The 2018 Global Challengers list of companies from 2018 BCG Global Challengers: Digital Leapfrogs report.
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Source: Meet the 2018 Global Challengers, Boston Consulting Group
Some of the notable firms in the above list are Mercadolibre Inc(MELI) of Argentina,Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB (FMX) aka FEMSA of Mexico, Vina Concha y Toro SA (VCO) of Chile, PetroChina (PTR) of China, etc.
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All The World’s Top 10 Biggest Diamonds have interesting names. One is even called simply The De Beers, the undisputed global leader in diamonds.
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Source: MoneyWeb
The returns of the S&P 500 Index often published by the media and others is the price return. However for investors the correct return that matters for the index is the returns including dividends reinvested. This is because S&P 500 firms pay dividends and most long-term investors reinvest them. Currently the dividend yield on the S&P 500 is 1.80%.
The difference in returns between returns not including dividends and returns with dividends reinvested is significant as shown in the following chart:
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Source: HOW’D THE MARKET DO? THAT’S HARDER TO ANSWER THAN YOU THINK by Morgan Housel, Betterment
The Compound Average Annual Return from 1993 to 2017 for S&P 500 is 7.7%. When dividends reinvestments are included the figure jumps to 9.7% according to Morgan Housel.
He also calculates the real return for an investors which takes into account inflation and taxes. Based on this measure the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested declines to just 6.8% for the period noted.
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Student loan debt is the largest debt in the US after mortgages. According to the Federal Reserve, the outstanding US student loan debt reached an astonishing $1.5 Trillion at the end of first quarter, 2018. This debt mountain is so huge that it is bigger than even outstanding credit card loans and auto loans.
From an investment impact perspective, investors need not fear a student loan debt crisis. This is because unlike mortgages most of the student loans is held by Uncle Sam and there are always ways the state can help students if they fail to replay. Outright cancellations of debt, debt forgiveness for students working in the civil service, postponement of debt repayments, etc. are some of the options. So though $1.5 Trillions for most investors it simply means nothing.
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Source: Texas Gold Investors Just Got Their Own Fort Knox by Frank Holmes, U.S. Global Investors
Earlier:
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is the most popular index that tracks the performance of emerging market equities. The composition of the index has changed dramatically over the years.
The following chart shows the composition of the index by country weights at inception in 1988 vs. the composition in March, 2018:
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Source: The Evolution of The Chinese Equity Market (Part 1), MorningStar Malaysia
When MSCI created the index in January 1988, China was not included in the index. Finally when it was added to the index September 1996, China accounted for a tiny 0.46% of the total. China has steadily growth since then and as of March the weightage has soared to nearly 30%. In addition while Malaysia was the largest constituent at inception, today China is top constituent.
China’s weight in the index has increased so much that it is higher than the weights of the next three countries of South Korea, Taiwan and India.
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