Emerging Markets are an Opportunity Set, Not an Asset Class
I am stepping back to do a quick survey of the broader Emerging Markets (EM) space. The broad EM index has dramatically underperformed as compared to developed markets for the last decade.
One Stock in Turkey to Consider NOW
As promised, I wanted to cover specific stocks in Turkey following my background post on the country last month. Sentiment remains terrible, and the lira is making all-time lows vs. the dollar.
This has all the makings of the bargain bin. Turkey is not slipping into the Aegean nor the Black Sea, but the headlines make it difficult for institutional investors to bear. To protect limited capital, local investors may be forced to diversify further into USD or other assets.
Looking for Value in Emerging Market Banks
A great myth in investing has been the homogeneity of Emerging Markets. Once you leave North America, Western Europe, and Japan, it’s like the world is all the same. Whether it’s Emerging Market banks, oil companies, or grocery stores, nuances are irrelevant.
A Survey of Capital Controls and Black Market FX: A Refresher for Developed Market Investors
For this first February post, I am stepping back to cover a broader topic important for international investors to understand. We will talk about FX regimes, capital controls, and black market FX—parallel market foreign exchange in PC lingo. Few investors from the US or Europe born after 1980 have never had to deal with the uncertainty surrounding foreign exchange rules, buying, or selling international securities. The dollar has been floating since 1971, and although many European countries have switched from Francs, Lira and D-Marks to Euros, the rules have been pretty straightforward. We’ll let our currency float and occasionally talk it down (rarely up) if it appreciates (depreciates) too much.
