Around €300 billion of European spec-grade corporate debt needs refinancing by 2026, but uncertain market access, slower growth and higher interest rates increase risks for some lower rated entities. Speaker: Martin Hallmark, Senior Vice President-CFG at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service

Since 2020, 20 countries have defaulted on their sovereign debt, surpassing the total in the entire previous decade. What factors led to this point, where are they concentrated and will they continue?Speakers: William Foster, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors Service; David Rogovic, VP-Sr Credit Officer at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors Service

Strong policies, innovation and falling costs are set to propel green capital spending this year. However, a busy election calendar and slowing economic growth could temper that momentum.Speaker: Rahul Ghosh, MD-Sustainable Finance at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service

A $4 billion fine for the cryptocurrency exchange Binance indicates greater regulatory focus that could bring more security and confidence to the crypto sector.Speaker: Cristiano Ventricelli, VP-Senior Analyst/DFDA at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service

In this episode of the Big Picture podcast, we delve into the factors underpinning our recent decision to change the outlook on the Chinese sovereign rating to negative.Speaker: Gene Fang, Associate Managing Director - Sovereign Risk Group at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service

The conflict's credit effects should be limited to Israeli issuers, but an escalation that disrupts global energy and financial markets would widen the scope significantly.Speakers: Kathrin Muehlbronner, Senior VP-Sovereign Risk at Moody's Investors Service; Laura Perez,  Associate MD-Credit Strategy at Moody's Investors ServiceHost: William Foster, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors Service

In this episode of the Big Picture podcast, we delve into the reasons behind our outlook change, factors supporting the Aaa rating and opportunities to slow a decline in fiscal strength.Speaker: William Foster, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors ServiceHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service

In this episode of the Big Picture podcast, we discuss our forecasts for G20 economic growth and inflation next year, and what this means for companies, lenders and governments.Speakers: Elena Duggar, MD-Credit Strategy; Madhavi Bokil, Senior VP-Credit StrategyHost: Sarah Carlson, Senior VP-SovereignRelated Research:Global Macro Outlook 2024-25: G-20 growth dynamics diverge amid ongoing global slowdown

In this episode of the Big Picture podcast, we discuss what is driving the recent fall in freight rates and what this could mean for the sector’s efforts to decarbonize and the global economy.Guests: Daniel Harlid, VP-Senior Credit Officer within the Corporate Finance Group at Moody’s Investors ServiceHost: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service

Our forecasts suggest a decline in debt/GDP ratios for around 80 of the 140 sovereigns we rate next year. However, social and environmental demands, coupled with higher-for-longer interest rates, pose larger fiscal challenges for some.Guests: Marie Diron, MD – Global Sovereign Risk, and Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors ServiceHost: William Foster, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors Service

In this episode of the Big Picture podcast, we discuss the narrative around the dollar’s demise, the implications for the global economy and the viability of its rivals.Guests: Al Wilson, Chief Credit Officer at Moody’s Investors Service (MIS), and William Foster, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors ServiceHost: Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors Service

In this episode of the Big Picture podcast, we discuss the hype around generative AI, which sectors and countries stand to gain most, and the risks they need to manage.Guests: Vincent Gusdorf, Senior Vice President within the Digital Finance group at Moody’s Investors Service (MIS), and Christian Fang, VP-Senior Analyst in the Sovereign Risk group at MIS. Host: Matt Bridle, AVP within the Research Group at Moody’s Investors Service

In this episode of the Big Picture podcast, we delve into the world of shadow banking, exploring its recent rapid growth, where we think the risks are, the challenges facing regulators, and the potential threats to financial stability.Guests: Colin Ellis, MD-Global Credit Strategist at Moody’s Investors Service, and Michael Taylor, MD-Credit Strategy at Moody’s Investors ServiceHost: Jennifer Wong, VP-Sr Credit Officer at Moody’s Investors Service

Barring gains in productivity, participation rates, skills, education and experience, the coming drag on growth and public finances will be significant.Guests: Christian de Guzman, Senior Vice President/Manager at Moody’s Investors Service, and Anushka Shah, Vice President-Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s Investors ServiceHost: William Foster, Senior Vice President at Moody’s Investors Service

