Over the past few years, many investors have taken a closer look at emerging markets in order to power their portfolios in a sluggish economic environment. A great deal of interest has been seen in the major BRIC economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, while smaller markets in Asia and Latin America have also seen high levels of investment inflows as well. While this increased attention to emerging markets has no doubt helped to diversify investors’ portfolios, many have overlooked the surging region of central Europe and the increasingly important economic center in Poland. [click to continue…]
Earlier this week, communication and IT industry giant Cisco Systems announced a massive push into the Russian market by investing more than $1 billion in the country over the next decade. The company will also be providing $100 million in venture capital in order to establish a “dedicated physical presence” in a planned technology hub [...]
One of the greatest spectacles in sports kicks off in South Africa over the weekend, with 32 countries gathering to compete in the final stages of the World Cup. Even the economists of the world have taken an interest in the upcoming matches; ABN Amro recently released a note predicting that the world economy would [...]
In recent weeks, the fiscal health of Europe has dominated headlines of the financial presses and moved to the forefront of many investors’ minds. With most expecting the worst in Greece, attention has turned to the handful of other cash-strapped governments across the continent, with investors wondering which will be the next to buckle under [...]
Emerging markets investing has grown in popularity immensely over the past few years, and a host of new ETFs have popped up targeting specific niches in many of the world’s most popular developing economies. Once upon a time, the only options available to investors were broad-based funds, we have seen more granular products targeting specific [...]
One of the major stories in recent weeks has been the resurgence of the U.S. dollar against many of its major rivals, as the greenback has reclaimed much of the ground lost in recent months against the yen, pound, and Australian dollar. But the dollar’s biggest surge has come against the euro, which has been [...]
Earlier this month, iShares launched the Emerging Markets Eastern Europe Index Fund (ESR), offering U.S. investors an efficient way to gain exposure to an often overlooked corner of the European market. While there are countless European ETF options, these funds generally focus on the developed economies of western Europe, including France, Germany, and the United [...]
Thanks to strong economic recoveries in Germany and France, the 16-country euro zone has now officially exited its worst recession in a half century. According to data released on Friday, the euro zone grew by 0.4% in the third quarter, compared with a 0.2% decline in the second quarter. Although the news strengthened hopes of [...]
