Climate Change Series

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...

FX Hedging Strategy Series

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...

Emerging Market Crisis Series

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...

The US Baby Food Market 2015 - Latest Industry Demands, historical Growth data and Global Market Survey report

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...