A ground-breaking $1 billion synthetic securitisation by the AfDB could serve as the template for unlocking trillions of dollars of investment for emerging markets project development.

Does an uptick in arms trade imports and exports and a rise in rhetorical weaponised language around trade point to a riskier trade credit insurance environment in 2018-19? In the latest episode of TXF’s Risky Business podcast series, a panel of insurance underwriters and risk experts outline their key global risk trends.

UK flagship infrastructure projects continue to grab the financial headlines. But the reality is the UK is far behind its economic peer group in infra spend and delivery, and competition for funding is high. Jon Turton, director of Business and Investor Advisory at Arup, discusses his concerns about infrastructure investment policy, the impact of Brexit on the project market, and re-balancing the UK economy with significant infra spend in the North.

High crude oil prices look set to continue despite efforts to increase production. At the same time, argues Jonathan Bell, we are seeing a greater strategic use of crude.

Against the backdrop of increasing risk awareness and an evolving regulatory landscape – Basel IV and PRA consultations – Marilyn Blattner-Hoyle, head of supply chain and trade finance at AIG, talks to TXF about the growing cost benefits to lenders of using private insurance and product simplification.