What does the Middle East conflict mean for global trade?
Before the conflict in the Middle East, global trade was already facing headwinds from tariffs, weakening demand and rising geopolitical tensions. The escalation in the Middle East introduces a new layer of disruption—particularly through higher energy prices, supply-chain risks and financial uncertainty. Watch our Head of Economic Research Ana Boata explain the highlights below, and check out the full report.
Can old trade routes cope with new trade wars?
Conventional trade routes are at the heart of today’s trade conflicts. Established corridors like the Suez Canal, Malacca, or major ports in Asia, Europe, and the Americas still carry more than half of global trade. But the pandemic, intensified and more frequent geopolitical tensions and climate risks have made them vulnerable. So how do we build resilience?
Here's the latest episode of our #AskMeAnything series with Sector Advisor Maria Latorre.
How has the trade war transformed global supply chains?
At its peak, the US applied a global effective tariff rate of 23%. While that has since come down to around 9%, it’s still high enough to keep companies looking for ways to ease the pressure.
Here’s the next episode of our #AskMeAnything series with APAC Economist Garance Tallon.
How are geopolitics and the trade war redrawing the global trade map?
As our Economist Luis Dalmau explains, firms are not deglobalising, but globalization is taking a new shape. And to understand what that means you need to separate causes from consequences.
How can we turn demographic aging into an opportunity for innovation and growth?
Aging isn't just a challenge — it's an opportunity for innovation and growth. Our expert Katharina Utermöhl explains how demographic aging can fuel progress and reshape industries.
With labor shortages on the rise, how will jobs and skills evolve?
Labor shortages are here, affecting businesses and economies. Our expert Jasmin Groeschl explains how jobs and skills will evolve and why reskilling and lifelong learning are essential.
What practical steps can younger generations take to prepare for pension pressure?
With fewer workers and more retirees, younger generations must take charge of their retirement. Our expert Kathrin Stoffel explains what practical steps you can take to secure your financial future.
What happens to saving and investing when there are fewer young people and more retirees?
Our expert Björn Griesbach explains what happens to saving and investing when there are fewer young people and more retirees. By 2050, 1 in 6 people will be over 65. Aging populations will reshape saving and investing. Learn how this shift impacts financial markets and what it means for investors.
Why are demographics diverging sharply across regions and what are the implications for economies, societies, and everyday lives?
The world is aging — but not evenly. While Germany's median age is 45, Nigeria's is just 18. This 27-year gap tells the story of a world growing at different speeds. Our expert Michaela Grimm explains how demographics shape economies, societies, and our lives.
How will climate change affect credit risk?
When it comes to climate change, businesses, lenders, and financial institutions are all feeling the heat — literally and figuratively.
In this last episode of our Ask me Anything series, ESG and Data Analyst Sivagaminathan Sivasubramanian explains the two kinds of climate-related risks to consider in credit assessment.
When should you be worried about payment delays?
When a company starts delaying payments, it can raise red flags. Cash flow problems, declining revenue, or mounting debt could mean a business is struggling to stay afloat. But not all payment delays are bad news, as Head of Corporate Research Ano Kuhanathan explains in the next episode of our Ask me Anything series.
How will tariffs affect credit risks?
The return of trade war leaves businesses with three choices: Absorb the higher costs, raise prices or cut expenses. All of these moves have consequences, as Head of Economic Research Ana Boata explains in the next episode of our Ask me Anything series. Industries that depend on global trade—auto, pharma, retail, or tech—face the biggest hit, and when costs surge and revenue falls, insolvency rates climb.
How do interest rates affect business insolvencies?
After a long period of low or even zero interest rates in advanced economies, crisis after crisis has kept the cost of borrowing much higher for much longer than expected. As our Sector Advisor Maria Latorre explains, that poses a problem for companies that rely on loans to expand or even just run their day-to-day business.
How do you spot a fragile company?
Maxime Lemerle, our Lead Analyst for Insolvency Research, explains why it's not enough to just look at the basics: balance sheets capture the past, not the present, and future risks could be looming if a company isn't growing its market share or innovating enough.
Has saving become easy again?
Ludovic Subran, Allianz Chief Economist, tackles this big question. With higher interest rates and lower inflation, your money is finally working for you again! But there's more to saving than just putting money aside. Ludovic explains how much more there is to saving and how our savings behavior can shape the world.
Is demographic change less visible but just as devastating as climate change?
The age structure of the world population is shifting gradually. In less than a decade, there will be over 1 billion people aged 65 and older worldwide. Many pension systems are not prepared for this demographic shift. When examining global wealth data, it's evident that many countries still need to implement necessary changes.
In this episode, our demography expert Michaela Grimm explains how these demographic changes will impact the world as we know it.
Are the baby boomers the wealthiest generation that ever lived?
When it comes to wealth accumulation, the baby boomers have certainly hit some remarkable milestones. But how are other generations faring in terms of wealth?
Listen to our wealth expert Kathrin Stoffel as she discusses the financial landscapes for GenX and GenZ and what the future holds for them.
Is it true that people don't want to talk about money?
Our expert Patricia Pelayo Romero is here to give you essential and simple advice on how to better manage your wealth. It's all about financial literacy! Financially literate people make better choices, contributing to their financial well-being and the efficiency of the markets.
Are the rich really getting richer while the poor are getting poorer?
Head of Insurance, Wealth, and ESG Research Arne Holzhausen delves into the question: Are the rich really getting richer while the poor get poorer? Over the past 20 years, the wealthiest 10% of the global population have seen an impressive annual growth of 5.2%! But there's more to this story than just numbers. Discover how the entire global population has navigated wealth changes over time.
Climate mitigation is essential. But the truth is: over the coming years, climate change will continue, causing more extreme weather events and natural hazards. Are we entering an uninsurable world?
Arne Holzhausen, Head of Insurance, Wealth and Trend Research, answers your question.
The most complex problem for green energy systems, based mainly on wind and solar is the fluctuation and seasonality of its energy provision: To counter that, we need electricity storage – and flexible power plants that jump in when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. How should we achieve this flexibility? Which technology is the most promising?
Markus Zimmer, Senior Economist for ESG, gives his answer to this question.
Many of the recent initiatives to advance the green transformation – like the US IRA or the EU Green Deal – smack of protectionism, in the name of sovereignty and de-risking. Do you think green economies will become rather closed? Is there still a role for international trade?
Jasmin Gröschl, Senior Economist, can answer this question for you.
COP 28 marks the beginning of the end of fossil fuels. What consequences do you expect for the oil & gas markets, if any? The oil majors are doomed? Or is the COP-Agreement of little to no relevance for markets and players?
Ano Kuhanathan, Head of Corporate Research, answers this question.
The green transition implies billions of new investments and economy-wide reskilling of workers. It’s a large-scale growth program for economies, isn’t it? What consequences do you expect for growth and jobs?
Listen to what Ana Boata, Head of Economic Research, Allianz Trade, has to say.
