Fears of a 1980s-style debt crisis in emerging markets are overblown. But to clear the miasma of statistics, investors would do as well to understand the sentiment of their peers as well as the credit fundamentals of their investments.

It is going to be a bumpy ride for Asia and other commodity-producing economies this year.

The country’s banking sector has staged a remarkable comeback over the past two years and is well-positioned to support growth and investment. Whether or not that will materialize, however, depends on its politicians.

The bailout of Parex Banka at the height of the financial crisis helped push Latvia into deep recession. Today, reborn as Citadele and with a global all-star cast of owners, the bank is well on the way to becoming a national asset.

Qatar Financial Centre always wanted to be different to the other Middle East hubs. But the model was confused. Now it aims to be the engine for the broader transformation of the country’s economy.

Saudi Aramco is a behemoth: the world’s most valuable company and the lifeblood of the Saudi state and royal family. Bankers and investors have mixed emotions over plans to list it; this could be a huge opportunity, but is it feasible?

A long history of dispute over what the Gulf-based adviser should be paid for her role in helping the UK bank raise capital during the financial crisis, first revealed by Euromoney, has been revived – and escalated – by a new claim lodged in the UK High Court.

The Baltic state leapfrogged both sovereigns in the global ratings last year, making its credit ratings outdated.

Iran is emerging from the shadows to re-establish itself as a prime player in the Middle East. Moves are afoot to rid the country of its black-market exchange rate and develop a working currency forward market.

The January fall in emerging market currencies, the exodus of foreign capital and a global bear market in equities all point to a new financial crisis. How China reacts to this threat holds the key for emerging markets.

What are the biggest risks facing Latin American sovereign credit in 2016, and which markets will post the best and worst returns? Share your thoughts on investing in the region in our Euromoney poll.

Poland’s sovereign bond spreads are in turmoil, after a shock downgrade by Standard & Poor’s (S&P). The move follows a sharp drop in its political risk score in the latest Euromoney Country Risk (ECR) survey.

Trading bets against the Saudi peg have jumped since the collapse in oil prices, despite the Kingdom’s sizeable FX reserves cushion.

Distrust in official data coincides with hedge-fund closures, including Nevsky Capital.

Political instability, falling commodity prices, central-bank policy uncertainties and conflict were the principal negative risk factors for investors to contemplate at the turn of the year, as China’s troubles were brought into focus by another round of financial volatility.

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Why is Fitch so reticent to upgrade the sovereign when country risk experts and other credit rating agencies say it is overdue?

The fintech bubble is inflating rapidly in Asia, with near hysteria over how it will improve everything from return on equity to erectile dysfunction.

Investment-banking volumes in emerging Europe have fallen to their lowest levels for more than a decade. Some international banks are withdrawing capacity, while there is little sign of a pick up in the capital markets. So why are some of the universal banks still making positive noises?

VTB Capital cemented its position as Moscow’s leading investment bank last year. With cross-border deals for Chinese and Indian clients it is becoming more than just the adviser of choice for Russian corporates. But will the firm’s ambitions get the better of it?

International investors will swiftly return to Latin America if they see clear evidence of economic progress.

The South African president’s recent erratic changes in the ministry of finance highlight his flailing leadership.

It shows how far expectations have fallen for CEE that its most exciting prospect is now Romania.

Islamic banks in the GCC may have two advantages over their conventional counterparts at a time of weak liquidity: loyal retail money and the ability to tap two investor markets

Default? What default? Asia Pulp & Paper, Sinar Mas and the Widjaja family, once pariahs of the international financial markets, have bounced back with a vengeance. Are the memories of the banks financing them too short? Or are they backing a group that can deliver on both its repurposed business and environmental credentials?

The financial woes at APP in 2001, which led to its default and subsequent debt restructuring, opened up a can of worms within the wider group.

American private equity sees sub-Saharan Africa as an opportunity in an era of slow growth, but have been slow to tap in to the region’s long-term potential.

Secondary buyout trumps IPO; Gulf markets need more liquidity.

Serbia’s ex-finance minister leads charge; sovereign restructurings ‘can open doors’.

Brazil or Argentina need to spark revival; Latin America investment banking’s worst year since 2009.