Country risk Sep 2001: Analysts see little sign of sovereign risk contagion

The September report on country risk shows Euromoney's analysts reacting to the global slowdown by carefully choosing among the countries expected to suffer and those that should protect themselves against the downturn. Their choices show that though economic prospects are closely associated with overall risk, there are also several significant exceptions to this pattern. And in their selective identification of gainers and losers, they have indicated scant concern with fears of contagion, except, perhaps in the case of Argentina and Brazil. Most countries can be seen to gain or lose in the risk table on the basis of their own situation, rather than on the basis of the presumed spread of troubles across international borders. Significant losersOnly someone who is fervently dedicated to avoiding the news can be surprised at the most prominent countries that have lost favour...