Global Finance

KAZAKHSTANVast hydrocarbon reserves and financial regulators known for their toughness are helping Kazakhstan ride out an abrupt economic slowdown and a housing crunch.Coming off a long stretch of consistent near-10% annual GDP growth, Kazakhstan might...

CAPITAL MARKETSThe region's biggest exchanges, in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are ready for liftoff.The volume of initial public offerings on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) exceeded that on the London Stock Exchange in the first five months of this...

CORPORATE FINANCING FOCUSA consortium led by major investment banks active in the huge over-the-counter derivatives market in credit default swaps (CDS) plans to launch a central clearinghouse by September in an effort to reduce counterparty risk in...

INDIA/UNITED STATESIn early June Global Finance's partner charity Amrit Davaa embarked on its second mission to Tawang, a small town in a remote corner of Northeastern India, to help the Manjushree orphanage deliver sustainable healthcare to the local...

CHILEWith the long wave of Latin American privatizations seemingly coming to an end, Chile looks like it might be about to jump back in the water. Talk of a possible sell-off of Chile's stateowned Codelco copper producer, the world's largest, have been...

Hawks Flying HighThe relentless rise in commodity prices in general and crude oil prices in particular has become a key focus for cross-border investors. The resulting upward pressure on consumer and producer prices and rising inflationary expectations...

MIDDLE EASTAbu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, the world's third-largest oil exporter, is building a $22 billion carbon-neutral city near its international airport. Known as Masdar City and designed by British architectural firm Foster and...

JPMorgan has added new depositary receipt specialists in Argentina, Brazil and Singapore to assist the growing number of companies in these countries that want to have their equity traded on exchanges outside their home markets.The move follows a surge...

URUGUAYUnable to seek reelection, Uruguayan president TabaréVázquez has tipped his finance and economy minister to be the ruling Frente Amplio (FA) coalition's candidate in the October 2009 presidential race. Danilo Astori will step down from the key...

RUSSIANewly anointed Russian president Dmitry Medvedev used his first foreign visit-to Germany-to signal the Kremlin's continued tough line on international affairs, underscoring his opposition to further NATO expansion. He also later blamed the United...

Increased competition from new entrants to the European Union has dealt a severe blow to Portugal's economy. Tourism and investment in renewable energy are helping it pick up the slack.Portugal's economic and business climate do not exactly provide businesses...

BRAZILThe Brazilian government increased its primary budget surplus by 0.5% of GDP, or some $7.9 billion, as part of a plan to finance its new sovereign wealth fund. The government now has a surplus target of 4.5%, up from 3.8%. Finance minister Guido...

The agreement announced last month by Verizon Wireless to buy rural cell phone service provider Alltel for $5.9 billion in cash and $22.2 billion in debt did more than create the biggest mobile-phone company in the United States. The transaction helped...

INDONESIAIndonesia has made great improvements recently but some persistent problems are still holding it back.While much of the world has been picking its way through the post-subpnme minefield, Indonesia has been enjoying a bumper year. Foreign investment...