It's official: 2015 was the hottest year ever recorded
Jan 21, 2016 01:53 am UTC| Research & Analysis Nature
Its official: 2015 was the hottest year on record. The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has confirmed overnight that 2015 saw the global average temperature climbing to 0.90C above the 20th-century...
Fitch: Rising Interest Rates to Ease Taiwan Life Insurers' Negative Spreads
Jan 21, 2016 01:14 am UTC| Research & Analysis Central Banks
Fitch Ratings says in a new report that a persistent decline in the costs of insurance liabilities and improvements in recurring investment yields on rising market interest rates will reduce Taiwanese life insurers...
Cross-currency swaps mitigate effect of exchange controls on covered bonds and securitisations
Jan 19, 2016 03:39 am UTC| Research & Analysis
Moodys Investors Service says cross-currency swaps that mitigate the effect of foreign exchange controls have enabled Moodys to assign ratings above the applicable foreign currency bond ceilings to...
Fitch: Australian Bank Outlook Remains Stable in 2016
Jan 18, 2016 21:58 pm UTC| Research & Analysis
Fitch Ratings maintains a Stable sector outlook on Australias banking sector in 2016. We expect strengthened capitalisation and recently tightened underwriting standards to offset slower profit growth and modest...
Fitch: Brazil, S. Africa Housing Outlooks Weaken; Mexico Stable
Jan 18, 2016 11:53 am UTC| Research & Analysis Real Estate
The outlook for residential property and mortgage markets in Brazil and South Africa in 2016 has deteriorated from a year ago, Fitch Ratings says. Both markets face weak macroeconomic backdrops and high or rising interest...
Jan 18, 2016 11:00 am UTC| Business Research & Analysis
In 2014, the market suffered a blow owing to a significant decline in the number of child births as well as from adverse economic conditions in some key markets. The report states that the market reported a decline of 5.6%...
Fitch: Irish Banks - Positive Outlook, but Hurdles Remain
Jan 18, 2016 09:37 am UTC| Research & Analysis
The rating outlook for Bank of Ireland (BOI) and Allied Irish Banks (AIB) is positive, but the banks weak asset quality is a hurdle in the path to upgrades, says Fitch Ratings. The volatility of the countrys economic...