Mary Sadler

Qatar was expected to grow at a faster pace in 2017. However, economic sanctions by its neighbors are expected to impact its economic activity in 2017.

Singapore’s manufacturing sector is expected to rise in line with global manufacturing activity, which has shown improvement so far in 2017.

As global economies continue to improve amid elevated geopolitical risks and policy uncertainty, Southeast Asian economies expect to remain resilient.

Economic growth in Singapore has slowed down over the years due to the global financial crisis of 2008. But global recovery since 4Q16 appears to be helping.

According to Peru’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, the El Niño–related infrastructure damages were close to $4 billion.

The Brazilian (FBZ) economy grew 1% on a quarter-on-quarter basis in 1Q17 compared to a downwardly revised 0.5% contraction in the previous month.

Colombia’s (ICOL) GDP grew 1.1% year-over-year in 1Q17, lower than its 1.6% expansion in 1Q16.

A solid improvement in China’s (FXI) service sector in May 2017 provided a much-needed support, as its economy currently struggles with its manufacturing sector.

The Markit Russia manufacturing PMI increased to 52.4 in May 2017 compared to 50.8 in April 2017.

The Markit Greece Manufacturing PMI advanced to 49.6 in May 2017 compared to 48.2 in the previous month.

The Nikkei manufacturing PMI in Indonesia (IDX) dropped to 50.6 in May 2017 compared to 51.2 in April 2017.

The Nikkei Manufacturing PMI in India dropped to 51.6 in May 2017 compared to 52.5 in April 2017.

China’s (FXI) economic activity slowed down in May 2017 as the country’s manufacturing activity touched its 11-month low.

Inflation in Russia (ERUS) remained steady in May 2017. The only rise was in the price of food compared to the previous month.

The US medical device industry is a global leader. Its market was valued at ~$140 billion for 2016. It represents ~45% of the global market.

The US economy is dealing with rising healthcare costs. The national healthcare expenditure grew 5.8% to $3.2 trillion in 2015 or $9,990 per person.

India’s trade gap increased 173.5% on a year-over-year basis to ~$13.3 billion in April 2017, beating the market’s expectations of an ~$12.8 billion gap.

India’s stock market performance has picked up pace since the beginning of 2017. The S&P BSE Sensex has gained about 10% year-to-date through May 18, 2017.

Recently, the Indian government revised the base year for calculating macroeconomic indicators from 2004–2005 to 2011–2012.

Peru is one of the fastest-growing economies among emerging markets.

Amid its financial chaos, Greek manufacturing activity rose in April 2017, though it remains below the acceptable mark of 50.

Puerto Rico shares a story similar to Greece’s (GREK) in terms of its dismal economic performance and exacerbated debt issues.

Despite its bankruptcy filing, Puerto Rico has the option to negotiate with its creditors outside the court. It could go through a process equivalent to a Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing.

For years, Puerto Rico has been using tax incentives to attract corporations to do business in its region. Over the last four decades, the agricultural economy has shifted toward the manufacturing and services sectors.

The board overseeing Puerto Rico (PZT) (HYMB) filed for bankruptcy protection in a much-anticipated move in 2017.

Russia’s central bank recently lowered its key interest rate by half a percentage point to 9.25% in April 2017.

The recent rally in Argentina’s Merval Index (ARGT) reflects improved access to Argentina’s markets with a host of reforms adopted by President Mauricio Macri.

The Indonesian economy is steadily growing, fueled by strong domestic consumption and efforts by its government to instigate pro-market reforms.

Investment climate reforms have improved Indonesia’s Ease of Doing Business rank, which has had a positive impact on its trade surpluses.

The World Bank is forecasting higher growth for Indonesia (IDX) at about 5.1% and 5.3% for 2017 and 2018, respectively.

FDI (foreign direct investments) in Brazil picked up in the second half of 2016 in spite of a slow economy, impeachment of the president, political crises, and corruption scandals.

According to the Turkish government’s latest Medium-Term Economic Plan (or MEP), its forecast for a current account deficit for 2017 is $32 billion, or 4.2% of GDP.

Retail sales of consumer goods totaled 8.5 trillion yuan (~$1.3 trillion) in 1Q17, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The improved growth in emerging markets was led by a cyclical recovery in Brazil (EWZ) and Russia (ERUS).

The implementation of the Goods and Service Tax (or GST) in India is expected to begin on July 1, 2017.

The US healthcare system is unique in the developed world as it lacks a uniform system and, according to Emanuel, had been largely inefficient before Obamacare.

The S&P 500 Index (SPX-INDEX) has posted a rise of ~5% since the beginning of 2017, with banks and energy stocks leading the rally as of March 29, 2017.

One of the most important outcomes of the Fed’s interest rate hike involves the bond market.

An interest rate hedged ETF usually takes a short position in the interest rate swaps. It makes the duration of the portfolio zero.

Senior loans offer floating rate coupons and have low interest rate sensitivity. They provide the perfect hedge for rising interest rate environments.

Germany’s expected rise in inflation is concerning as the cost of borrowing has increased across Europe—and this amid all the political uncertainty.

The German Stock Index DAX 30 (DAX-INDEX) surged over its 12,000 historical mark in March and was trading at 11,941 on March 9, 2017.

Japan leads the nations with its rising debt-to-GDP ratio. The United States is in seventh place.

The Japanese economy (JPN) continued its trend of moderate recovery in 2016 and could move at the same pace in 2017.

Prime Minister Abe’s administration initially achieved coordination between the Bank of Japan’s QQE and fiscal stimulus.

Brazil (EWZ) is expected to see a reversal of the downward trend in its economic growth in 2017, mostly with the help of rising commodity prices and improvements in exports.

Baron Capital began investing in Vail Resorts in 1997, and it owns a ~15%–20% stake in the company. According to Ron Baron, this investment has returned ~50%–75%.

Currently, Ron Baron has ~$300 million in investments and owns ~1.5 million shares in Tesla bought over three years at ~$208 per share.

Inflation is expected to reduce the value of assets if the price rise of the asset doesn’t catch up with inflation. Core inflation in the United States is growing at a rate of ~2%.

The British pound (FXB) (GBB) is trading at 31-year low of 1.25 as of February 2017, its lowest level since 1985. The currency fell ~11% in 2016.