Global Economic Prospects : Financial Markets Outlook, June 2014
External financing conditions for developing countries have been remarkably favorable in recent months, reflecting expectations of a more drawn-out period of monetary policy accommodation in high-income countries and some narrowing of external vuln...
Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Publications & Research |
Language: | English en_US |
Published: |
World Bank Group, Washington, DC
2015
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/06/23946198/null http://hdl.handle.net/10986/21525 |
Summary: | External financing conditions for
developing countries have been remarkably favorable in
recent months, reflecting expectations of a more drawn-out
period of monetary policy accommodation in high-income
countries and some narrowing of external vulnerabilities.
Additional easing by the European Central Bank, combined
with prospects of modest growth and stable inflation in the
United States ( Goldilocks recovery ), helped pull down bond
yields and volatility worldwide. These benign conditions
currently provide support to capital inflows and activity
across developing countries, but could at the same time
increase the risk of greater and potentially more abrupt
market adjustments ahead. Despite some reduction of current
account deficits in several developing countries, many
remain vulnerable to sudden shifts in investors sentiment
and capital outflows. Following a brief period of market
turmoil at the start of the year, global financing
conditions have eased consider-ably from March to June. Bond
spreads for developing countries (i.e. yield difference with
10-year U.S. Treasury bonds) have narrowed, bringing down
average borrowing costs to their lowest level since the
spring of 2013. Stock markets have also recovered rapidly
from a significant sell-off in January/February, despite
rising geopolitical tensions and evidence of disappointing
activity in the first quarter of the year. As presented in
the June 2014 edition of Global Economic Prospects, a more
favorable global environment is reflected in upward
revisions to capital inflow forecasts for developing
countries, now projected to remain broad-ly stable as a
percentage of GDP in 2014 and 2015, at around 5.6 percent,
before declining again in 2016, to 5.1 percent. While
baseline forecasts assume an orderly in-crease in long-term
interest rates in high-income countries, the risk of more
abrupt adjustments from current low levels has recently
increased. Escalating geopolitical tensions or financial
stress in some developing countries could also potentially
trigger a sudden re-pricing of risk. Despite the recent
narrowing of current account deficits in some developing
countries, many remain vulnerable to a sharp increase in
borrowing costs and/or significant currency depreciations,
which could put additional strain on corporate and bank
balance sheets. |
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