Emerging-market stocks climbed toward a record high, lifted by technology shares, as investors weighed whether Iran will join talks that could extend a Middle East truce and help restore energy flows. The MSCI index of developing-world equities rose as much as 1.3%, reaching its highest level since February and putting it on track for a record close. The gauge is also on pace for its strongest sta...
Emerging-market stocks climbed toward a record high, lifted by technology shares, as investors weighed whether Iran will join talks that could extend a Middle East truce and help restore energy flows. The MSCI index of developing-world equities rose as much as 1.3%, reaching its highest level since February and putting it on track for a record close. The gauge is also on pace for its strongest start to a year since 2006, led by gains in chipmakers including SK hynix Inc. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. “EM equities, currencies and bonds have performed strongly, almost as if investors were confident that the ceasefire would be prolonged indefinitely,” said Rajeev De Mello , a global macro portfolio manager at Gama Asset Management SA. Attention remains fixed on the Middle East after Donald Trump signaled he is unlikely to extend a two-week ceasefire with Iran in a conflict that has disrupted global oil markets. Tehran has yet to confirm its participation in planned talks in Islamabad. Trump has threatened strikes on Iran’s power infrastructure if diplomacy fails. People familiar with the matter said Monday that Iran is expected to send a delegation, though its leadership remains unclear. Read more: Trump Signals No Truce Extension on Eve of Scheduled Peace Talks “Negotiators do want to keep the public in the dark until they reach an agreement, so good and bad scenarios exist beyond a ceasefire base case,” De Mello said. “But unlike during the early part of the war, it seems that the range of outcomes is smaller and less negative.” Meanwhile, an index tracking emerging-market currencies extended its advance to a sixth straight session, the longest winning streak this year. The Bloomberg Spot Dollar Index was up 0.2% as of 10:00 a.m. in London. Elsewhere, India’s rupee lagged , edging lower as traders assessed a partial rollback of the central bank’s restrictions on currency-market transactions.
The Biodiversity Finance Initiative is holding early-stage talks on issuing a $100 million bond to fund marine and terrestrial projects on the Kenyan coast. BIOFIN, a global United Nations Development Programme initiative, is “exploring a green-blue finance instrument,” said Christine Mwangi, the program manager. “It’s likely to get bigger, but the baseline is $100 million,” she said in an intervi...
The Biodiversity Finance Initiative is holding early-stage talks on issuing a $100 million bond to fund marine and terrestrial projects on the Kenyan coast. BIOFIN, a global United Nations Development Programme initiative, is “exploring a green-blue finance instrument,” said Christine Mwangi, the program manager. “It’s likely to get bigger, but the baseline is $100 million,” she said in an interview. “It will be in tranches. We are looking at a 10-year tenure.” BIOFIN is active in more than 131 countries and seeks to bridge the biodiversity financing gap. Kenya’s natural assets generate about 42% of gross domestic product and support about 70% of jobs, yet biodiversity continues to face mounting threats from climate change and is critically underfunded. Discussions on de-risking measures for the bond, which will be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, are ongoing, Mwangi said. The Next Africa newsletter will run every weekday. Sign up here for the newsletter, and subscribe to the Next Africa podcast on Apple , Spotify or anywhere you listen .
The Latin American social commerce market offers growth opportunities driven by trends such as influencer-led commerce in Brazil, short-video merchandising in Peru, chat-driven sales in Mexico, and robust local payment systems in Brazil and Colombia. Latin American Social Commerce Market Latin American Social Commerce Market Dublin, April 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Latin America Social Comm...
The Latin American social commerce market offers growth opportunities driven by trends such as influencer-led commerce in Brazil, short-video merchandising in Peru, chat-driven sales in Mexico, and robust local payment systems in Brazil and Colombia. Latin American Social Commerce Market Latin American Social Commerce Market Dublin, April 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Latin America Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 50+ KPIs on Social Commerce Trends by