By Andrei Skvarsky. The chief executive of Abraaj, a global private equity firm, argues that “diverse urban economies” in Mexico offer “unique” opportunities to international private equity investors. Continue Reading
Category Archives: Views
Sberbank report compares Russia and Turkey
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, has released a research report comparing Russia and Turkey as similar markets and arguing that Turkey is doing somewhat better than Russia today but that the situation may reverse before long.cheaper penetration stories like X5 Retail Group in Russia, they say. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse analysts: Business sentiment in Russia sliding as ruble loses value
By Andrei Skvarsky. According to Deutsche Boerse-owned intelligence firm MNI, business sentiment among Russian companies has been predominantly negative since September and edged further down in October as the ruble has kept depreciating. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse think tank: Russian consumers slightly more upbeat in September
By Andrei Skvarsky. Deutsche Boerse’s research subsidiary MNI says consumer sentiment in Russia was slightly more upbeat in September than the month before but that Russians were more worried about the job market and rising prices than in August. Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot – Laos
Although one of the few remaining one-party communist states, the Laotian government’s attempts to decentralize control of the economy and encourage private enterprise starting in 1986 have resulted in an annual growth rate of 6% from 1988-2008. Laos’ economy has maintained consistently high GDP rates through 2012 due to strong growth among its main trading… Continue Reading
Russian venture market continues annual decline in Q2 2014 as cross-border investment could virtually disappear
Venture investment volumes in Russia fell by 9% year-on-year (y-o-y) as the number of completed deals increased by 32% in Q2 2014, says Rye, Man and Gor Securities (RMG), an independent Moscow-based investment company, in their latest quarterly report published with the participation of East-West Digital News. Continue Reading
Newsletter from Canrim Resources, a Singaporean company focused on mineral resources development in Mongolia
September was filled with positives for both Mongolia and Canrim. The economy continued to show signs of improvement and Canrim took full advantage of this to conduct high level meetings with several multinational mining and exploration companies, in addition to meeting with relevant Mongolian officials. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Ranjeet Sundher, president of Mongolia-focused minerals exploration company Canrim Resources Pte Ltd., talks in this interview with EmergingMarkets.me about doing business in the former communist country
Ranjeet Sundher is the president of Canrim Resources Pte Ltd., a private Singaporean minerals exploration company focused on resource development in Mongolia. Mr. Sundher has over 13 years of successful investment experience in Mongolia where he has created impressive shareholder returns. While his first Mongolian venture, started in 2001, generated a return of 20x, his… Continue Reading
Kudrin: Russian economy needs big reforms but govt cannot deliver
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s economic model is a bigger obstacle to the country’s economic growth than the Ukraine-related sanctions but the government is incapable of fundamental reforms, Reuters cited former Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin as arguing. Continue Reading
THE IMPACT ON THE EBRD REGION OF RUSSIA’S FOOD BAN
Russia imposed a ban on food imports from the West, including 11 EBRD countries where the EBRD invests, in early August. The one-year import ban on fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and dairy products from the EU, the US, Australia, Canada and Norway was part of its reaction to the West’s own sanctions imposed as… Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot – Maldives
The Maldives, an archipelago nation consisting of over 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean, has experienced consistent economic growth throughout the latter part of the last decade with annual real GDP growth averaging 6%. Continue Reading
EU legislator proposes limiting ruble’s convertibility
By Andrei Skvarsky. A vice-president of the European Parliament has proposed limiting the convertibility of the Russian ruble as an addition to the Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its presumed support for the separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Continue Reading
Lamudi real estate firm: myths create fear of emerging markets
By Andrei Skvarsky. Lamudi, an online real estate dealer with operations in 28 countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America, argues there exist widespread myths that may stop Western companies from taking advantage of “exciting” opportunities offered by emerging markets. Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot – Mongolia
Although Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world, with less than 3 million people living in a land area of 1.5 million km², the country has the potential to see the greatest growth of any market within the AFC Asia Frontier Universe. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Law firm Shearman & Sterling says Russia has little room to fight ruling on Yukos
By Andrei Skvarsky. There is a next-to-zero chance of Russia successfully challenging the recent international court order that it pay more than $50bn to former majority shareholders of Yukos, according to international law firm Shearman & Sterling LLP. Continue Reading
