International business reports

In this section you will find information about seminars and publications.

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International Business Reports 2013

International Business Reports 2012

International Business Reports 2011

International Business Reports 2010

International Business Reports 2009

International Business Reports 2013

The future of Europe: Grant Thornton International Business Report 2013
The future of Europe remains delicately poised. Whilst the feeling at the 2013 World Economic Forum in Davos was that the worst of the crisis was over, growth prospects for 2013 look very weak. Download the full report to find out more.

The rise of the cross-border transaction: Grant Thornton International Business Report 2013
Whilst domestic acquisitions remain the focus of acquisitive growth for many businesses (84%), the desire to make a cross-border acquisition is becoming increasingly prominent. The global expectation that cross-border M&A will drive acquisitive growth has increased by 56% since 2008 and 18% in the last year alone. To find out more download the full report.

Turning high risk into high potential: Grant Thornton International Mining Report 2013
This Grant Thornton International Mining Report highlights the difficulties facing mining companies today and illustrates how these issues will impact mining operations in the coming year. More importantly, this report underscores that there are opportunities for mining executives to leverage creative solutions to these challenges.

Global economy in 2013: uncertainty weighing on growth
We have seen significant political change over the course of 2012, with presidential elections taking place in some of the largest economies in the world such as China, Egypt, France, Mexico, Russia and the United States. These leaders and their peers across the globe face a number of key challenges in the face of continuing economic uncertainty. Uncertainty continues to hamper business growth prospects.

International Business Reports 2012

Emerging markets opportunity index: high growth economies
The 2012 Emerging markets report focuses on the high growth markets which are driving the global economy. It includes the Emerging markets opportunity index, updated from 2010, economy-specific investment tips and a special report on international expansion.

Global private equity report 2012
The Grant Thornton global private equity report is a follow up to last year's inaugrual report based upon independent research carried out with 143 private equity companies across the globe and delves into all aspects of the private equity life cycle.

A guide to business relocation in Europe
Many companies from large multinationals to entrepreneurial businesses are choosing to relocate part or all of their operations to new territories. There are a number of reasons why commercially a group may consider relocating part of their operations, but it is also important to understand the tax consequences.

Global Dynamism Index 2012: business growth fundamentals
This new index has been developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and ranks 50 economies on 22 indicators of dynamism. It suggests that business growth fundamentals remain strong in many developed economies even as they struggle with debt.

Economy focus series: ASEAN
This report looks at one of the fastest growing and most dynamic regions in the world – Southeast Asia – drawing on economic data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and business sentiment data from the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR), a quarterly survey of 3,000 businesses in 40 economies.

Doing business in New Zealand
If you are planning on doing business in New Zealand knowledge of the investment environment and information on the legal, accounting and taxation framework are essential to keep you on the right track.

Transparency report 2012
The 2012 Grant Thornton international transparency report is a public statement of our commitment to provide high quality assurance services to organisations operating throughout the world. This report is designed to help our many stakeholders (including clients, audit committees, regulators and the general public) understand our global organisation – our governance and management structure and how Grant Thornton delivers high quality assurance services throughout the world.

Economy focus series: New Zealand
The Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) surveys more than 12,000 businesses in 40 economies around the world. This report focuses on businesses in New Zealand and their expectations for the next 12 months.

Greener fleets: companies consider alternative-fuel vehicles
Companies around the globe are increasingly looking at business vehicles that run on alternative fuels. “Greener fleets: companies consider alternative-fuel vehicles”, from the Grant Thornton International Business Report 2012, finds many factors driving demand for alternative-fuel vehicles, but also obstacles that prevent companies from adopting greener approaches.

Capturing opportunity: Cleantech business booms around the world
The global cleantech sector has emerged as viable, thriving and future-oriented. Whereas once activity in the sector was fuelled by startup companies emerging with marketable ideas, products and services, today a vast array of industrialists, service organisations and utilities see the enormous opportunity in the sector and want a piece of this rapidly expanding market.

Women in senior management: still not enough
The past 12 months have seen women take the lead in some of the toughest economic and political environments: Christine Lagarde became the first female to head the International Monetary Fund, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, has emerged as the key figure in solving the eurozone sovereign debt crisis and Maria das Gracas Foster has taken over at Petrobras, becoming the first woman to run one of the world’s top five oil companies. Women also head governments in countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Thailand. This short report, based on our latest International Business Report (IBR), explores why this issue matters, the current state of play and what is being done about it.

The future of Europe: clouded by uncertainty
This report looks at the situation in Europe (and the future of the single currency) from the perspective of businesses within the eurozone, those in the EU but outside of the single currency, and neighbouring countries outside of the EU.

The BRICs: propping up the global economy
This short report looks at the rise of the BRIC economies, their growing importance to the global economy and the trends that will shape their performance. It draws upon the International Business Report (IBR) – a quarterly survey of business leaders, covering 11,500 businesses in 40 economies on an annual basis – as well as forecast data from leading global economists.

International Business Reports 2011

Global Trends in the Not for Profit Sector
Non-profits around the world faced a major funding crunch during 2009–10. Every time there is an economic slowdown or a financial crisis, societies tend to place humanitarian causes on the backburner. For 2012, most non-profits expect that there will be an improvement in private funding and government grants. This report highlights some of the major trends that will characterise the non-profit sector in the medium term.

