EGS Global Business Blog

20 years ago, ‘The Economist’ started comparing the price of a Big Mac in various countries around the world.

In addition to being a comparison of the cost of doing business in a country,  the index indicates which currencies are under and over valued.

Using this yardstick, China’s yuan is the cheapest currency. Most rich-world currencies are overvalued against the dollar, including the euro (by 22%) and the Swiss franc (by 53%). The Japanese Yen appears to be undervalued by 33% until Purchase Power Parity is taken into account. But that is a topic for another blog posting!

The ‘Economist’ says: “Africa’s financial markets are, at long last, becoming globalised. Low interest rates and saturated financial markets in OECD economies are pushing developed-world investors to look further afield, while the strengthening of African balance sheets (as a result of debt relief), underpinned by booming commodity export earnings and improved macroeconomic management, are making Sub-Saharan markets more enticing.”

Click on the “Africa????’ link to the right.

The purpose of this blog will be to update our readers on interesting developments in world business.

We will post articles, events and special developments we learn about in our international travels.

Our senior team are often in world business capitals seeking partners for our Clients and taking the pulse of world business - looking for the hot spots of investment.

For example, in May and June 2007, we have been in Istanbul, Turkey, Sao Paulo, Brazil, San Juan, Puerto, Johannesburg, South Africa, Dublin, Ireland, London, UK and Tokyo, Japan.

The goal of our blog will be to bring the reader some useful information from being on the ground in such world business centers.