Chris Weafer: Sanctions against Sberbank, VTB unlikely to play havoc with Russia in 2014 but 2015 may be worse
By Andrei Skvarsky. Chris Weafer, who has spent 15 years as a top researcher in Russian investment banking, argues that the European Union’s sanctions against Russia’s biggest bank Sberbank and number-two lender VTB are unlikely to cause “a major disruption” to the Russian economy this year. Continue Reading
Russia’s RenCap praises Georgia, its TBC Bank
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s Renaissance Capital has released one more upbeat research piece about Georgia, calling it “one of our favoured frontier markets” and saying it “remains our destination of choice for investors looking at the Former Soviet Union”. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse’s MNI: consumer sentiment in Russia edges up in June
By Andrei Skvarsky. Deutsche Boerse-owned think tank MNI says that overall consumer sentiment in Russia bounced back moderately in June for the first time in five months but was still lower than a year ago, and that consumers were generally pessimistic about their anticipated financial status in a year’s time. Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot – Cambodia
After decades of political mismanagement and civil war, Cambodia has recently begun to capitalize on its economic potential. Since adopting free-market economic policies in the 1990’s and increasing its integration within the international community, Cambodia’s economy has flourished. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse’s MNI: Russian companies a bit more upbeat
By Andrei Skvarsky. A Deutsche Boerse-owned research firm argues that in June Russian companies have been slightly more optimistic about Russia’s business environment than in May. Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot: Nepal
From Asia Frontier Capital – Newsletter for May After ten years of civil war between the government and Maoist rebels ended in 2006, Nepal is looking to shed its violent past and provide its citizens with political stability and economic growth. In the foreseeable future, economic growth will largely depend on the government’s ability to exploit… Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse’s MNI: Russians getting worse off, gloomy about economy
By Andrei Skvarsky. The latest of monthly surveys by a Deutsche Boerse-owned think tank suggests the average Russian is increasingly worse off, is worried about their current and future finances and has gloomy outlooks for Russia’slabour market and economy in general as recession and possible further western sanctions loom large. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse analysts: For Russian companies, it's not really business as usual
By Andrei Skvarsky. A survey by Deutsche Boerse-owned data provider MNI suggests that the majority of Russian companies are increasingly unhappy with the state of their business because of western sanctions against Russia, and that the overall sentiment became predominantly pessimistic in May. Continue Reading
Machlin-Oracle article: India economy may show faster growth
By Andrei Skvarsky. An article released by London-based investment advisory firm Machlin-Oracle argues that India now has a chance of speeding up its economic growth after a current slowdown. {{{?}}} This presumed opportunity has been created by the victory of right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in May 12 elections and the designation of its… Continue Reading
Russia-Ukraine crisis threatens recovery in the EBRD region
The crisis in Russia and Ukraine is having a severe impact on the economies of the two countries and is threatening to slow down the recovery in the wider EBRD region – or even bring it to a complete halt. {{{?}}} The EBRD’s latest economic report predicts growth in the transition region of just 1.4 per cent in 2014,… Continue Reading
Deutsche Börse analysts: Russians increasingly worse off because of Ukraine
By Andrei Skvarsky. A Deutsche Börse-owned research company says consumer sentiment in Russia has been going down steadily since the start of the year because of the Ukraine crisis, and that a survey taken last month showed a further decline. {{{?}}} Household finances, short-term business conditions and the spending climate in Russia are all affected… Continue Reading
GUEST COMMENT: On the road to Donetsk?
By Tyler Hawkins Sunshine, PhD World War III is certainly not looming and any fallout from recent events in the Ukraine will only have a short-lived effect on capital markets in Russia, let alone the rest of the world. {{{?}}} Russian equity indices and credit default swaps are trading at the lower end of the… Continue Reading
MNI says consumer sentiment in Russia down, Sberbank argues it’s edging up
By Andrei Skvarsky. A monthly survey by a Deutsche Börse think tank suggests that consumer sentiment in Russia has dropped by more than 10% since the start of 2014 and plummeted to its lowest level since March 2013 because of global fallout from Russia’s annexation of Crimea. {{{?}}} The research firm, MNI Indicators, said its… Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Deutsche Börse analyst says sanctions push Russia towards recession
By Andrei Skvarsky. A Deutsche Börse analyst argues that Russia will plunge into recession if the West follows up its recent penalties against the country in retaliation for its annexation of Crimea with widespread trade and financial sanctions. {{{?}}} “Given that the economy grew by just 1.3% in 2013 and growth has pretty much ground… Continue Reading