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The authors, in travels with four clients and friends, explore the business side of Africa, conducting 20 meetings with companies and local organizations in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. These countries are all close to the banks of the Zambezi River, and their fates are linked to it.

Despite heightened fears of a double-digit recession, we see plentiful evidence of improving, equity-friendly fundamentals. Global economies are growing again, and large multinational companies are benefiting from exposure to healthier emerging markets.

The intent of this piece is to communicate the economic indicators that help to monitor in real time whether approaching deflation or accelerating inflation is on the horizon.

Researchers measure differences in wealth across countries and the extent of change during the past decade. They examine patterns of wealth geographically and by gender, as well as differences in household portfolios.

Venture capital shows signs of recovery. Short-term returns have improved and investment volumes have increased to almost pre-crisis levels in the U.S. Analysis supports the notion that a vibrant VC market is conducive to technological progress and, thus, growth.

The budgetary crises of state and local governments have started to receive more attention, leading some to declare that the municipal market may be ground zero for the next financial crisis. Gresham Partners examines the root causes of these concerns and attempts to determine the likelihood that continuing credit pressures will cascade into the next broad financial crisis.

Greece may have been ahead of the pack with its debt crisis, but other nations, including the UK and the US, are on the same path, according to analysis by CTC Consulting. This paper provides an overview of sovereign debt and its impact on major nations, considers historical results of debt and inflation, and explores six possible scenarios for countries currently at risk.

Domestic demand is increasing across Asia, but the continent still relies heavily on exports for its growth. A report from Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Ltd. considers factors related to Asian domestic demand, such as the effect of China's recent move to revalue its currency and the region's use of exchange rate management as its key policy management tool.

Most institutional investors plan to increase their allocations to alternative investments over the next three years, increasing their influence over the sector, while the funds' managers and administrators view regulation and governance as the industry's most important challenges during the same period. These are just two of the key findings of a worldwide survey by KPMG International.