• United States
• Canada
• Uruguay

• China
• India
• Malaysia
• Singapore

• Ghana
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• Qatar
• Russia
• Turkey
• United Kingdom

Even in January Canada’s economy had a bit of spring in its step, suggesting the first quarter may not be as bad as feared.

Gross domestic product expanded 0.5% in the month, snapping back from December’s loss, when a major ice storm in Ontario exacted a steep toll on the economy. And the economy is expected to gain further traction in the months ahead as U.S. growth strengthens and boosts demand for Canadian exports.

According to BMO Capital Markets chief economist, Douglas Porter "the underlying growth in the economy appears slightly better than expected." Although a severe winter is widely expected to have weighed on growth in the first three months of 2014, slowing from the 2.9% annualized rate in the fourth quarter of 2013, some economists are revising their projections higher after January’s GDP data…(The remaining text is not included in this sample.)

The Indian economy is expected to grow 5.5% in 2014-15 on the back of improved performance in industry and services and will inch up to 6% in 2015-16 as external demand improves due to the strength in advanced economies, the Asian Development Bank said recently. The 5.5% estimate is slightly lower than its previous forecast of 5.7% growth.

The government moves to open up some of the structural bottlenecks that have impeded industry and investment is also likely to have an impact on overall growth, the ADB said in its latest outlook. However, it cautioned that economic recovery would be a long haul.

"Economic recovery would have to be led by improved investment and consumption, but the prospects do not appear promising at this stage. Elevated inflation, a tight monetary stance, and a weak currency will continue to constrain spending. Further, fiscal austerity is likely to be an additional drag on growth," the ADB said.   (The remaining text is not included in this sample.)

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) announced in mid-March that it expected UK GDP to reach pre-2007 levels by this summer, a quarter earlier than originally expected. Furthermore, the outlook for 2015 has also been bumped up, with GDP increasing from an expected 2.4% to 2.5%, and is predicted to remain stable – holding onto this rate throughout 2016.

The immediate impact of this optimism will, of course, be the long-awaited rise in interest rates, which has been at a record low of 0.5% for the past five years. The BCC has predicted that the rates are likely to rise in Q3 2015, but will only be nudged up to 0.75%, and will step up incrementally by 0.25% each quarter until it reaches 1.5% in H2 2016. However, it would appear that the BCC's outlook is conservative, as the wider consensus around the base rate is that it will rise to 1% in Q3 2014, and then up to 2-2.5% in the following 12 months.

The question on many private equity practitioners' minds will be the impact of the rate rise on outstanding debt held by portfolio companies. According to Gary Edwards of Investec's growth and acquisition finance team, the levels of restructuring seen in 2013 (which accounted for more than 80% of debt transactions across Europe) are likely to continue throughout 2014 in anticipation of the increase: "Private equity will need to deal with debt structures before the [interest] rate increases."   (The remaining text is not included in this sample.)

A complete analysis of GDP and Monthly Updates for individual countries is included as part of Air & Water Pollution Monitoring World Markets.

For more information on Air & Water Pollution Monitoring World Markets click on:  http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/2-uncategorised/106-n031

(Listed by most current date.)

CONSOL Energy to Supply European Cracker Facilities with Ethane from the Marcellus Shale  (Article Dated: 4/14/2014)

American Chemistry Council Says U.S. Chemical Investment Tied to Shale Gas Tops $100 Bln  (Article Dated: 4/14/2014)

Jordan Cove LNG Plant Exports Approved as U.S. Pressured to Respond to Ukraine Crisis  (Article Dated: 4/10/2014)

Spain Could Help Europe Reduce Dependence on Russian Supplies, Lobby Group, Sedigas Says  (Article Dated: 4/10/2014)

Wood Mackenzie Says Ukraine Gas Disruption to Tighten LNG Markets Further  (Article Dated: 4/10/2014)

Ophir Energy Says Tanzania LNG Project Could Undergo Expansion after more Gas Discovery  (Article Dated: 4/10/2014)

Dominion Cove Point LNG Export Project Gains Broad Support Locally and Beyond  (Article Dated: 4/10/2014)

GE Unveils LNG In A BoxTM System as Gasfin Selects the New Technology for Europe’s Fueling Stations  (Article Dated: 4/10/2014)

Cheniere and Endesa Sign 20-Year LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement  (Article Dated: 4/10/2014)

BC Premier Clark Uncertain About Pipeline, LNG Projects  (Article Dated: 4/9/2014)

Russia's Rosneft and U.S. Partner Exxon, On Track With LNG Plant  (Article Dated: 4/9/2014)

Goldboro LNG Export Facility Receives Environmental Assessment Approval  (Article Dated: 4/9/2014)

Jordan Cove Gets License to Export LNG to U.S. non-FTA Status Countries and Gives Commercial Update  (Article Dated: 4/9/2014)

Australia's LNG Export Focus Impacting Future Investment and Employment  (Article Dated: 4/9/2014)

FERC to Issue Environmental Assessment for Dominion Cove Point LNG Export Project  (Article Dated: 4/8/2014)

CB&I Announces $625 Mln LNG Award from Bechtel for Australia Wheatstone Project  (Article Dated: 4/8/2014)

Macquarie Infrastructure’s Gas Business Receives Hawaii Public Utilities LNG Shipments Approval  (Article Dated: 4/8/2014)

Trunkline LNG Files FERC Application for Lake Charles LNG Export Project  (Article Dated: 4/8/2014)

Applied Natural Gas Fuels Closes Land Purchase for Midlothian LNG Plant  (Article Dated: 4/8/2014)

