Financial markets insights
Turning expertise to actionable insights. Explore our views on what to watch out for in today’s financial markets.
Featured insights
Case studies
Case study: Mandated lead arranger for Melbourne’s Rangebank Battery Energy Storage System
Helping boost Victoria’s capacity to host renewable energy.
Case study: EUR1.29 billion ECA-backed financing to develop a solar infrastructure project in rural Angola
Rural electrification project that will supply sustainable energy to almost 1 million Angolans.
Case study: USD89.6 million sustainability-linked loan for LNG dual-fuelled vessels
Facilitating Vista Shipping’s decarbonisation journey.
Case Study: Financing the redevelopment of Melbourne’s Frankston hospital
Using a sustainable loan framework to finance and hedge the PPP project.
Case Study: Refinancing BlackRock’s diversified solar portfolio in the Taiwan market
Learn how we helped with the first green loan arranged by BlackRock Real Assets in Asia Pacific.
Case study: EUR1.24 billion ECA-backed financing to develop high-speed railway infrastructure in Turkey (Türkiye)
Learn how we helped Türkiye’s Ministry of Treasury and Finance with its first green ECA supported financing for economic growth.
Case study: Investing in supranational bonds in local EM currencies
In the wake of Covid-19, supranationals such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have stepped up their lending and support in developing member countries and this is made possible by bond issuance, including that denominated in Emerging Market currencies. Investors in these bonds can play a critical role in steering capital to where it is urgently needed.
Case study: Project financing for Vietnam’s largest solar plant through USD186 million ADB loan structure
Find out how Standard Chartered financed the country’s largest renewable energy project by offering debt structuring expertise and long-term interest rate hedging.
Case study: USD 1.1bn financing project to develop and improve water infrastructure in Angola
Learn how we helped Angola’s Ministry of Finance fund a transformational development project that brought together multiple stakeholders.
Case study: Sustainability-linked loan to CSSC (Hong Kong) Shipping Company Limited
Find out how CSSC Shipping and Standard Chartered worked together on a 10 year-sustainability-linked loan that will specifically support CSSC’s decarbonisation efforts, as well as its strategic goals around sustainability.
Case study: ESG-linked derivative for commodity trader, Trafigura
Find out how Standard Chartered executed an ESG-linked derivative that brings together conventional risk management with sustainable linked KPIs across the supply chain.
EUR 159 million ECA-backed financing to improve critical healthcare infrastructure in Côte d’Ivoire
Standard Chartered has provided EUR 159 million financing to the government of Côte d'Ivoire for the refurbishment of maternity wards in 62 hospitals across the country.
Credit markets
India rising: key opportunities for growth and transformation
Find out how global capital can drive India’s economic transformation into high gear.
Global credit markets rising to the challenge of India’s sustainable infrastructure ambition
We examine how India’s infrastructure sector is decarbonising and the role of credit markets in the country’s journey to sustainable growth.
Financing India’s winning leap into a new era
Discover how India can build on the momentum of its impressive growth rate, bringing opportunities to investors both domestically and from around the globe.
Detour, derailment or driver? How geopolitical shocks change the path to net-zero
The industry’s move towards net-zero has been complicated by a succession of destabilising world events. But will they detour, derail or accelerate the energy transition?
Financing Africa into a new era: the future is green
Learn how the transition to a lower carbon future is opening up unique opportunities for issuers and investors in Africa.
Finding investment opportunities in Europe’s commercial real estate
Find out why interest is growing in investing in new areas of commercial real estate in Europe.
De-carbonising the shipping industry: Who pays and how?
How much is the industry expected to pay for the transition to low-carbon shipping?
Navigating supply chains to new shores
Find out how the right funding and partnerships can increase supply chain resilience, especially in emerging markets.
Financing a giga-green future
To accelerate decarbonisation, the development of giga green technology must also pick up pace.
