Robard Williams and Rebecca Karnovitz of the Credit Strategy & Research team discuss proposals that would expand access and affordability of health insurance in the US. The proposals, if enacted, would be positive for household consumption and many consumer-facing sectors but be negative for the healthcare sector and would increase fiscal risks for the US sovereign.
Mickey Chadha and Christina Boni from the US Retail team discuss what drove our industry outlook change to stable from positive. Challenges include an extremely competitive environment, where retailers are investing heavily in e-commerce while contending with operating margin pressures. Pricing remains aggressively competitive as retailers use extremely promotional tactics to fight for market share.
Alastair Wilson from the Sovereign team outlines the driving factors behind our negative outlook on sovereigns globally, focusing on the disruptive and unpredictable domestic and geopolitical environment, which is exacerbating the gradual slowdown in economic growth, weakening institutional strength and increasing the risk of economic or financial shocks.