The Decisive Podcast: Insights and analysis to empower confident decision-making.

A world ordered for decades by globalization and geoeconomics has become a world oriented around geopolitics. An accumulation of shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic to the conflict in Ukraine, initially thought to be time-limited, have proven more lasting and pervasive. In this episode, we explore the forces shaping this new world order. Dr. Lindsay Newman, Executive Director and Head of Geopolitica...

Supply chain disruptions, persistent inflation and the removal of pandemic-related government support and accommodative monetary policy provided a challenging economic environment in 2022. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the upheaval in processed materials and commodities markets – especially for energy – took those challenges to a new and more pernicious level. How will the global economy far...

What trends and events are expected to shape the economies of sub-Saharan Africa in 2023? We discuss inflation, interest rates, elections and more. Thea Fourie, Associate Director, Sub-Saharan Africa Economics, S&P Global Market Intelligence https://experts.ihsmarkit.com/experts/fourie-thea

Electrical steel is a niche product that is essential for making transformers, generators and electric motors. While it only constitutes about 1% of global steel production today, it is poised to grow exponentially along with the electric vehicle market. In 2022, about 9 million EVs will be produced globally. By the beginning of the next decade, the EV market is expected to break 40 million vehicl...

Tune in for the latest trends seen in our Purchasing Managers Index data. Our economists discuss the strength of Middle East economies and challenges facing economies within Africa. They also look at what's driving the rise in global manufacturing stocks of finished goods and highlight a new data set within the PMI offering that aims to quantify the impact of common themes like demand inflation an...

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, will return to office in January after winning the presidential election by the narrowest margin in the country's political history. This time, he faces different political and fiscal environments. How will he handle that? Our experts discuss the policy outlook for the incoming administration and how those policies will impac...

Having the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27, in Egypt naturally shines a spotlight on the policies African nations are considering on energy transition and decarbonization — and the financing of those efforts. Our experts discuss financing options including carbon credits and loss and damage payments for countries vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. What impact will tighten...

Do you dream about renovating your home? Are you wondering whether rising interest rates, inflation and labor issues will turn that dream into a nightmare? Two of our experts discuss the near-term outlook for home improvement spending, which reached an all-time high in 2021. Scott Hazelton, Director, Construction, S&P Global Market Intelligence https://experts.ihsmarkit.com/experts/hazelton-scott...

Bargain hunting is coming back into fashion this holiday season as inflation drives up prices and inventories remain high for certain categories of goods. Two of our US economic experts discuss the resilience of US consumer spending and factors influencing holiday shopping including commodity prices, labor costs and supply chains. Michael Zdinak, S&P Global Market Intelligence Akshat Goel, Senior...

Energy markets will be tight everywhere through the end of 2022 and start of 2023. Europe has the highest likelihood of lack of availability of natural gas, and in some cases, electricity, after Russia reduced natural gas exports to the region, Our experts discuss the outlook for the energy markets globally and the likely impacts of high costs on energy-intensive industries like glass and steel. J...

Armed conflict has broken out in Ethiopia and insurgents have delayed the development of liquified natural gas facilities in Mozambique. Our sub-Saharan Africa country risk and economics experts discuss how these conflicts are adding significant additional uncertainty to the economic policy environment, worsening international relations and impacting manufacturing and exports.

Where should you build your next hotel or export office? Our expert talks about the five-year outlook for global construction and which markets are attractive for investment based on our regional data and country risk scores. Spoiler alert: London makes the cut. Scott Hazelton, director of consulting, S&P Global Market Intelligence https://experts.ihsmarkit.com/experts/hazelton-scott

Our economists discuss dominant themes through the lenses of our Purchasing Managers' Index data sets. What are the recent trends in the Australian private sector economy? What does the data from Taiwan, a bellwether of global manufacturing, tell us? How is tighter monetary policy impacting real estate and other sectors? Where are we seeing supply constraints? Paul Smith, Economics Director, S&P G...

The risk for metals pricing and availability in 2023 is extreme and it is to the upside. That's mainly because energy prices are high and energy availability is under threat, particularly in Europe. Other factors that may impact metals prices include extreme weather and supply chain disruptions. Our experts discuss what category managers should consider when locking in prices for 2023. John Anton,...

Companies are considering nearshoring, or relocating operations closer to destination markets, in response to recent supply chain shocks from the Russia-Ukraine conflict to China's dynamic COVID containment policy. Mexico is well placed to benefit from nearshoring, given its strong interdependence with the US economy. Our experts discuss the opportunities for Mexico's economy and key industries in...

How can you capture commodities price volatility in your supply contracts and mitigate your risk? Our experts discuss how to balance risk between parties using price mechanisms. John Anton, Director, Pricing and Purchasing, S&P Global Market Intelligence https://experts.ihsmarkit.com/experts/anton-john Laura Hodges, Vice President, Pricing and Purchasing, S&P Global Market Intelligence https://exp...

Dealing with high inflation is never simple. With stagflation, it's even more complicated. The Fed is sending clear signals that controlling inflation is its top priority and could come at the expense of employment and economic growth. That would raise the risk of stagflation and have ripple effects across the globe. Our experts discuss the drivers and economic impacts of higher inflation. Amanda...

A slowdown in food and oil prices could bring inflation down in the sub-Saharan African region in the coming months, although the downward path will be slow and coming from very high levels. Pressures on household income will remain very prevalent. Our experts discuss what this means for social unrest and political developments in the sub-Saharan African region over the next six months and potenti...

Lumber prices have dropped sharply in recent months, leading other commodities down from the levels seen after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A surge in home prices and an uptick in mortgage rates have deterred home buyers, home renovators and builders, dampening demand for lumber. Our commodities experts discuss the outlook for prices that are still higher than their pre-pandemic averages. John An...

Increased pricing pressures are being felt across the Sub-saharan Africa. Banks have hiked their policy rates by 100, 150 and even 200 bases points dependent on the market. Utilizing our nowcasting PMI data and our forecasting data our regional experts delve into the key differentiators between SSA data and our developed markets data to get a better picture of the underlying pressures impacting th...

With a decrease in food outputs linked to the Russia-Ukraine war, how are businesses and governments coping with rising food costs and the knock-on inflationary effects? Our experts assess the on-the-ground realities to understand the implications for long-term growth and stability. John Raines, PhD, Director, Country Risk (moderator) Ken Wattret, Chief European Economist Paul Hughes, Chief Agricu...

While digital technology allows people to connect at unprecedented scale and speed without concern for proximity, it has also allowed malicious actors to do the same. Sharing innovations, skills, and tools, cyber-threat actors present a growing concern to governments and businesses as attacks become increasingly frequent and complex. The influx of remote workforces, new technologies, and growing g...

Local COVID-related lockdowns in mainland China, the war in Ukraine, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions continue to negatively impact the global economy – especially in China and surrounding geographies. Our PMI surveys are showing some of the steepest reductions in overall Chinese business activity and new orders since the initial wave of the pandemic in 2020. Digging deeper into the u...

A number of critical elections in 2022 will influence more than who holds political office. With a rapidly shifting political landscape and an ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe, we are watching the lead-up and outcomes closely to understand the direct influence the results will have on trade policy, security, migration, supply chains, and climate agendas. Our Economics & Country Risk experts disc...

Join our metals experts, John Anton and John Mothersole as they delve into the volatility of metals pricing in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and with the growing COVID-19 outbreak in China. These two factors two factors are placing immense stress on steel, copper, and aluminum markets. And while we usually hear a singular global story – this month regions are telling their own pricin...