Accessing credit markets for a sustainable future
This sustainability focused edition shares insights into how credit markets are playing a crucial role in the global transition to net zero.
Channelling capital to where it's needed most
In 2021, credit markets have been a force for good. Our year-end edition has several instances of how we partnered together with clients to finance critical sustainable development, navigate the transition to net zero and drive positive change across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Shipping finance
2021 has been one of the most exceptional years that the maritime industry has experienced. Find out how finance and investment are helping.
Financing net zero goals
Find out more about the pivotal role credit markets are playing in the transition to net zero, and how we are supporting our issuer and investor clients to capture opportunities, while also making a difference.
Opportunities from disruption
Our inaugural Credit Markets edition of Bankable Insights explores what funding options are available for corporates, financial institutions and sovereigns to raise the capital they need, and how investors can turn their capital into 'a force for good' in today’s rapidly transforming credit landscape.
Market outlooks and insights
Global H2-23 Outlook - Inflation and policy divergence driving FX trends
What is the capacity of the US economy to cope with further Fed tightening? Will China's slowing economic momentum bounce back in H2? Eric Robertsen, Global Head of Research and Chief Strategist shares his views on the global outlook for the second half of the year and opportunities in emerging markets.
Explore our video insight series
Global H2-23 Outlook - Inflation and policy divergence driving FX trends
What is the capacity of the US economy to cope with further Fed tightening? Will China's slowing economic momentum bounce back in H2? Eric Robertsen, Global Head of Research and Chief Strategist shares his views on the global outlook for the second half of the year and opportunities in emerging markets.
Global H2-23 Outlook Podcast – Balancing on the summit
Growth hopes have shifted towards emerging markets, where India, ASEAN and the GCC are set to lead the way this year. What does this mean for the global growth story? What are the key challenges and opportunities in the second half of the year? Find out in this podcast.
Midlife crisis meets coming of age: US-China economic divergence explained
What can we expect from the world’s two largest economies for the next 12 months? Eric Robertsen, Global Head of Research and Chief Strategist compares where the US and China stand both in the current business cycle and more structurally.
Global Q2-23 Outlook Podcast – What lies beneath
Beneath an overall story of declining growth, other independent narratives are emerging. China’s economy roars back to life after COVID-19, but are the benefits of that growth equal across all sectors and markets? Find out in this podcast.
‘What lies beneath’ and what to expect from Q2 2023
While we expect global economic growth to slow down this year, we see significant cross-currents emerging. How will divergent economic trends in the US and China impact the rest of the world?
Is King Dollar at risk of being dethroned?
Recent market movements have sparked a flurry of theories about the world’s most widely used currency. Is the USD losing its reserve currency status? Are countries looking to circumvent the USD in their trading relationships? Find out in this podcast.
Global 2023 Outlook Podcast – A year of two halves
Whilst economic growth is expected to slow in the first half of the year, the second half could see a recovery taking hold. Are emerging markets poised for a recovery this year? And if they are how should investors and businesses navigate them? Find out in this podcast.
2023 Financial Market Surprises Podcast
As we look at the year ahead, what are the potential surprises – or black swan events – that may be under-priced by the markets? In this podcast, Eric Robertsen shares some possible scenarios that the financial markets may have missed.
Global H2-22 Outlook – Near the tipping point
In the first half of the year, markets focused on upside risks to inflation. This is now shifting to include downside risks to growth and recession forecasts. How do investors and businesses navigate the almost conflicting narratives between inflation and recession? Find out in this podcast.
Global H2-22 Outlook – Mixed growth prospects
How far can the expected downturns in US and Europe be offset by expansionary policy from China and the post-Covid recovery in a number of ASEAN economies?
Global Economic Outlook 2023: A year of two halves
Download an Executive Summary of the latest Global Economic Outlook 2023 report.
Macro trading and investment
Why investors are heading towards Africa’s emerging and frontier markets
Uncovering Africa’s new investment opportunities.
