China is the world’s largest-ever catch-up economy. It will soon be the world’s largest economy, period. But policymakers in Beijing face some tough choices in the years to come to cope with the strains that industrial revolution brings, writes Diana Choyleva.

ATS operators sunk by Icebergs in Europe turn to America and Asia. ITG, which launched its crossing centre in Canada as recently as the fourth quarter of 2005, has already seen its market share rise to 4.1% of the volume of the dominant Toronto Exchange, TSX.

Activity remained high into mid-December after the majors finally broke free of their narrow ranges.

Europe’s economies are split in two: the surpluses of the centre and the north, versus the deficits of the UK, France, and the Mediterranean and accession countries. As the imbalances become exacerbated, Charles Dumas asks if there is a get-out clause for the continent’s likely downswing.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank, has issued its first local currency bond offering in sub-Saharan Africa. The XOF22 billion ($44.6million), five-year bond was placed in the eight West African Economic and Monetary Union member nations. IFC vice-president Nina Shapiro said: “IFC expects to follow this bond issue with structured products developed in partnership with local financial institutions.” BNP Paribas is leading the issue.

India’s recent rapid growth masks the fact that it still lags far behind China in terms of its economic development. Its catch-up potential remains huge, and its growth could be even faster. By Diana Choyleva and Maya Bhandari.

At the start of December, Ford Motor Co grabbed a liquidity lifeline with its first ever secured loan facility. All manufacturing and auto assets, plus some or all of its subsidiaries, are included. The move structurally subordinates unsecured debt holders, particularly in FMC, prompting one-notch downgrades to triple Caa1 for FMC from Moody’s, and to B from Fitch and a two-notch move from S&P to CCC+. Ford Motor Credit remains in Single B territory.

Has anyone seen this man?

Bolivian president Evo Morales has taken control of foreign energy companies operating in the landlocked country. The deals give the government a majority share of the companies’ revenues, generated by the second-largest natural gas reserves in Latin America, behind Venezuela. According to Morales, this nationalization process, begun in May with the petroleum industry, “will continue [in 2007] with the recovery of other natural resources benefiting the Bolivian people”.

The May-June 2006 markets crunch was a dress rehearsal for liquidity implosion. And, in an alarming trend, the Eurasian savings glut is increasing, sustaining Goldilocks short-term but aggravating the potential global demand deficiency. Charles Dumas argues that a hard landing followed by poor recovery is the natural consequence of the glut.

Unsuspecting staff at the Citigroup Centre in London passing by the fixed-income trading floor were shocked to see their head of high-yield sales and trading, Mickey Brennan, and their head of emerging markets sales, Marc Pagano, getting their heads shaved while fellow staff members cheered on.

The looming pensions crisis means individuals will have to take more responsibility, work longer and begin to save. If the US goes from a nation of spenders to a nation of savers, as it must, what will the impact be for the global economy, asks Gabriel Stein.

Is manager or strategy selection the key for fund of hedge funds managers?

The launch of Goldman Sachs’s Absolute Return Tracker Index in Italy in December has revived the argument about the value of passive hedge fund investing through indices compared with direct hedge fund investments or investment through funds of hedge funds.

It could be that the bank is simply too large, and only disposals can change the culture. But the recent changes are, to date at least, a missed opportunity.

Strong business confidence, healthy demand for German products and an increasing share of income going to capital belie fears that Germany’s growth rate is under threat.

The Saudi banking sector is set for sustained growth on the back of GCC-wide economic development. Foreign banks are keen to join the bonanza.

CapitaLand Limited, Singapore’s leading property group and already the sponsor of four Singapore-listed real estate investment trusts, including the recent mainland China Reit, CapitaRetail China Trust, added to its portfolio in December with the IPO of a fifth Reit and its first to be listed abroad.

Investment bankers in Japan are confident that a hybrid securities market will be established this year, despite fears that the lack of a sizeable standout deal thus far is contributing to investor and issuer caution about the structure. The sector was extremely active in the US as 2006 came to a close, with overwhelming levels of investor demand for deals from Axa and Washington Mutual, and bankers in Japan say that treasurers and CFOs there are looking closely at how their counterparts in the US use the instruments to fund acquisitions and improve capital structure.

Banks have been profiting from a rising tide of consumer borrowing. As increasing bank intermediation offers plenty of loan growth, a mismatch in assets and liabilities puts pressure on banks to come to the international capital markets and make use of more sophisticated funding. Florian Neuhof reports from Kiev.

Southeastern Europe is experiencing a retail lending boom. Although this credit expansion is helping the region’s economies to grow, there is concern that it is putting pressure on banking systems. Sudip Roy explores the dimensions of that risk and weighs up what the authorities are doing to mitigate it.

Investor doubt evaporates.

Corporate treasury bears the brunt of regulatory and technological change, and those changes are accelerating. At the same time, demands for performance increase, and it’s the banks who have to deliver.

As a result of the overwhelming demand, the stock soared 40% when it debuted on the ZSE in early December, hitting K2,400 within minutes of starting trading.

Asia’s nascent market in structured growth capital is hard to define and even harder to resist. Fat margins and tied clients are bringing more entrants and might engender greater risks.

The influence of investors in credit default swaps has conspicuously failed to match the growth of the market itself. But a recent restructuring could be the watershed moment that changes the credit markets for ever. Has the ground shifted beneath corporate issuers’ feet without them even noticing? Louise Bowman reports.

Dresdner Bank’s EUR medium-risk portfolio is one of six risk profiles the bank runs for high-net-worth investors looking for a balanced portfolio and accepting exposure to global markets.

In October the Province of Buenos Aires issued its first international bond since the sovereign’s default in December 2001. The placement’s success demonstrates how far Argentina has since come. Hernan Lorenzino, the province’s under-secretary of finance, tells Chloe Hayward about this bond issue and its impact for Argentina.

Is it really likely that DK will now be able to persuade better-quality individuals to join the firm? It might be struggling to retain the ones that are left.

Two major state companies will be partly privatized and up to 10 private companies are expected to undertake initial public offerings in Colombia next year.