relief for low-income countries, Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said on Tuesday. "We need to use the time to reinforce our common safety net protecting most vulnerable countries ... and here again we cannot just ignore China. Top officials from China will make their first in-person attendance at the Washington meetings in three years. Calvino said she hoped to deliver good news on debt relief to these countries later this year. Reporting by David Latona and Belen Carreno; Editing by Andrei Khalip and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Yellen to push development bank evolution at spring meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday will host a roundtable discussion on further steps to evolve the World Bank and other development lenders to tackle climate change and other global crises beyond a $5 billion annual World Bank lending expansion, the Treasury said. The discussion on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings will bring together finance ministers from major shareholders and borrowing countries that will cover "ways to maintain momentum to evolve the multilateral development banks to better meet current challenges," the Treasury said in a statement. The World Bank has proposed balance sheet changes that would quickly allow it to lend an additional $50 billion over 10 years while maintaining its top-tier AAA credit rating, a step that bank shareholders are widely expected to adopt this week. Shambaugh said it was important to fix the banks' operational structure and incentives and ensure effective use of funds, noting that some of the development banks had "considerable room" on their balance sheets. The official said Yellen was hoping to lay out another roadmap to make more progress on the banks' operational models and financial capacity.

☆ Yellen to push next steps for development bank evolution at spring meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday will host a roundtable discussion on further steps to evolve the World Bank and other development lenders to tackle climate change and other global crises beyond a $5 billion annual World Bank lending expansion, the Treasury said. The World Bank has proposed balance sheet changes that would quickly allow it to lend an additional $50 billion over 10 years while maintaining its top-tier AAA credit rating, a step widely expected to be adopted by bank shareholders this week. A U.S. Treasury official called the move a "downpayment" on the reforms for the World Bank and other multilateral development banks, an early opportunity "to get the process rolling." "We will continue to push for more reforms in the operational model," the official said. The official said Yellen was hoping to lay out another roadmap to make more progress on the banks' operational model and financial capacity.

☆ Factbox: The developing countries facing a debt crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The cocoa, gold and oil producer has already reached a deal to write down domestic debt and last week kicked off formal debt talks with international bondholders. A $1.9 billion IMF loan has been stalled for months as Tunisia's president has shown little sign of action on key reforms. SRI LANKASri Lanka defaulted on its international debt last year after economic mismanagement, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, sparked a political crisis and left it without dollars for even essential imports. UKRAINEUkraine just received the first $2.7 billion tranche under a four-year, $15.6 billion IMF loan program. Zambia's currency, the kwacha , has fallen more than 10% against the U.S. dollar this year, which the central bank has said is adding to inflation.

☆ New EU debt rules have way to avoid past mistakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

BRUSSELS, April 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The European Union’s new set of fiscal rules need to answer two simple questions: will they help the bloc’s economy grow? The fiscal rules are at the crossroads of the EU’s monetary union and budgetary sovereignty. Past rounds of budget rules have carried the threat of top-level sanctions but the enforcers could not follow through. EU countries need to encourage scale-up financing and allow more cross-border cooperation. New rules need to put the future ahead of philosophy to have a chance to work.

☆ Southeast Asian finance leaders discuss containing global risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NUSA DUA, Indonesia, March 31 (Reuters) - Talks between Southeast Asian central bank governors and finance ministers entered their final day on Friday, with the leaders focused on strengthening the region's resilience against global risks. The gathering of finance leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comes amid a backdrop of recent global banking turmoil after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the bailout and takeover of Credit Suisse. Indonesia's central bank governor Perry Warjiyo called on the forum to boost the use of local currencies for settlements to reduce volatility and exposure to major currencies. They also discussed cryptocurrencies and central bank digital currencies, he added. Reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman; additional reporting by Ananda Teresia in Jakarta Editing by Ed Davies, Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Southeast Asian finance leaders in talks on containing global risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NUSA DUA, Indonesia, March 31 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian central bank governors and finance ministers are set to wrap up talks on Friday, after meeting in Bali this week for discussions often focused on how the region can remain resilient in the face of a spike in global risks. The gathering of finance leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comes amid a backdrop of recent global banking turmoil after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the bailout and takeover of Credit Suisse. Dody also said finance deputies discussed connecting payment systems in the region, even though the infrastructure of some ASEAN countries was not fully developed yet. They also discussed cryptocurrencies and central bank digital currencies, he said. They knew the memory of the Asian financial crisis," Philippine central bank governor Felipe Medalla told the seminar on economy resiliency.

Asian markets could rebound on Tuesday from their sluggish start to the week, after a deal to buy the assets of stricken U.S. bank Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) prompted a relief rally in financials and allayed fears of deeper systemic stress. Treasury's sale of $43 billion five-year notes on Tuesday and $35 billion of seven-year notes on Wednesday will be worth monitoring. There are no central bank policy decisions on Tuesday, but investors can expect a slew of headlines from central bank officials around the world to hit their screens. In Asia, Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda gives a speech, and finance ministers and central bank governors of the ASEAN nations attend a three-day summit in Bali. European Central Bank and Bank of England chiefs Christine Lagarde and Andrew Bailey head a raft of European policymaker events.

☆ ECB to reassure EU leaders on bank stability, call for EU deposit insurance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Jan Strupczewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"She will ask the leaders to complete their Banking Union and go forward on the Capital Markets Union." EU DEPOSIT INSURANCE NEEDED TO COMPLETE BANKING UNIONEU leaders are likely to get a similar message on banks from the chairman of euro zone finance ministers Paschal Donohoe. "Completing the Banking Union" is EU code for introducing a European Deposit Insurance Scheme (EDIS), the last missing element from the project launched in 2012. The Banking Union is already two-thirds complete. The Capital Markets Union was launched in 2015 to facilitate access to private capital by EU companies, which now mainly depend on bank loans for any financing.

☆ Japan won't face incidents like SVB collapse - finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki attends a news conference after a meeting of G7 leaders on the sidelines of G20 finance ministers' summit on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India, February 23, 2023. REUTERS/Samuel RajkumarTOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s banking sector won’t face incidents similar to the collapse of U.S. lender Silicon Valley Bank due to differences in the structure of bank deposits, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Wednesday. “Japan’s financial system is stable as a whole,” as banks have sufficient capital buffers against risks, Suzuki, who is also the minister overseeing the banking sector, told parliament. Losses in SVB’s bond portfolio have highlighted similar risks for Japanese lenders’ gigantic foreign bond holdings, which are carrying over $30 billion in unrealised losses. “For now, the chance of something similar to SVB’s collapse happening in Japan’s banking sector is low,” Suzuki said.

☆ AMERICAS Bank stress, bond volatility and disinflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But the implications of this sudden bout of financial instability - and its potential economic and policy fallout - were most clearly seen in the interest rate and bond markets. Implied terminal rates for the European Central Bank and Bank of England have been dramatically scaled back too - though one or two further hikes are still priced for those central banks. But the Fed rethink has led to seismic action on the U.S. Treasury market, with the biggest drop in 2-year Treasury yields on Monday since the stock market crash of 1987. Credit spreads in the corporate bond markets have also widened sharply as investors fear an economy-wide tightening of borrowing standards and financial conditions. It would certainly think twice about tightening policy again into this level of financial stress and bond market upheaval.

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