Mastering the art of differentiation: sifting out the gems in emerging market investments in 2022
Differentiation, knowing where to look and constructing resilient portfolios will be the key to successful EM investing in 2022.
How investors should view opportunities in China in 2022
As China moves towards ‘Common Prosperity’, how should international investors position themselves?
Financing and securities services
Custody 2.0 – Driving success through a data-centric strategy
In today’s highly saturated market, having access to accurate, insightful and timely data can help asset managers, asset owners, banks and broker dealers obtain a competitive advantage. Custodians have spotted an opportunity here, and many are now adopting increasingly data centric strategies, including a cultural shift, to support their clients.
Leading from the front: Back office is key to the next tech evolution
The funds industry is going through a transformational journey focused on generating enhanced yields and elevating the investor experience. Find out how Standard Chartered is leveraging modern technology to achieve efficiencies across the funds landscape.
Emerging and Frontier Markets: Market reforms enabling frictionless investor access
Are the on-going reforms sufficient to drive investment flows into emerging markets?
Investors race into MENA
With global economic growth expected to slow this year, investment opportunities are far and few between. However, one region stands out from the rest.
India’s Moment to Shine: Connectivity and investment flows transform the post-trade landscape
Economic growth has bypassed most countries lately, but India is one of the few exceptions. Strong fundamentals and market-friendly reforms strengthen the country’s reputation as a place to do business.
Securing the Future: The crucial link between crypto custody and counterparty risk
Many institutions are keen to invest in cryptocurrency, but recent events have brought caution. Institutions that still see the potential of digital assets need a strong partner to ensure their assets are protected.
Islamic finance and the securities market outlook for 2023
What is driving the ascent of Islamic finance and what solutions are integral in supporting the market moving forward?
Smart regulation for digital assets: How the UAE and Singapore lead the way
Singapore and the UAE are great examples of markets ahead in terms of the environment they have created for digital assets. However, they arrived at their destinations via different routes.
India’s reforms building momentum for increased investor interest
Over the last decade, India has implemented a number of positive measures, which have helped open up its vibrant domestic capital markets to foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).
Sibos 2021: ‘Ask Me Anything’ about the convergence of Islamic financing and ESG
Shikkoh Malik, Head of Group Fiduciary & Fund Services and Global Islamic Champion shares insights on the opportunities for Islamic finance to drive sustainable investment.
Watch the videoSibos 2021: ‘Ask Me Anything’ about the convergence of Islamic financing and ESG
Shikkoh Malik, Head of Group Fiduciary & Fund Services and Global Islamic Champion shares insights on the opportunities for Islamic finance to drive sustainable investment.
Emerging and frontier markets: What’s on the horizon
In a year of highs and lows, exciting investment prospects can be found, especially in emerging and frontier markets. In this latest edition, we share our outlook on new growth opportunities and lies ahead for securities services this year.
Shaping securities services for tomorrow’s world
How does the securities services industry strike the optimum balance across emerging markets, technology and talent management for a better tomorrow? Find out in our latest edition of The Custodian.
Emerging markets, hidden gems
Our second edition of The Custodian for 2022 shares insights on the latest challenges and opportunities in the custody and securities services industry. Find out where the hidden gems are in Emerging Markets today.
The future of custody is collaboration
Our first edition of The Custodian for 2022 shares insights on how collaboration is more than just product innovation and official partnerships and its potential benefits – not just for investors, intermediaries, and issuers but for communities and our environment too.
Learn more about financial markets at Standard Chartered
Uncovering a world of unchartered opportunities
Access and thrive in high-barrier markets with us. We provide on-the-ground research into Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and proprietary pricing and trade execution across multiple asset classes – including FX, rates, and commodities.
And for more complex packaging needs, we offer bespoke structuring solutions. For financing needs, we offer a full spectrum across our dynamic footprint – from traditional credit and debt market products, to specialised financing and beyond. And with custody, clearing and securities lending also available, we can support all your financial market needs.
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