We recently visited Greece and Turkey, two beautiful Mediterranean countries with distinct economic landscapes and rich cultural histories. With Greece recently upgraded to developed market status by FTSE and Turkey being home to amongst the highest-quality corporates in EM, these are two countries to watch.
Key takeaways
Greece's economic recovery: the country’s stock market has surged >50% year-to-date and 80% over two years, reflecting a strong bounceback from the global financial crisis in 2008 and the sovereign debt crisis of 2013.
The ‘spring effect’: Greece is rebounding after years of hardship, including internal devaluation and salary cuts. This recovery is being further bolstered by EUR70 billion in aid and the Covid recovery and resilience facility.
Turkey’s long history of high inflation: inflation has dropped from over 70% in April 2024 to 33.5% annually, however it has been an issue since the 1970s, and the Finance Minister, Mehmet Simsek, has managed the latest disinflationary programme well.
A consumption story: meetings with various Turkish companies revealed strong growth driven by consumption. We heard that car sales increased 20% in the third quarter of this year, while white goods sales remain robust.
An educational focus: both countries put an emphasis on further education, although Turkey is facing skyrocketing costs, with kindergarten and primary fees doubling or even tripling.