EM macro conditions are improving unevenly as GDP growth stabilizes and inflation slows
Apr 15, 2024
auto_awesome
Vittoria Zoli, an emerging markets analyst, offers keen insights into shifting economic conditions. She discusses how GDP growth is expected to stabilize by 2025, with varying forecasts across regions. Zoli highlights the influence of U.S. Federal Reserve decisions on emerging market currencies and policymakers' credibility. The conversation also delves into the troubling inflation trends in Latin America, analyzing how local and systemic factors are impacting economic stability. It's a compelling look at the global economic landscape!
Emerging markets will experience a slowdown in GDP growth in 2024, with favorable adjustments mainly for Asia and Central-Eastern Europe.
Inflation trends show a temporary spike due to global influences and local issues, yet a normalization is expected overall despite extreme cases like Argentina.
Deep dives
Emerging Markets Growth Outlook
The macroeconomic outlook for emerging markets indicates a cautious yet positive stabilization in GDP growth, with varying regional outcomes. While overall growth is expected to slow slightly in 2024, forecasts for Asia Pacific have been modestly revised upwards due to stronger indicators in countries reliant on domestic demand, such as India and the Philippines. In contrast, Latin America has seen a downward adjustment in growth projections, notably for countries like Brazil and Colombia, as high-interest rates continue to impact economic activities. This divergence highlights the importance of region-specific factors, such as trade dynamics and domestic consumption, in shaping growth trajectories across emerging markets.
Inflation Trends and Challenges
Recent trends in inflation within emerging markets reveal a temporary spike influenced by global energy prices, currency weaknesses, and specific local issues. Despite a history of declining inflation rates, February data indicated an uptick attributed to factors like the devaluation of currencies in Egypt and Nigeria, as well as rising food prices in Asia. Countries like Chile face unique challenges due to their dependence on imports for fuel, making them vulnerable to exchange rate fluctuations which exacerbate inflation. Nevertheless, the broader narrative points toward a normalization trend in inflation, with outliers such as Argentina demonstrating extreme conditions, where inflation rates are projected to exceed 280% year on year.
Growth will slow in 2024 then stabilize in 2025 in most emerging markets. We have raised our forecasts for Asia, Central-Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa but lowered them for Latin America.
Host: Scott Phillips, Head of Emerging Markets, Moody's Ratings
Speaker: Vittoria Zoli, Analyst - Emerging Markets, Moody's Ratings
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode