By Andrei Skvarsky. In reporting the findings of a recent monthly poll, Deutsche Boerse’s research unit MNI Indicators makes what appears to be its bleakest assessment of the status of the average Russian consumer in about a year and half. Continue Reading
Category Archives: Views
Russian govt releases its first recession forecast for 2015
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s Economic Development Ministry for the first time released a recession forecast for 2015 on December 2, arguing that gross domestic product was likely to shrink by 0.8%. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse group analysts: sliding ruble keeps bedevilling Russian business
By Andrei Skvarsky. The latest of monthly surveys by Deutsche Boerse-owned intelligence firm MNI suggests that the overall sentiment in Russia’s business community has remained stable and predominantly negative since October but continued to be slowly eroded by the weakening ruble and Western sanctions. Continue Reading
Moody’s predicts stability for EMEA’s PFI/PPP sector
By Andrei Skvarsky. Moody’s predicts stability over the next 12 to 18 months for the Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) region’s practice of project co-financing by private companies and government agencies. Continue Reading
East Capital’s chief economist explains ruble’s slide
The chief economist of East Capital, a Stockholm-based emerging and frontier market asset manager, argues there are five main reasons for the sharp depreciation of the Russian ruble over the last several months. Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot – Myanmar
Following recent democratization measures, including the release of hundreds of political prisoners, cease-fire agreements with ethnic rebels, and the incorporation of long-time human rights champion Aung San Suu Kyi into the political process, it is apparent that Myanmar is determined to become fully integrated into the international community. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse think tank: Russians’ five-year macroeconomic outlook less than radiant
By Andrei Skvarsky. A poll by a Deutsche Boerse-owned think tank suggests the average Russian was more pessimistic in October than in September about what overall business conditions would be like in Russia five years from now. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Deutsche Boerse group economist optimistic about free-floating ruble’s long-term effects but says move unlikely to cure current Russian ailments
By Andrei Skvarsky. A senior economist in the Deutsche Boerse group argues that the Russian central bank’s decision to abandon the ruble’s trading corridor as from next year, letting the currency float freely, is a positive move long-term but unlikely to help the ailing Russian economy a great deal short-term. Continue Reading
Abraaj chief hypes Mexico’s “unique” investment opportunities
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
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