On this episode of the Big Picture podcast, our analysts explore the situation in labor markets and its broader implications for the global economy and corporate credit quality.Guests: Yasmina Serghini, Managing Director within the Corporate Finance Group at Moody’s Investors Service, and Gabriel Agostini, Assistant Vice President within the Credit Strategy and Research Group at Moody’s Investors ServiceHost: Jennifer Wong, Vice President – Senior Credit Office within the Sub-Sovereign Group at Moody’s Investors Service

As higher borrowing costs and structural shifts compound cyclical trends in commercial real estate, our analysts explain where the risks lie and how they could affect lenders and the broader economy. Guests: Ana Arsov, MD- Financial Institutions at Moody’s Investors Service, Keith Banhazl, MD-Structured Finance at Moody’s Investors Service and Matthias Hellstern, MD-Corporate Finance at Moody’s Investors ServiceHost: William Foster, Senior Vice President within the Sovereign Risk team at Moody’s Investors Service

Policy rates may be approaching their peaks, but central bankers are unlikely to change course anytime soon. In this episode of The Big Picture podcast, we discuss what this means for credit risk.Guests: Atsi Sheth, MD-Global Strategy & Research at Moody’s Investors Service, and Jorge Rodriguez-Valez, Senior Vice President within Global Strategy & Research at Moody’s Investors ServiceHost: Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President within the Sovereign Risk team at Moody’s Investors Service

The underutilization of women in the workforce has a huge cost in terms of lost productivity and economic output around the world. What progress has been made and what will it take for women to achieve parity in labor force participation, pay and management roles?Guests: Dawn Holland, Director of Economic Research, Moody’s Analytics, and Raphaele Auberty, Analyst – Sub-sovereign Group, Moody’s Investors Service.Host: Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

The chief economist of Moody’s Analytics joins host William Foster to discuss the consequences of debt limit brinkmanship for the US sovereign, the economy and global financial markets.   Guest: Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics.Host: William Foster, Vice President – Senior Credit Officer, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, European economies are confronting a plethora of challenges and a transformed geopolitical landscape. We discuss the trade-offs for Europe as it seeks long-term replacements for Russian gas supplies while keeping decarbonization plans on track, the prospects for certain countries in stabilizing their government debt levels, and how European policymakers are responding to the US Inflation Reduction Act. Guests: Jeromin Zettelmeyer, Director, Bruegel.Host: Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President – Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

Home prices are falling in the US and Europe after a surge during COVID-19, as interest rates rise at a rapid clip and economic growth slows. On this episode, we discuss what’s different about this housing market downturn, particularly the big changes in mortgage lending since the global financial crisis, and why the credit performance of outstanding European mortgages will likely be much more uneven in the current higher interest rate environment compared with mortgages in the US. We also discuss why many US consumers will still struggle with home affordability even as home prices come down.Guests: Madhavi Bokil, Senior Vice President – Credit Strategy & Research, Moody’s Investors Service; Luisa De Gaetano Polverosi, Associate Managing Director – Structured Finance Group, Moody’s Investors Service.Host: Jennifer Wong, Vice President – Senior Credit Officer, Sub-Sovereign Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

ESG issues will come into sharp relief this year as corporate debt issuers grapple with growing scrutiny over their decarbonization plans, social risks intensify and the rules of the road for ESG investments evolve – all in an environment of heightened macroeconomic, financial and geopolitical risks. In this episode, we discuss the highlights of our recently published ESG Outlook and what are the key ESG trends that will shape credit quality in 2023.Guests: Rahul Ghosh, Managing Director – Sustainable Finance, Moody’s Investors Service; Rebecca Karnovitz, Vice President – Senior Credit Officer, Environmental, Social and Governance Group, Moody’s Investors Service.Host: Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President – Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

We discuss how recent geopolitical realignments and the splintering of international trade and financial flows will have credit effects for many sovereigns, and how deepening regionalization, not globalization, may be the trend of the future.Guests: Anne Van Praagh, Managing Director, Global Sovereign Risk, Moody’s Investors Service; and Shannon K. O’Neil, Vice President, Deputy Director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies, Council on Foreign Relations.Host: William Foster, Vice President – Senior Credit Officer, Sovereign Risk Group.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

