Archive of entries posted on October 2011

Importance of Foreign Banks to Select Emerging Countries and Vice Versa

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Foreign banks have a strong presence in some emerging countries. In a few of those countries they dominate the local banking market more than the domestic banks. The following chart shows the foreign ownership in select Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs): Click to enlarge   It is interesting to note that foreign banks own …

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Commodity Bear Markets Since 1975

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Commodities have become an attractive asset class to ordinary investors in the past few years. Heavy marketing by Wall Street firms and the dismal economic situation have made investors turn to commodities for higher returns. However unlike other assets, commodities are extremely volatile, unpredictable and are affected by a multitude of factors that are difficult …

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Why The West Needs China More Than The Other Way Around

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The European Union has sought China for help with solving the current debt crisis. The Europeans are asking the Chinese to invest in a fund setup as part of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) program. Negotiations are underway between the two parties as the Chinese are keen to take advantage of the opportunity but …

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A Look at Gold Prices from 1800 To 2011 and 10-Year Returns

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The price of Gold has soared in recent years and reached record highs earlier this year. In the past few months the price has stabilized slightly. On Friday (10/28/11) the spot price for gold closed at $1,743.40 according to Kitco. In the past 20 years, gold has returned an incredible 2,575% as shown in the …

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Canada Outperforms Other Developed Markets

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Fidelity Invesments’ Viewpoints recently published an interview with Doug Lober, manager of Fidelity Canada Fund (FICDX). In the interview Doug discusses the strong performance of the Canadian equity market relative to other developed markets and some of the opportunities that await investors north of the border. From the article titled Canada: Land of opportunity?: Developed …

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