Ukraine/Russia

Hot war may get hotter through cyber battles

22 Feb 2022

Harsh Russian sanctions for invading Ukraine could cause collateral damage. As payback, Moscow may hack American energy firms and banks. U.S. agencies are shoring up cyber capabilities. But hackers only need to be lucky once, and retaliation leaves companies in the crossfire.

Risk of war implies lasting Russia discount

22 Feb 2022

Groups like Sberbank plunged after President Vladimir Putin sent tanks into two Ukrainian regions, although lame European sanctions helped them recover. Even if the Kremlin leader halts his military advance, the threat of tougher penalties will linger over Russian assets.

Vladimir Putin muscles onto central banker agendas

22 Feb 2022

Russia’s president formally ordered troops into two separatist regions of Ukraine, raising the spectre of war. As oil surges toward $100 a barrel, riskier assets are falling out of favour. Any retaliation, including sanctions, could further fuel inflationary fires.

Oligarch sanctions with teeth may yet lack bite

17 Feb 2022

Britain has widened the ways rich Russians can effectively be banned from its shores via sanctions. While less bad than the worst U.S. strictures, they would make life much harder for Russia’s top companies and their overlords. But only if the UK actually uses its new powers.

Viewsroom: Ukraine, ECB and India’s giant insurer

17 Feb 2022

Worries about an invasion of Ukraine have rattled markets, but Dasha Afanasieva says Russian investors are more sanguine. The European Central Bank faces a tougher inflation juggling act, argues Swaha Pattanaik. And Una Galani discusses the listing of India’s Life Insurance Corp.

Russian investors display war chat scepticism

14 Feb 2022

Global stocks dropped and government bonds rose after the U.S. said Moscow could invade Ukraine at any time. Though the rouble and shares in lender Sberbank declined, Russian assets aren’t pricing in the toughest economic sanctions. If war is imminent, there’s more pain to come.

Oil dims hope central bankers will walk fine line

28 Jan 2022

Brent crude topped $91 a barrel for the first time since 2014. Rate-setters can usually ignore temporary jumps, but not when inflation is already high. Fed boss Jay Powell and global peers will struggle to hike rates enough to curb price pressures without stifling growth.