Moody’s Talks – The Big Picture

Following updates in the first quarter of this year, positive outlooks now outnumber the negative ones we assign to industry sectors globally. In this episode, we speak to Edmond DeForest about the drivers behinds these recent improvements despite the challenges facing the global economy and our expectations for business conditions in the next 12 to 18 months.Speaker: Edmond DeForest, Senior Vice President at Moody's RatingsHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody's Ratings

The tone has shifted since the meetings last year to cautious optimism about a soft landing for the global economy. But stubborn inflation, budget constraints and geopolitics present growing concerns, particularly in light of recent events in the Middle East. In this episode, we sit down with Marie Diron and Sarah Carlson from the sovereign team to discuss what this means for the future direction of sovereign ratings.Speakers: Marie Diron, MD-Global Sovereign Risk at Moody's Ratings; Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President at Moody's RatingsHost: William Foster, Senior Vice President at Moody's Ratings

It’s a long way to global net zero emissions but some industrial efforts are getting traction. Proof-of-concept has been established in steelmaking, where hydrogen can help replace coal, and in aviation, where some planes are taking to the skies on biofuel. In this episode, we discuss the early stages of this transformation and what it will take to keep it going.Speaker: Rebecca Karnovitz, Vice President, Senior Credit Officer – ESG Group, Moody’s RatingsHost: Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President – Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Ratings 

Computers are not just on your desk. They're in your phones, your cars, your microwave. Even washing machines are now computers. And the demand for the computer chips that these products use is an increasing focus not just for investors but also for governments globally. In this episode, we discuss how this intervention is impacting the big players and where the market is headed with our lead analyst for Nvidia and Intel, Raj Joshi.Speaker: Raj Joshi, Senior Vice President at Moody's RatingsHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody's Ratings

Exploring corporate default trends and distress exchanges in 2023, with a focus on regional shifts in North and Latin America. Predictions for a decline in default rate to 3.6% by 2024, influenced by rate cuts, private lending, and potential risks like inflation and energy shocks

Female labour participation rates have more than recovered losses sustained during the pandemic. The associated boost in economic activity and support to households is positive for a range of issuers.Speakers: Dawn Holland, Director-Economic Research at Moody's Analytics; Ana Rayes, VP-Senior Analyst at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: William Foster, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors Service

Around €300 billion of European spec-grade corporate debt needs refinancing by 2026, but uncertain market access, slower growth and higher interest rates increase risks for some lower rated entities. Speaker: Martin Hallmark, Senior Vice President-CFG at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service

Guests William Foster and David Rogovic discuss the recent wave of sovereign defaults, exploring the reasons behind the defaults and the challenges faced in debt restructuring. They analyze the causes and consequences of the defaults, regional variations in debt burdens, and the absence of a global framework for debt restructuring. The podcast also addresses coordination problems in sovereign debt and the impact of defaults on global investment, emphasizing the need for countries to establish robust frameworks and policies to instill investor confidence.

Strong policies, innovation and falling costs are set to propel green capital spending this year. However, a busy election calendar and slowing economic growth could temper that momentum.Speaker: Rahul Ghosh, MD-Sustainable Finance at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service

A $4 billion fine for the cryptocurrency exchange Binance indicates greater regulatory focus that could bring more security and confidence to the crypto sector.Speaker: Cristiano Ventricelli, VP-Senior Analyst/DFDA at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service