By Andrei Skvarsky. The economies of emerging market countries are largely driven by their rapidly growing middle classes, whose relative and increasing affluence boosts demand and hence spurs production and job creation, says online real estate trader Lamudi. Continue Reading
Category Archives: Views
GUEST COMMENT: Russian credit decoupling, geopolitics
By Luis Saenz,* Head, Equity Sales & Trading, Managing Director, BCS Financial Group, Russia. In the last few months we have seen a decoupling of Russian credit from the Ruble. We find this intriguing since currency and credit in Russia has moved in lockstep for quite a while. Not a huge surprise since the underlying… Continue Reading
Russian consumers more upbeat in August but optimism fragile – MNI Indicators
By Andrei Skvarsky. The average Russian consumer felt slightly more upbeat in August than in July, Deutsche Boerse-owned intelligence company MNI Indicators said with the reservation that the alleged uptick was “barely off the lows witnessed in March” and warning it might be short-lived. Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital Newsletter – Country Snapshot: Mongolia
In August 2015, the AFC Asia Frontier Fund lost -1.4%, outperforming the MSCI Frontier Asia Index (-8.1%), the MSCI World Index (-6.8%) and the MSCI Frontier Index (-5.8%), which all dropped significantly. The year to date performance of the AFC Asia Frontier Fund A-shares stands now at +0.7% versus the MSCI Frontier Asia Index which is down… Continue Reading
MNI Indicators: Russian companies a bit happier but loans harder to get
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russian companies were slightly more upbeat about the overall business environment in their country in August than they had been in July despite the plunge in oil prices in recent months, according to surveys by Deutsche Boerse-owned intelligence company MNI Indicators. Continue Reading
Lamudi: Emerging markets a world of ‘financial centres of tomorrow’
By Andrei Skvarsky. Investors shouldn’t neglect financial centres in emerging markets, some of which, though little known, have excellent prospects, according to online real estate dealer Lamudi, which does business in 34 emerging- and frontier-market countries. Continue Reading
Antal Russia: Russia-based expats having financial problems
By Andrei Skvarsky. Western expats have been leaving Russia in droves since the Ukrainian crisis erupted and economic woes began to beset the country, and a survey by a headhunter suggests that those who stay are on the whole less than affluent. Continue Reading
GUEST ARTICLE: How to find a reliable real estate agency in Dubai
The article has been contributed by Dubai-based real estate portal Bayut.com. Dubai’s lucrative real estate market is a haven for thousands of real estate agents who are aiming to help customers make a worthwhile investment, while saving a “slice of the cake” for themselves. Continue Reading
Lamudi property firm advises investors to go to emerging world megacities
By Andrei Skvarsky. Online real estate dealer Lamudi says that, unlike their overpopulated counterparts in the industrialised world, megacities in emerging market countries are still on the rise and offer a gamut of opportunities for investment and other business activities. Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital Newsletter – Country Snapshot: Iran
In July 2015, the AFC Asia Frontier Fund gained +1.1%, underperforming the MSCI Frontier Asia Index (+4.3%) and the MSCI World Index (+1.7%) and outperforming the MSCI Frontier Index (-3.1%). The year to date performance of the AFC Asia Frontier Fund A-shares stands now at +2.1% versus the MSCI Frontier Asia Index which is up… Continue Reading
Consumer sentiment in Russia falls again – Deutsche Boerse intel arm
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sentiment among Russian consumers fell sharply in July after an apparent tentative upward trend during in the previous couple of months, according to the findings of monthly surveys by a Deutsche Boerse intelligence subsidiary. Continue Reading
RenCap expects Russian inflation to slow, Kazakh money to plunge
Renaissance Capital, a Russian top-tier privately-owned investment bank, has forecast that inflation will decline in Russia but will rise in Georgia and Kazakhstan in the near term, and that the Kazakh currency will plunge by nearly one third by the end of September. Continue Reading
Lamudi property portal: Emerging markets should be top of investors' agenda
By Andrei Skvarsky. Emerging market countries are growing much faster than developed ones, they have been quicker to adopt new high technology than their developed counterparts, and their populations include increasingly affluent and rapidly growing middle classes, real estate portal Lamudi says. Continue Reading
Bayut.com: UAE real estate market’s performance better than expected
By Andrei Skvarsky. The United Arab Emirates’ real estate sector did quite well in the first half of 2015 and, in fact, “exceeded all expectations”, the Bayut.com property portal says. Continue Reading
MNI Indicators: Business sentiment in Russia edges down
