ReleaseWire

Our outlook for the Italian agribusiness sector has turned more bearish, as dry conditions in Europe, high operating costs and bleak economic prospects have taken a toll on the grains, dairy and livestock sectors. Our long-held view has favoured the grains segment over rice, and we expect conditions to be particularly favourable for wheat and corn over the forecast period to 2018. We expect poultry and cheese to outperform, mainly bolstered by the expected economic recovery, changes in consumption habits and opportunities for expansion into export markets.

While Australia is set to become a major player in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market by the end of the decade, the spiralling costs of existing LNG developments will most likely slow growth momentum, preventing the country from meeting its full gas production and export potential in the decade to come. Gas production and consumption growth could be further threatened by increasing rules on the extraction of coal bed methane. The country will also have to contend with a growing reliance on oil imports as domestic crude oil production experiences weak growth while refining outlook is bleak in face of regional competition.

Taiwanese insurance is dominated by the life insurance sector, accounting for around 85% of all premiums written in 2013, a total of US$79.9bn, and growing. Per capita life premiums of US$3400 are among the highest in the world, growing to US$5000 by 2018. The non-life sector only wrote premiums of US$14.2bn in 2013, of which 70% are in the health insurance line, a compulsory line in Taiwan. Three behemoths dominate, and will continue to dominate the industry: Cathay Life, Fubon Life and Nan Shan Life, writing around half of all premiums in both life and non-life sectors.

The 2014 Rising Stars awarded each year by the Texas Monthly Magazine has been announced for each category of law practiced by individuals who were previously nominated. After a rigorous selection process, the 2014 results finally came out in April 2014.

This report is the result of Timetric's extensive market research covering the institutional construction market in Latvia. It contains detailed data on market dynamics along with latest industry happenings, industry players and happening projects in Latvia. "Latvia Institutional Construction: Market Update" provides a top-level overview and detailed insight into the operating environment of the institutional construction market in Latvia. It is an essential tool for companies active across the Latvia construction value chain and for new players considering to enter the market.

Economy Set To Remain Flat In 2014

The pharmaceutical manufacturing sector will remain an economic mainstay for Puerto Rico. The local government is focused on defending the commonwealth nation's position as a global pharmaceutical production hub by offering incentives for the expansion of existing manufacturing plants and pursuing new opportunities in contract manufacturing operations as well as generic and biologic drug production. However, it will be difficult for the island to return to its former pharmaceutical manufacturing glory.

We expect Saudi crude production to remain elevated but decline in 2014 and 2015. This view is based on rising non-OPEC supplies, assumed growth in Iraqi production and the potential of higher volumes from Iran. However, major disruptions to supplies from key producers such as Libya, and expectations for a recovery in global demand for crude, are likely to keep production elevated, posing upside risks to our forecasts. Major downstream additions are to continue into 2014 while Aramco is planning a major effort to tap conventional and unconventional shale gas reserves. The outlook for gas remains tight, despite ambitious plans to tap unconventional resources; we believe that rising consumption and faltering supplies may yet see the Kingdom seriously consider imports.

This report is the result of Timetric's extensive market research covering the commercial construction industry in UAE. It contains detailed historic and forecast market value data for the commercial construction industry, including a breakdown of the data by construction activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition). "Commercial Construction in the UAE to 2017: Market Forecast" provides a top-level overview and detailed insight into the operating environment of the commercial construction industry in UAE. It is an essential tool for companies active across the UAE construction value chain and for new players considering to enter the market.

This report is the result of Timetric's extensive market research covering the residential construction market in Sweden. It contains detailed data on market dynamics along with latest industry happenings, industry players and happening projects in Sweden. "Sweden Residential Construction: Market Update" provides a top-level overview and detailed insight into the operating environment of the residential construction market in Sweden. It is an essential tool for companies active across the Sweden construction value chain and for new players considering to enter the market.

The Future of the Dairy Food Market in South Africa to 2017: Market Size, Distribution and Brand Share, Key Events and Competitive Landscape" is the result of Canadean's extensive market and company research. This report presents detailed analysis on the Dairy Food consumption trends in South Africa, historic and forecast Dairy Food consumption volumes and values at market and category level. It also provides indispensable data on brand share, distribution channels, profiles of companies active in the global Dairy Food market along with latest industry news, in addition to mergers & acquisitions. This report brings together Canadean Intelligence's research, modeling, and analysis expertise in order to develop uniquely detailed market data. This allows domestic and foreign companies to identify the market dynamics to account for Dairy Food sales overall and to know which categories and segments are showing growth in the coming years.

Despite a small number of power projects coming online over the past year, Venezuela continues to significantly underperform compared with its regional peers. The country's business environment is notably unattractive, with high levels of corruption, an opaque tendering process and extremely low levels of liberalisation within the power market, while the political environment remains precarious, as evidenced by recent protests. Furthermore, electricity output from successfully commissioned plants is at the mercy of Venezuela's ageing and inefficient T&D infrastructure - with power outages still a pressing concern for the majority of the population.