The global economy in 2012: a rocky road to recovery
We have witnessed a large amount of political and economic turmoil over the past 12 months, from uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa to the tsunami in Japan and the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone. Resulting volatility in commodity prices, disruptions to supply chains and general uncertainty has impacted businesses across the globe, slowing the recovery in both mature and emerging markets. Drawing on more than 13,000 interviews in 39 economies, this report explores the trends that will shape the speed and trajectory of the recovery over the next 12 months, including demand, employment, investment, inflation and access to finance.

Global private equity report 2011
This report is based on the survey of approximately 150 private equity firms on a global basis and surveys their key decision makers on investment activity, portfolio, exit activity, fundraising and overall market outlook. Click here to view.

Doing Business in New Zealand
If you are planning on doing business in New Zealand knowledge of the investment environment and information on the legal, accounting and taxation framework are essential to keep you on the right track.

Preparing for global lease accounting standards
Preparing for global lease accounting standards examines the status of the proposed lease accounting standards and offers real estate executives’ perceptions—from Australia, Canada, India, the UK, and the United States—of the standards’ potential impact.

Corporate social responsibility: the power of perception
The global economy has changed significantly since we first researched this topic in 2008, and businesses have since had to adapt more than ever to remain competitive. With the economic recovery still fragile in many parts of the world, businesses remain focused on the bottom line whilst consumers grapple with squeezed real disposable incomes. Even in more certain times, there is a competitive advantage to be gained by those businesses which can demonstrate leadership towards socially responsible practices. In the current climate, it simply makes good business sense. With this in mind, we asked businesses a broader range of questions around their CSR activity this year: What is driving it? What initiatives have been launched? How is it/should it be reported?

Transparency report 2011
As part of our continuing focus on transparency, the report aims to help our many stakeholders (including clients, audit committees, regulators and the general public) understand our global
organisation – our governance and management structure and how Grant Thornton member firms
deliver high quality assurance services throughout the world. Our stakeholders rightly expect us to
have people, processes and technology in place that result in quality service regardless of where we operate.

Survival: the ongoing challenge of having to deliver more for less
The latest Not for Profit Survey 2011/2012 confirms that organisations in this sector, similar to their counterparts in the for Profit sector, are not immune from the significant and often devastating effects of disasters – be they physical, financial or human.

Mergers and acquisitions: global prospects for growth
Backed by stronger credit and equity markets going into 2011, privately held businesses (PHBs) show renewed confidence about their M&A plans as the global economy gradually emerges from the downturn. Ambitious businesses now sense that the combination of a more stable global economy and receptive vendors is generating interesting acquisition opportunities. Click here to view the full report

International Business Reports 2010

Transparency report 2010
The 2010 Grant Thornton transparency report is a public statement to the clients of our member firms, to audit committees, regulators and the wider public of our commitment to provide high quality assurance services to organisations operating all over the world.

International Business Reports 2009

Innovation: the key to future success - Global focus
With economies around the world in the grip of the worst recession since the Second World War, the focus of many in the business community has turned towards innovation. What kinds of innovation will best help us to emerge from recession stronger than we went in, to gain market share, or to thrive in new and exciting markets?

Innovation: the key to future success - Asia Pacific focus
Asia Pacific is the most diverse region of the major economic blocs. It includes the highly developed economy of Japan, alongside the massive and growing economies of mainland China and India, with nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand all changing rapidly. In Asia Pacific, the consumer plays a pre-eminent role in dictating the pace and direction of innovation.

Innovation: the key to future success - Western Europe focus
According to the latest figures from the International Monetary Fund, Western Europe is home to five of the top 10 largest economies in the world – Germany (4th), the United Kingdom (5th), France (6th), Italy (7th) and Spain (8th). This report identifies several areas where Western Europe remains pre-eminent in global innovation.

Innovation: the key to future success - North American focus
Despite the continued economic uncertainty, with its roots in North America and a disproportionately severe impact on the region, the United States remains by far the largest and most powerful global economy, with a commercial culture far more open and encouraging of innovation than anywhere else.

Financial instruments 2009
A Chief Financial Officer's guide to avoiding the traps.

Business planning
Navigating the global downturn.

Mergers and acquisitions
Looking beyond the global downturn.

AIM: Adapting to change
Global capital markets are going through a period of unprecedented change. This report
is part of a series of capital markets guides developed by Grant Thornton.

Private Equity in Vietnam 2009
Investment outlook survey results – Part II

Private Equity in Vietnam 2009
Investment outlook survey results – Part I

Middle East capital markets guide
Towards innovation and transparency.

Other reports of interest

Deferred tax – A Chief Financial Officer’s guide to avoiding the pitfalls
This guide is intended for CFOs of businesses that prepare financial statements under IFRS. It illustrates IAS 12's approach to the calculation of deferred tax balances but is not intended to explain every aspect of the standard in detail. Rather, it summarises the approach to calculating the deferred tax provision in order to help CFOs to prioritise and identify key issues. The guide has been revised to reflect changes made to IAS 12 up to 31 December 2012.

Tax: higher rates on the horizon
Governments around the world are facing the same dilemma - the need to generate revenue to pay off debt used to support key players in their market.  The burden of increased tax revenue is likely to fall on privately held businesses.

Not for Profit Survey 2009/2010
Pressing issues impacting New Zealand’s Not for Profit sector

Corporate Tax Guide

Expatriate Tax Guide
Taxation of Expatriate employees in New Zealand.

Real Estate Guide
Investing in real estate in New Zealand.