CB&I and Chiyoda Win $6 Bln EPC Award for Louisiana Cameron LNG Project  (Article Dated: 4/8/2014)

Excelerate Files FERC Application for Lavaca Bay LNG Project  (Article Dated: 4/7/2014)

Bumi Armada Joins with Keppel Shipyard and Japan’s IHI for Equatorial Guinea FLNG Project  (Article Dated: 4/7/2014)

Algeria Expects 6 Bcm LNG Plant to Start Up This Year  (Article Dated: 4/7/2014)

Foster Wheeler Awarded Contract for Kuwait LNG Import and Regasification Terminal  (Article Dated: 4/7/2014)

Statoil, BG Group to Build Tanzania’s First LNG Plant  (Article Dated: 4/7/2014)

LNG America Contracts Jensen to Design First LNG Bunker Barges for U.S. Gulf Coast  (Article Dated: 4/7/2014)

Progress Energy Canada and Pacific NorthWest LNG Sign New Partner to BC LNG Export Project  (Article Dated: 4/7/2014)

Singapore Plans to Build Second LNG Terminal in Quest to be LNG Hub  (Article Dated: 4/4/2014)

GDF Suez Promoted Cameron LNG Project Gets Export Approval from U.S. DOE  (Article Dated: 4/4/2014)

Wison Offshore & Marine Wins Second Floating LNG Contract  (Article Dated: 4/4/2014)

Yokogawa Wins LNG Carrier Control System Order for Australia Ichthys LNG Project  (Article Dated: 4/4/2014)

Gazprom and Shell Sign Memorandum-roadmap for Third Train of Sakhalin II Project  (Article Dated: 4/4/2014)

Foster Wheeler Awarded Study for Statoil Snøhvit Improvement Project in Norway  (Article Dated: 4/4/2014)

Totem Ocean Chooses Wärtsilä Technology for N America ‘s Largest LNG Ship Conversion  (Article Dated: 4/4/2014)

Sempra Energy Subsidiary Receives U.S. DOE LNG Export License for LA Liquefaction Facility  (Article Dated: 4/3/2014)

Foster Wheeler Awarded FEED Contracts by S-OIL for S. Korea Residue Upgrading Project  (Article Dated: 4/2/2014)

Valero CEO Says Meraux FCC Refinery Unit May Shut Sometime in 2015  (Article Dated: 4/2/2014)

Jacobs Wins Contract for Utilities Requirements of Alberta Bitumen Refinery  (Article Dated: 4/2/2014)

Fire Breaks Out at TonenGeneral Kawasaki Plant Hydrocracking Unit  (Article Dated: 4/2/2014)

Metso to Supply Valve Solutions to Saudi Aramco's Petroleum Refining and Petrochem Complex  (Article Dated: 4/2/2014)

Iraq Breaks Ground on Karbala Refinery  (Article Dated: 4/2/2014)

KBR Awarded FEED Contract for Jebel Ali Refinery Upgrade  (Article Dated: 4/2/2014)

Honeywell's UOP Technology, Modular Equipment to Help Pakistani Refiner Meet Demand  (Article Dated: 4/2/2014)

Alfa Laval Wins SEK 55 Mln Heat Exchangers Order in Vietnam  (Article Dated: 4/1/2014)

Egyptian Refining Co Advances Refinery Upgrade within Mostorod Petroleum Complex  (Article Dated: 4/1/2014)

Kenya to Invest $74 Mln in Uganda Oil Refinery  (Article Dated: 4/1/2014)

Senegal to Keep Ageing Refinery Running After Strategic Review  (Article Dated: 4/1/2014)

Morocco Refiner Samir Gets $300 Mln Loan from Glencore Energy  (Article Dated: 4/1/2014)

African Downstream Specialist Says No New African Refineries without Govt Clarity on Policy  (Article Dated: 4/1/2014)

Angola LNG Compressor Leak Delays Loading Program  (Article Dated: 4/1/2014)

PetroChina's New Refinery and Petrochem Complex to Start Commercial Runs in April  (Article Dated: 3/31/2014)

BP Shuts Whiting Indiana Refinery FCC for Six Weeks Maintenance  (Article Dated: 3/31/2014)

Bechtel's ThruPlus® Coking Technology Selected for Croatian Refinery  (Article Dated: 3/31/2014)

Neste Oil Chooses Metso’s Automation & Valve Technology for its Porvoo Refinery  (Article Dated: 3/31/2014)

Japan's TonenGeneral Considers Cutting Chiba Refinery Capacity to Improve Efficiency  (Article Dated: 3/28/2014)

Greece's Hellenic Petroleum to Temporarily Shut Down Elefsina Flexicoker in March  (Article Dated: 3/28/2014)

UK's Stanlow Refinery to Cut Capacity by a Third  (Article Dated: 3/28/2014)

South Korea Confirms S-Oil to Invest $7.5 Bln in Refining, Petrochemical Units  (Article Dated: 3/28/2014)

South Korea's S-Oil Corp Wins Tender for Oil Refining and Petchem Plant for $4.72 Bln  (Article Dated: 3/28/2014)

China's Shandong Province Bans New Oil Refining Projects  (Article Dated: 3/28/2014)

Fluor Selected for the Mina Abdullah Package 2 Clean Fuels Project in Kuwait  (Article Dated: 3/27/2014)

CB&I Announces $370 Mln Kuwait Refinery Award for Its Clean Fuels Project  (Article Dated: 3/27/2014)

UOP to Supply Hydrogen Purification System at Ruwais Refinery in UAE  (Article Dated: 3/27/2014)

South Korea's Hyundai E&C Consortium Wins $6 Bln Iraq Karbala Refinery Order  (Article Dated: 3/27/2014)

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