Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Lessons from Argentina on the Outcomes of a Possible Greek Default
In the world of sovereign debt settlements, things have come a long way since Peru settled its 1889 default in part by offering creditors two million tons of guano. While making a great fertilizer, investors were understandably a little disappointed with this outcome. Luckily, the era of debt-restructuring via barter is long past and in its wake settlement terms and processes have rapidly evolved. The largest sovereign default in history, Argentina's in January 2002, is very close to being settled just 8 years and 5 short months later. Looking at the recent history of sovereign defaults gives some clues as to the outcome of a possible Greek restructuring/default, were it to happen, but leaves many questions unanswered...
Northern Trust: Lessons from Argentina on the Outcomes of a Possible Greek Default
Northern Trust: Lessons from Argentina on the Outcomes of a Possible Greek Default