Coface expects an increase in bond defaults and insolvencies in 2021, especially among sectors that accumulated higher cash-flow risks in 2020 amid a slowdown in credit growth.
More than a year after the start of the pandemic, global economic trends are uneven due to lingering uncertainties around the spread of COVID-19. The acceleration of the vaccination process, as well as its effectiveness, are key to an economic recovery
Coface records a good start to the year with a net income of €56.4m ; Turnover: €378m, up 4.2% at constant FX and perimeter.
The rating agency Fitch, on 20th April 2021, affirmed Coface AA- Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating. The agency also removed the Rating Watch Negative. The outlook is now stable.
As the world's largest importer, and second largest exporter of manufactured goods, the United States has had a trade deficit since the early 1970s. Using an analysis based on historical estimates of a potential trade balance, Coface estimates that the deficit could grow by 56 billion dollars as a result of the stimulus plan.
In 2020, and even if the real impact of the COVID-19 crisis remains uncertain, the number of insolvencies actually fell in all major European economies. According to our research, the gap between the expected deterioration of the companies’ financial health and the number of insolvencies suggests that there is a high number of “hidden insolvencies” that have been postponed, rather than prevented.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impact on global GDP growth and global trade volumes has caused a sharp drop in oil prices in the spring of 2020. This price drop, even if temporary, has affected Middle Eastern and African oil exporters differently, in line with their national output’s dependence on oil, as well as their fiscal strength and international reserves. Although Coface expects oil prices to average USD 60 per barrel in 2021, their volatility will remain a challenge for producing countries.
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