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Coface finalises the acquisition of GIEK Kredittforsikring AS

Coface announces the closing of the acquisition of GIEK Kredittforsikring AS, a company that manages a short-term export credit insurance portfolio.

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It’s never been more important to really know your customers

The Government has given more businesses the green light to start operating again but many are short of cash. If you want to be confident about trading on credit terms, it is essential to fully understand how the pandemic has affected your customers’ risk profile. This Coface blog explains how trade risk during the pandemic can be influenced by a customer’s country, their trade sector and their current financial position.

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Are corporate balance sheets in Spain and Italy ready for the COVID-19 shock?

Although the second quarter of 2020 is shaping up to be the most challenging period of the year, there are now good reasons to think that the road to recovery will be long and arduous. Despite immediate tax deferrals, liquidity guarantees, it is likely that many firms will find themselves in difficulty.
According to Coface forecasts, Spain and Italy will be among the economies hardest hit by COVID-19, contracting by 12.8% and 13.6% respectively in 2020. Corporate insolvencies are expected to increase by 22% in Spain and 37% in Italy by 2021, relative to 2019 levels. For 2021, Coface forecasts that Spain and Italy’s GDP will rebound by 10.2% and 8.9%, leaving the economies 3.9% and 5.9% below 2019 levels.

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Business insolvencies in Europe: amendments to legal procedures temporarily postpone due dates

Many European countries have temporarily amended the legal framework of default procedures to help companies deal with the crisis, postponing growth of insolvencies in Europe.

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From a massive shock to a diversified recovery

A few weeks after the first containment easing measures, economic activity seems to be picking up in most European countries. However, about two months after China, this gradual and partial recovery will not erase the effects of containment on global growth.

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Coface Barometer: From a massive shock to a diversified recovery

Coface forecasts that the recession in 2020 (a 4.4% drop in world GDP) will be stronger than that of 2009. Despite the recovery expected in 2021 (+5.1%) – assuming there is no second wave of the coronavirus pandemic – GDP would remain 2 to 5 points lower in the United States, the eurozone, Japan, and the United Kingdom, when compared to 2019 levels.

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Coface delivers record first semester in riskier economy

Net income up 25% at €78.5m, RoATE at 9.6% and Partial Internal Model submitted

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Asia Corporate Payment Survey 2019: Deteriorating payment trends amid trade war woes

Coface’s 2019 Asia Corporate Payment Survey covered over 3,000 companies in nine economies (Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan). 63% of companies surveyed stated that they experienced payment delays in 2018. The length of payment delays increased to 88 days on average in 2018, compared to 84 days in 2017. The length of payment delays was highest in China, Malaysia and Singapore; as well as the energy, construction and ICT sectors.

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Coface Barometer - Trade tensions return to the forefront of the global economy

US/China trade war, struggling automotive sector, slower growth in emerging economies... the second quarter of 2019 highlights a global economic slowdown.

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Business can't stay still say experts at Coface Country Risk Conference

Brexit, tariff wars and social unrest have created a fog of uncertainty for business but there was plenty of clarity and insight at the seventh Coface Country Risk Conference in London on June 20th which featured a highly distinguished line-up of experts, including the French Ambassador to United Kingdom, Jean-Pierre Jouyet.

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Coface Delivers a Strong First Quarter 2019

Net income at €36.4m and RoATE at 9.0%, supported by full impact of Fit to Win plan, portfolio growth and sound underwriting management

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The turnaround in the industrial cycle hits companies in the chemicals sector in Europe and North America

Signs of a slowing global economy continue to accumulate - 2019: the number of insolvencies will increase in two-thirds of countries (+3% in Western Europe) - The chemical industry in Europe and North America is suffering from fewer opportunities in the automotive sector - Improvements in assessments are concentrated in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia's upgrade (B)

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Turkish economy: domestic demand still waning but exports fuelled by the lira’s depreciation

Turkey is experiencing a severe economic slowdown coupled with a jump in inflation as a result of the sharp depreciation of the lira during 2018, which hit the country’s production and consumption dynamics.

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Two pitfalls for businesses in 2019: the economic downturn and political risks

Coface will be sharing its vision of the major trends in the world economy in 2019 with businesses at its annual conference on country and sectoral risks.

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Coface strengthens the senior management team of its Western Europe region

The Western Europe region, which comprises six mature credit insurance markets, represented 21.6% of the Group’s total exposure and 20.7% of its total revenue in 2017.

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Tighter liquidity in Asia: not all gloom and doom in 2019

Asia has been under pressure following tighter global liquidity in 2018. Coface’s index for measuring relative vulnerability to outflows points to increasing divergence in Asia (...)

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French companies in 2019: Rise in insolvencies but higher margins will allow cushioning the impact of slowing global trade

In the third quarter of 2018, after two years of improvement, French companies experienced a reversal of the trend with the number of insolvencies increasing by +2.3% (...)

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SMEs in China: Monetary easing won’t be sufficient to reduce credit pressure

When considering risk in the Chinese economy, a lot of the discussion has focused on large State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) or large private conglomerates (...)

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Wind energy industry: Production costs will increase under the influence of the trade war and the liquidity squeeze

Alongside other renewables, wind energy has experienced a strong growth since the mid-2000s across the world (...)

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Halfway through its trade diversification process, the United Arab Emirates is yet to be integrated into international value chains

In the last three decades, the UAE has developed into the second largest and most diversified economy in GCC area through the implementation of specific policy frameworks regarding regulations (...)

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