By Gustavo Medeiros, Ben Underhill
The Emerging View

The case for emerging market small cap equities

EM small caps are assumed to be the risky cousin of US small caps. The data says otherwise: nearly nine in ten are profitable, on half the forward multiple of the Russell 2000. We make the case for the asset class.

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Weekly investor research

Oil relief welcome before Wednesday’s FOMC

After 13 consecutive nights of strikes, the US paused its attack on Iran over the weekend, welcome relief ahead of Wednesday's FOMC. Elsewhere, Samsung and SK Hynix signed USD 950bn of US supply deals and Bank Indonesia's governor resigned.
Weekly investor research

The arrival of Kimi K3 tests investors’ faith in Jevons’ Paradox

Chinese open-weight model Kimi K3 raises questions over AI lab monetisation, testing investors’ faith in Jevons’ Paradox. The Korean memory stock unwind extends, US CPI turns negative and the Bank of Korea hikes for the first time in three years.
Weekly investor research

Hormuz hostilities and a memory stock correction

US-Iran hostilities push oil back to nearly USD 80 and Korean memory stocks fall in a positioning unwind. SK Hynix’s ADRs debut on Nasdaq, China’s central bank adds to gold, and Ukraine secures EUR 140bn in weaponry pledges at the Ankara NATO summit.

Latest Insights

The Emerging View

Diversified asset allocation and US fiscal dominance

Volatile post-pandemic macro and US fiscal dominance risks, amid a historic H1-2025 Dollar selloff, are exposing the limits of passive, US-heavy indices. Investors should diversify toward markets less constrained by debt-shadowed central banks.
Weekly investor research

China holds the cards in Stockholm

Europe & Japan face 15% US tariffs despite 'deals'. China may delay 12 Aug deadline by 90 days. India, S. Korea, Thailand talks ongoing. IMF backs Argentina. Brazil FDI weak. Mexico aids Pemex. Poland reshuffles. Türkiye upgraded. Nigeria, Zambia progress
Weekly investor research

Chinese policymakers focusing on industrial overcapacity

CN supply boost stocks; Trump-Powell rumor fades. Strong US EPS. ID 19 % US tariff; TH zero tariff 90 % US goods; Moodys upgrades AR to Caa1; CO holds, peso top LatAm; UA confirms Svyrydenko PM; EG expands VAT; Fitch eyes ZM upgrade if 90% creditors agree
Weekly investor research

Azerbaijan and Oman upgraded to investment grade

Yields rise on inflation and fiscal concerns, while US equities shrug off tariff risks. China tackles excess capacity. Malaysia cuts rates; Vietnam beats Q2 growth forecasts. US hits Brazil with tariffs. Romania tightens fiscally. AZ & Oman upgraded.
Weekly investor research

Noise vs. numbers: OBBBA + tariffs can deliver fiscal consolidation

US passes ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’. Israel-Hamas talks begin Doha. AI chip curbs eyed for Thailand/Malaysia. India data strong. Trump touts Vietnam deal. Argentina downplays peso. Chile left gains. IMF merges Egypt reviews Sept. Dubai unveils home scheme.
The Emerging View

Latin American Equities

LatAm was EM's worst performer in 2024, but is rebounding sharply in 2025. Colombia leads YTD gains at 49%, followed by Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and Peru. With elections ahead and market-friendly shifts likely, investors see a cyclical opportunity.
Weekly investor research

EM leads the H1 2025 race as equities climb another ‘wall of worry’

EM assets outperformed on weaker USD. Equities shrugged off global risks. China data mixed; Malaysia CPI soft. Colombia downgraded; Mexico revised GDP up. Brazil fiscal woes linger. Chile polarised. E. Europe defence spend challenge. MENA mostly positive.
Weekly investor research

Markets remain calm after US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites

US bombed Iranian nuclear sites; low oil disruption risk priced. US data weakens; Fed sees 2 cuts in 2025. China to scrap most Africa tariffs. Thai coalition splits. Brazil hikes to 15%. Colombia ups 2025 borrowing. Ghana gets Fitch upgrade.
Weekly investor research

Geopolitical risks spike again

Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear sites, lifting oil prices but not the dollar. US eyes easing China trade curbs for rare earths. EM debt saw $3.8bn inflows. Strong data from China, Korea. Loans for South Africa, Ecuador. Mexico signals 50bps cut.
Weekly investor research

EM benefiting as investors vote with their feet

EM assets rose as investors rebalanced away from the US on trade hopes and soft data. Oil climbed on macro optimism. India cut rates 50bps. Vietnam growth seen at 6%. Brazil eyes deficit fixes. Colombia hit by political violence. Poland risk lingers.
The Emerging View

A multi-year tailwind for EM assets

US exceptionalism, built on unsustainable fiscal policies, is under threat. Tariffs and budget dysfunction in Washington are driving high volatility in US equities, revealing the fragility behind past market strength.
Weekly investor research

US downgraded; Romania elects market-friendly candidate

EM assets regain momentum after US credit downgrade. US budget bill advances. China data soft. India inflation slows. Milei wins Buenos Aires. Political boosts in Ecuador, Romania; challenges in Colombia. Polish election tighter than expected.
Market Commentary

Why Milei’s IMF deal could make Argentina great again

After President Milei’s rapid fiscal rebalancing, a fresh USD15bn disbursement from the IMF put Argentina in a position to slash its capital controls. Under the new FX regime, the peso - the world’s best performing currency last year - is holding firm.