27 May 2018 Financial markets have celebrated the selection of Cyril Ramaphosa as leader of the ANC in December 2017, and his subsequent election as the Republic's president. The beleaguered Rand (ZAR), for example, has rallied over 20% in the past four months. Even the rating agencies have jumped on the band wagon. Both Fitch [...]
15 March 2018 Turkey has a history of "boom-bust" economic cycles. And, while Turkey enjoyed an impressive 7% GDP gain in 2017, the telltale signs of overheating again have emerged. In February 2018, for instance, inflation stood at 10.3% (granted, a bit lower than previous months), double the central bank's (CBRT) 5% target. And, core [...]
1 March 2018 Emerging Market investing is a lot more complicated than it used to be -- and not just because it is difficult to replicate last year's stellar performance. Prior to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), EM's superior growth prospects garnered investors' attention. In addition, EM growth and inflation cycles tended to be in [...]
9 January 2018 One of my New Year's resolutions was to broaden the types of content offered on this site to make life easier and more stimulating for investors and subscribers. In this spirit, you are invited to listen to our first podcast. This broadcast summarises a blog published in December outlining key investment themes [...]