Country Analysis Understanding Economic and Political Performance

The ability to connect theoretical macroeconomics to the analysis of the economic and political performance of a given country is an essential skill for global investors. In Country Analysis: Understanding Economic and Political Performance, David M. Currie takes a unique analytical approach to the subject, clearly demonstrating the relationship between theory and application in investing practices. This valuable book shows how to interpret country performance and provides the practising investor with sufficient background on economic principles to be able to understand and interpret country summaries that appear in business periodicals and other media. It covers key topics such as the Washington Consensus and the three major categories of economic decisions - fiscal policy, monetary policy and trade policy. It includes an important chapter on the political aspect of government performance, to give the reader an understanding of economic decisions in their true context. Country Analysis explains the reasoning behind the criteria used in evaluating country risk and economic performance, without the need for a sophisticated understanding of economics or mathematics. Each chapter includes a series of text boxes that include real-life examples from business periodicals to reinforce what is discussed and enable readers to practice identifying and interpreting relevant information. Practitioners making investment decisions in global markets, as well as students in MBA and other courses, will find this immensely practical book a valuable aid to critical decision making.

Chapter 1 Global Investing; Chapter 2 Economic Indicators; Chapter 3 A Frame of Reference; Chapter 4 Evaluating Governance and Culture; Chapter 5 Evaluating Fiscal Policy; Chapter 6 Evaluating Monetary Policy; Chapter 7 Evaluating International Transactions; Chapter 8 Currencies; Chapter 9 Managing Currency Risk;

Dr David M. Currie is Professor of Finance and Economics at the Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida. He has won awards from national organizations for teaching innovations and from students for the quality of the educational experience. After receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, Dr. Currie received a PhD from the University of Southern California. Dr. Currie has published articles and cases in the fields of finance, international education, business management and ethics. He has been a visiting professor at Groupe HEC in France and a Fulbright Scholar in Croatia. Dr. Currie has been an elected official, co-owner of a chain of perfume boutiques, and an examiner for the Georgia Oglethorpe Award Process.