Credit Suisse's co-head of investment banking in Brazil, José Olympio Pereira, discusses the withdrawal of Brasil Travel's anticipated initial public offering and the state of the country's equity capital market, which has not seen a deal for more than six months.

Many of Latin America's high-net-worth individuals are repatriating their funds and an increasing number of foreign investors are targeting the region, thanks to its rapidly expanding economy. With such demand for local product providers, domestic firms are finding themselves having to pit their specialist knowledge against the international reach of large foreign banks, making competition tough.

A buy-and-hold mentality is thwarting Brazil’s debt capital market, limiting access to long-term funding in the country. A number of initiatives have been launched to help deepen the market, but will they help it meet the mounting finance requirements of domestic development projects and local corporates? 

A combination of policy intervention in emerging markets and high residual risks in developed markets means volatility in emerging market currencies looks set to continue.

Starvation and the effects of a poor diet continue to blight a large percentage of the world's population, despite the fact that enough food is produced to eradicate hunger. It is now time for the private sector to play a bigger role in tackling this problem, which would bring with it economic and humanitarian rewards.