Emerging Markets
The issue of "industrial overcapacity" in China may be a misconception. Overcapacity in the old-economy sectors has largely diminished, while China's dominance in the global green-energy market reflects its technological advancements and innovations.
Non-trivial macro divergences have emerged between mainstream LATAM economies. This report compares and ranks Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Peru based on their business cycle outlook, macro policy stance, external accounts, and structural fundamentals. All in all, LATAM risk assets will fall in absolute terms given a strengthening US dollar and a global risk-off move in the coming months. Within LATAM, we favor Mexico, Chile and Peru, are neutral on Brazil, and bearish on Colombia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a third term and will become the third longest-serving prime minister of India. While investors responded negatively to the BJP’s loss of an outright majority, Modi and the NDA will continue to perpetuate the reforms they have already put into motion. The result also affirms that Indian democracy continues to thrive, contrary to the narrative that Modi had formed an authoritarian grip on the country, a view we always rejected.
MORENA has once again swept the Mexican election: Claudia Sheinbaum will be president, with little to no constraint in Congress. All in all, Mexican politics will remain stable and overall supportive of markets. In the medium term, fiscal spending will return to conservatism and the constitutional reforms will lead to mixed fiscal and economic repercussions. In the long term, however, fiscal and institutional risks will rise. We advise investors to remain overweight Mexican risk assets relative to EM in cyclical and structural time horizons, but prepare for Mexican markets to sell off in absolute and relative terms in the next couple of months.