On this episode, we assess the major policy announcements from the COP27 climate summit and what they mean for the sovereign and corporate credit environment and for climate risk modeling. We discuss the “loss and damage” agreement on providing aid to poorer countries that have suffered some of the worst effects of climate change, innovations in climate finance, and what new technologies will be needed to bring about carbon transition of hard-to-abate business sectors.Guests: Marie Diron, Managing Director – Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service; Swami Venkataraman, Associate Managing Director – Environmental, Social and Governance, Moody’s Investors Service; and Robert Muir-Wood, Chief Risk Officer, RMS, Moody’s Corp.Host: Jennifer Wong, Vice President, Sub-Sovereign Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

In this special episode to coincide with the publication of Moody’s 2023 Global Credit Conditions Outlook, we discuss how persistent inflation, rising interest rates and slowing growth will cast a cloud over the borrowing environment next year. We look at the factors that make this turn in the credit cycle unique, and the likely path for corporate and sovereign defaults. We also examine why social challenges are a risk we are watching especially closely, and where there could be potential for positive economic surprises that would help stabilize credit conditions.Guests: Elena Duggar and Colin Ellis, Managing Directors for Credit Strategy at Moody’s Investors Service.Host: Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President – Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

Long-time emerging markets investor Mark Mobius speaks with Atsi Sheth of Moody’s about the risks and opportunities in the current macroeconomic environment, effects of the strong dollar, and the outlook for cryptocurrencies as an asset class. This interview took place on the sidelines of Moody’s recent South Africa Risk Summit in Johannesburg, and also touches on Dr. Mobius’s views on investing in Africa and how he thinks increased digitalization of economies will play a large role in improving governance frameworks across the continent.Guests: Mark Mobius, Founder and Partner, Mobius Capital Partners LLP; Atsi Sheth, Managing Director –Credit Strategy & Research, Moody’s Investors Service.Host: William Foster, Vice President –Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture  page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

For banks in the US and Europe, this year’s sharp climb in interest rates has been positive for their performance, helping lift net interest income and net interest margins. But the higher rate environment could become unfavorable for banks as margin improvement begins to taper off and higher credit costs take hold. How are banks preparing? What do prior monetary policy cycles tell us about the correlation between higher interest rates and margin performance? And what happens if borrowers can no longer afford their higher debt-service obligations, especially if the economy weakens further?Guests: Jorge Rodriguez-Valez, Senior Vice President, Credit Strategy & Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service; Allen Tischler, Senior Vice President, Financial Institutions Group, Moody’s Investors Service.Host: Jennifer Wong, Vice President, Sub-Sovereign Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

Early lights out at the Eiffel Tower. Lowered thermostats. Cold showers. Europe is bracing for a tough winter as it tries to scale back energy consumption to counter cuts in Russian gas flow and surging fuel prices. How are energy-intensive companies altering production to cope with the market disruption? What are the knock-on effects for other industries? And what policy paths are governments pursuing to soften the impact on households, and what are the risks?Guests: Petter Bryman, Vice President – Senior Analyst, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service; Matthias Hellstern, Managing Director, Corporate Finance Group, Moody’s Investors Service.Host: Sarah Carlson, Senior Vice President, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).

More than two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many US office workers still are not back at their desks, as many have embraced work-from-home and other flexible work arrangements. How are commercial property owners, lenders and local governments adapting, and what does this mean for creditworthiness? What will it take to draw more workers back to the office? And how do the evolving workplace trends in the US compare with those in other parts of the world?Guests: Ranjini Venkatesan, Vice President – Senior Credit Officer, Corporate Finance Group, Moody’s Investors Service; Nicholas Samuels, Senior Vice President – US Public Finance Group, Moody’s Investors Service; Victor Calanog, Senior Director – Head of CRE Economics, Moody’s Analytics.Host: William Foster, Vice President – Senior Credit Officer, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service.To read more on this topic, visit The Big Picture page on Moodys.com (some content only available to registered users or subscribers).