By Andrei Skvarsky. A survey by Deutsche Boerse-owned research company MNI Indicators suggests that overall sentiment among Russian businesses was slightly lower in July than in June and their near-term economic outlook had declined significantly but that, just as previous surveys indicated, optimists outnumbered pessimists. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse research firm: Russian economy likely to be past its worst
By Andrei Skvarsky. Deutsche Boerse-owned intelligence and research firm MNI Indicators argues, citing a survey made last month, that overall sentiment among large Russian companies corroborates its assertion this spring that the Russian economy is past its lowest point. Continue Reading
Lamudi: Dhaka emerging markets’ top place to buy home
By Andrei Skvarsky. Global property portal Lamudi argues that Dhaka should be top of the list for anyone wishing to buy their first-ever home in an emerging market country. Continue Reading
GUEST ARTICLE: A Visual Guide to Colombia’s Surging Economy
By Michael Johnston, senior analyst for All Emerging Markets (www.allemergingmarkets.com). Emerging from a dark history, Colombia has become the economic gem of South America. In the minds of many Americans, Colombia is a lawless country with an economy built around a violent drug trade. In reality, however, Colombia has become a model for economic transformation and is perhaps South… Continue Reading
Lamudi: Demand for real estate grows in rapidly urbanising Africa, Asia
Africa and Asia are urbanising faster than any other part of the world, and this entails increasing demand for affordable but high-quality residential and commercial real estate in urban areas in the two continents, global real estate portal Lamudi says, citing the United Nations. Continue Reading
Wikistrat: Debt woes unlikely to push Greece into Russia's arms
By Andrei Skvarsky. It is a natural thought that Greece’s financial woes might force Athens to step up its attempts to obtain help from Russia. Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital Newsletter – Country Snapshot: Vietnam
Since the introduction of market reforms that opened up the country to foreign investment in the late 1980s, Vietnam has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, averaging annual GDP growth rates of 7-8% throughout the nineties. Agribusiness production has nearly doubled over the past two decades, transforming Vietnam into one of the… Continue Reading
Asian Hedge Fund Assets Hit Record, Top $177 Billion
Assets under management at Asian hedge funds reached a record $177 billion in May, according to new data from Eurekahedge. The tally exceeds the $176 billion managed by funds with an Asia mandate in December 2007, immediately prior the global financial crisis, noted Eurekahedge’s Alexander Mearns in an interview with Bloomberg. The news comes as… Continue Reading
GUEST COMMENT: By the Numbers – China’s Massive Economic Potential
By Michael Johnston. The incredible economic potential of China, with its massive population and surging middle class, can be difficult for U.S. investors to truly appreciate. Most investors are well aware of China’s growing importance to the global economy. Even those without a sophisticated understanding of financial markets generally know that China is a world power, home… Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital Newsletter – Country Report: 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. From 1998 to 2007, Cambodia’s GDP growth ranked sixth in the world (9.8%) and fastest in the… Continue Reading
Russian hedge funds surge on oil, rouble gains
Emerging markets hedge funds have benefited from the strong recovery of the Russian Rouble, higher oil prices, lowering of interest rates by the Chinese Central Bank, and a surge in trading volume on the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program. As a result of these, hedge funds investing in Russia and China posted strong gains in… Continue Reading
MNI Indicators survey: Business situation in Russia looking up
By Andrei Skvarsky. Deutsche Boerse-owned research company MNI Indicators argues, citing a survey of Russian companies, that the business environment in Russia improved considerably in May and that the current Russian economic crisis is past its worst. Continue Reading
Kudrin: Reforms of govt system main remedy for Russia’s economic woes
By Andrei Skvarsky. Former Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin has argued that Russia badly needs to reform its government system to be able to heal its increasingly ailing economy. Continue Reading
HFR: Hedge Funds Invested in China, Russia Leading Volatile EM Returns
Hedge funds invested in China and Russia have returned to industry-leading performance, driven by a recovery in the Russian ruble, higher oil prices, and a surge in equity trading in China, according to the latest HFR Emerging Markets Hedge Fund Industry Report. As a result of these developments, hedge funds investing in Russia and China… Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: According to Canrim, Mongolia’s resource sectors may be a feast for investors
In this interview with EmergingMarkets.me, Ranjeet Sundher, president of Mongolia-focused company Canrim Development Pte Ltd.,* speaks about the Mongolian government’s moves to improve the business climate in the ex-communist country and explains why you can’t really go wrong investing in its resource industries. Continue Reading