Discover how Germany’s M&A landscape is evolving – with a focus on growth, AI and post-merger value creation.
Sanele Mjikane
This report highlights the critical role silver plays in data centres and artificial intelligence (AI), automotive and electric vehicles (EVs), and solar energy photovoltaics (PVs). With these sectors expected to expand significantly over the coming years, we expect future silver demand to be strong.
The COP30 in November made some ambitious commitments to scaling up climate finance. Until those materialise, initiatives to leverage natural endowments for financing may be more attractive to African countries, especially those with high forest cover.
The UK Budget featured a backloaded tightening of fiscal policy via a series of tax rises. Given most of the tightening is pencilled in for 2029, which is an election year, we’re sceptical it will be fully implemented when the time comes.
Building continuous transformation into tax and finance functions can equip them to use AI, adding rich, deep insight and value to businesses.
Our latest report measures the economic footprint of Allica Bank’s lending across the UK.
The scaling of climate finance for developing countries will take centre stage at the 30th
Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) starting today, in Brazil. Leaders will grapple with how to plug the gaping shortfall in
funds needed to help developing economies curb emissions and adapt to climate shocks.
Reforming the global financial architecture will be a key discussion.
Uncertainty around global growth has widened the range of possible outcomes for oil consumption. While demand growth currently lags behind supply, stronger-than-expected trade or industrial activity could lift demand above projections. This brief explores whether Nigeria and Algeria are positioned to take advantage of such an upside.
This study demonstrates the economic importance of railway transport by providing a comprehensive analysis of the economic footprint of railway transport in Europe. We analyse how the railway sector’s activities contributed to GDP and supported jobs across the EU27 in 2023.
The UAE has set a balanced federal budget of AED92.4bn for 2026, a 29% jump in both revenue and spending, underpinned by new tax measures and an expected uplift from hydrocarbons. The plan channels funds towards social services and strategic investments aligned with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.
This report assesses the socioeconomic contributions Shell made in the Netherlands in 2024.
Housing affordability has emerged as a central challenge across Europe, particularly in major cities and tourist hotspots
Southern European economies face the threat of a steep fiscal cliff in 2027. The EU Commission plans to end payments from the EU recovery fund by the end of 2026.
The US has taken its most aggressive step yet against Russia’s oil sector, sanctioning the financial arms of Rosneft and Lukoil, companies that together account for nearly half of Russia’s seaborne crude exports. The move immediately pushed Brent prices up by $3 per barrel, though this reaction is unlikely to last as the global market remains well supplied and history suggests sanctions will be learned and evaded over time. The impact, instead, will fall mainly on Russian revenues rather than global oil supply.
Around the world, governments are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) — not just to improve efficiency in public services, but to change how they deliver results for citizens. The question is no longer whether AI should be adopted, but how to do so responsibly, effectively and at scale.
Labour shortages remain an ongoing challenge across Europe, limiting firms’ ability to deliver a strong pipeline of work. 28% of construction firms are reporting that lack of personnel is limiting their output and 14% are intending to hoard labour in the next three months to minimise future risk.
The European economy has endured a challenging year in 2025, but we expect Amsterdam to hold up relatively well.
By 2035, we expect France’s public debt to approach 125% of GDP, up from 113% in 2024 and among the highest in advanced economies. Given the current political impasse, meaningful fiscal consolidation is unlikely before the 2027 presidential election. Even after that, we expect it to be gradual, keeping debt on an upward path and France’s vulnerability to shocks elevated.
We expect Nordic GDP growth to outperform the Eurozone in 2026, driven by expansionary fiscal policy and higher consumer spending. Finland is an exception as the government will continue to consolidate public finances next year.
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya is expected to secure another term in the upcoming presidential election.
