MIX released today issue #14 of the MicroBanking Bulletin (MBB) [online version] Spring 2007. This issue has five feature articles focusing on microfinance and macro-issues, as well as a report on the securitization of the loan portfolio of BRAC (Bangladesh), and the latest release of MIX’s Trend Lines report. Trend Lines, a unique annual MIX analysis of microfinance institutions’ time series performance data, this year covers results of 200 MFIs together serving 21 million borrowers from 75 countries from every region, for the period 2003 to 2005.

Feature articles include the importance and often overlooked role of microfinance to developing and serving the middle class in developing countries; on possible implications of global climate change for microfinance; on the necessity to consider the performance standard of efficiency as a measure of balance between achievements in social and financial performance goals; and on the key macro-environmental factors that foster microfinance. In keeping with the macro-issues theme, there is also a Bulletin Highlights article investigating the resilience of microfinance loan portfolios to national macroeconomic events, from a statistical perspective.

MBB 14 can be seen online at www.mixmarket.org at the bottom of the page (MIX in a Click). Print copies will be available in approximately 3 weeks. In order to ensure timely delivery and order your print copy today please download the MBB 14 order form [here] faxing it back to MIX (202-659-9095) or attaching the document to an email message and sending it to info@themix.org.

MIX would like to thank the World Savings Banks Institute, Incofin, Blue Orchard Finance, responsAbility Social Investment Services AG, and Kiva.org for their sponsorship of MBB 14, as well as to thank CGAP, Citi Foundation, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, Omidyar Network, and Open Society Institute’s Soros Economic Development Fund for the generous funding support MIX receives from them which makes the MicroBanking Bulletin possible.