This quarter, BMI has extended its forecasts for Ireland's fixed-line voice, broadband and mobile communications markets through to 2018. We have also utilised the latest operator and regulator data to fine-tune those forecasts. As such, we expect to see slightly stronger mobile subscription growth and slower contraction of the fixed-line market. We hold to our current outlook for modest growth in the broadband market on the back of eircom's progress with its next-generation access network, the rollout of 4G LTE services and potential consolidation in the mobile market, as well as the entrance of Electricity Services Board (ESB) into the mass market broadband services arena. That said, we expect price competition to intensify across all sectors, including pay-TV, following eircom's launch of eVision-branded IPTV in Q413.

This report is the result of Timetric's extensive market research covering the construction industry in Japan. It contains detailed data on market dynamics along with latest industry happenings, industry players and happening projects in Japan. "Japan Construction: Market Update" provides a top-level overview and detailed insight into the operating environment of the construction industry in Japan. It is an essential tool for companies active across Japan construction value chain and for new players considering to enter the market.

The Croatian market is well developed, with high penetration of traditional and data services, but it has managed to maintain one of the highest ARPU rates in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). This has been helped by the proliferation of 3G services and smartphones devices, the latter of which account for about 30% of subscriptions. However, the market is not without its challenges as subscription acquisition opportunities are limited and there is downward pressure on ARPU from SMS IP substitution and price competition in a saturated market. Moves into 4G have been made by the two leading operators. However, the third largest, Tele2, has failed to acquire spectrum to support a launch. The company claims that the move to LTE is premature as 3G services have not yet matured. This paints a slightly bleaker picture of the market as 3G has been available for many years. While Tele2's decision may be correct in the short term, this could raise future problems for the company as it may find it difficult to compete.

Global Markets Direct's, 'Medullary Thyroid Cancer - Pipeline Review, H1 2014', provides an overview of the Medullary Thyroid Cancer's therapeutic pipeline.

The Iraqi mobile sector recorded double-digit growth over the 12 months to December 2013. This supports our outlook for continued subscriptions growth during our five-year forecast period which has been extended to 2018 in this quarter's update. However, we expect increasing market saturation, with the penetration expected to reach 100% by 2015, to increase downward pressures on ARPUs and, consequently, operators' top line and bottom line financial figures. We therefore opine that the country's three mobile operators must expand their portfolio of non-voice services in order to sustain revenue growth, pending the allocation of 3G spectrum by the government. Although growth in the fixed telephony and data sectors remains stifled, we expect the implementation of various network infrastructure investment plans by the government and national fixed-line operator ITPC to boost growth over the medium-to-long term.

Global Markets Direct's, 'Febrile Neutropenia - Pipeline Review, H1 2014', provides an overview of the Febrile Neutropenia's therapeutic pipeline.

This report is the result of Timetric's extensive market research covering the institutional construction market in South Korea. It contains detailed data on market dynamics along with latest industry happenings, industry players and happening projects in South Korea. "South Korea Institutional Construction: Market Update" provides a top-level overview and detailed insight into the operating environment of the institutional construction market in South Korea. It is an essential tool for companies active across the South Korea construction value chain and for new players considering to enter the market.

The International Energy Agency reports that in 1990 the country was able to provide 14% of its oil needs, but heightening demand and no sizable discoveries within its borders mean Chile barely provides 2% of its needs from domestic production. It's the same story with natural gas: a very small resource base cannot hope to transform the country into one of oil and gas independence, but small discoveries of shale may point to an opening for some small explorers. The real opportunities are in liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude as well as refined product importation. A new presidential administration with a centre-left agenda came into power in March 2014. While there is no hint of regulatory reassessment, the new administration knows it has to address the balance between rising demand and declining reserves.

We still believe the Romanian grain sector has the highest growth potential owing to its competitiveness and its exposure to the Middle East and Asia. Sugar production is likely to grow strongly because of base effects, as limited consumption growth from both the food and energy sectors will cap production incentives. The livestock sector will remain just below self-sufficiency, and quality issues linked to the horsemeat scandal will limit export growth opportunities to the rest of the EU, at least in the near term.

This report is the result of Timetric's extensive market research covering the industrial construction market in Kuwait. It contains detailed data on market dynamics along with latest industry happenings, industry players and happening projects in Kuwait. "Kuwait Industrial Construction: Market Update" provides a top-level overview and detailed insight into the operating environment of the industrial construction market in Kuwait. It is an essential tool for companies active across Kuwait construction value chain and for new players considering to enter the market.

This report reviews the performance and asset allocations of HNWIs and Ultra HNWIs in Japan. It also includes an evaluation of the local wealth management market.

Euromonitor International's Industrial reports provide a 360 degree view of an industry. The Industrial market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the Structural Metal Products market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

Global Markets Direct's, 'Medulloblastoma - Pipeline Review, H1 2014', provides an overview of the Medulloblastoma's therapeutic pipeline.