Aerial drone view of beautiful caribbean tropical island Cayo Levantado beach with palms and boat. Bacardi Island, Dominican Republic.
By Ben Underhill
The Emerging View

The case for frontier debt

It’s a catchy axiom that “frontier markets are what emerging markets used to be,” and there’s some truth to it. As emerging markets (EMs) grow and become more interconnected with the global economy, they are increasingly more efficient and correlated...

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Spaced mixture of mine, mining ores, commodities, metals, coal. Background concept, texture, rocks. Variety, mixed, many, multi-colored, colorful.
Weekly investor research

China plays its trump card (rare earths); Trump replays his (tariffs)

China tightens rare-earth exports; Trump eyes 100% tariffs. US shutdown ongoing. Oil falls; Gaza ceasefire. China exports firm, domestic/property weak. $20bn US-Argentina swap. Brazil tax reform; inflation down. Kazakhstan +150bps. Egypt & Ghana upgrades.

Latest Insights

Market commentary
Market Commentary

Saudi Arabia’s Big Year

It was announced on 28 March that Saudi Arabia will be a constituent of the FTSE Emerging Markets index.
Market commentary
Market Commentary

The limits of protectionism

Last night the US government announced details of a USD 50bn package of tariffs on Chinese imports.
Market commentary
Market Commentary

Second Chance Saloon

Emerging Markets equity investors have once again over reacted to Developed Market events.
Emerging view
The Emerging View

2018 EM fixed income outlook

2018 is likely to see strong inflows to EM local markets on the back of strong performance, good value and improving fundamentals.
Emerging view
The Emerging View

The DM savings glut

In 2005 Former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke argued that a savings glut in EM explained the US current account deficit.
Emerging view
The Emerging View

EM risk-free return

Last night’s S&P downgrade of El Salvador’s credit rating to Selective Default makes this report on Emerging Markets (EM) external debt extremely timely.
Emerging view
The Emerging View

Intra-EM trade

The view that Developed Market bonds are risk-free and that Emerging Markets (EMs) bonds are risky remains deeply entrenched.
Market commentary
Market Commentary

What’s down with the Dollar?

Quantitative Easing (QE) was the largest and most distortionary intervention ever made in global bond markets and it particularly favoured US markets.
Emerging view
The Emerging View

Passive is active: the EM index problem

In a recent article about China’s inclusion in the MSCI benchmark index the Financial Times columnist John Authers made the following astute observation: “There is something ungainly in the way [China’s index inclusion] has been outsourced to MSCI..."
Market commentary
Market Commentary

Putting the world into global bond funds

Global bond funds have seen a dramatic rise in assets over the past 10 years, reflecting the desire of investors to be exposed to a broader, more diverse set of assets away from their home markets.