This study examines empirically whether corporate ratings by the credit rating agency Standard & Poor's reflect fundamental and publicly observable shocks to the credit quality of companies. This serves to assess the degree of information sensitivity of external ratings, and the timeliness of...

An efficient regulatory framework is a pre-requisite for developing a services market that supports competitiveness and offers opportunities for export diversification. Creating such a framework requires a comprehensive understanding of the laws, regulations, and practices affecting trade and...

Digital currencies have attracted strong interest in recent years and have the potential to become widely adopted for use in making payments. Public authorities and central banks around the world are closely monitoring developments in digital currencies and studying their implications for the...

For emerging market regulators, shadow banking represents an activity which they must control. For businessmen in economies like Russia, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Mexico, shadow banking represents an important business opportunity. By extending credit to risky (but promising) activities...