Southern Europe won the last decade. The next one is less obvious

Southern Europe has delivered an impressive turnaround this past decade, broader and more durable than many expected.

US-Iran deal: Markets price peace, economies still pay for war

Markets have celebrated the end of the Strait of Hormuz conflict. The economy has not yet earned that relief — and for most households, corporates, and governments, things may get worse before they get better. The physical reopening is a multi-month process, not a switch.

From kickoff to cash flow – Taking the 2026 Football World Championship on tour

The Football World Cup 2026 will be the largest tournament in football (soccer) history and a structural departure from previous editions, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and from 64 to 104 matches across 16 host cities in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Emerging markets in a fragmented world: From geography to resilience - the 4Rs framework

The Iran war marked the first major oil shock that did not trigger a broad emerging markets sell-off. Markets repriced countries based on strengths and weaknesses rather than the traditional EM–DM divide. 

Weed out the laggards: Sustainability as a credit filter

Financial fundamentals remain the primary drivers of credit risk. Across more than 7,400 companies and 280,000 firm-year observations, profitability (ROA), leverage and size collectively explain the vast majority of variation in credit risk. 

Matryoshka market: Nested convictions in equities

Geopolitical resolution is the master assumption. Equity markets are pricing a framework agreement by September, consistent with the prediction market consensus and the pronounced kink in VIX term structure at Q3. 

Allianz Global Insurance Report 2026

The global insurance industry is estimated to have grown by +7.1% to EUR6.9trn in 2025, adding EUR456bn to the global premium pool. Although growth moderated from the exceptional +9.4% recorded in 2024, it remained comfortably above the ten year compound average growth rate (CAGR) of +5.6%, confirming that the industry’s growth drivers remain firmly intact. Life insurance remained the largest segment (EUR2,861bn), followed by P&C (EUR2,320bn) and health (EUR1,688bn). 

Too hot to grow: The economic costs of extreme heat

Extreme heat is emerging as a structural economic risk, with Europe highly exposed. Heat stress events have multiplied sevenfold since the 1980s while the average death toll per event has risen fivefold.

How AI is rewiring global trade

AI and trade are no longer separate policy domains. AI growth depends on globalized supply chains for semiconductors, computing infrastructure and digital services while trade is increasingly shaped by who controls AI infrastructure, data flows and cloud capacity.