Knowledge is Power: Emerging Markets Edition

Investor Mark Mobius said he expects emerging markets to surpass previous records, predicting a continued rally with “corrections along the way.”Mobius Says Emerging Markets Will Beat Previous Highs

Morgan Stanley Asia chairman Stephen Roach argues that the only way to put Asian growth models on a sustainable footing is to introduce social safety nets.Chinese welfare reform key to stability, says Roach

Conditions are ripe for a six-month bull run, but investors need quality to avoid a slip-up in 2010, says Tom Becket, of PSigma, in his monthly view…This bull can run, but invest in quality

Taleeb“I’d rather have socialism than this brand of vicious capitalism (in the United States),” declares Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The New York Times bestseller, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. In a talk at the annual dinner of the Asia Society last night in Hong Kong, Taleb, who is known for his controversial views, did not disappoint as he criticized the response of the US government to the global crisis.‘I’d rather have socialism.’

A continued fall in Sweden’s industrial production and new orders indicates a slow recovery of the economy.Fall in Swedish industry hampers recovery

Latvian crisis-plan heavy blow to Swedish banks Latvia’s plan to limit what banks in the Baltic state can collect from mortgage-holders may be a heavy blow to Swedish banks.

Throughout the global crisis, China defied recessionary pressures and continued to grow. Although the pace cooled from double-digit rates, many forecasters now predict that China may be the first major economy to recover. Even if it does rebound in the last half of 2009, spurred by the government’s $586 billion stimulus package, the storm is far from over. Consumer products makers and retailers are confronting a more complex and brutally competitive landscape. Growth in a Slower-Growth China

Two reports released today indicate the Toronto housing market remains strong, with housing starts up 25 per cent, but low supply is leading to bidding wars.Toronto housing market stays hot

Gold stocks watchlist as bullion roars to dollar record
But listed gold equities remain well below levels seen in early 2008, and conservative analysts see a weak dollar as gold’s booster, for now.


Ten DJ Euro STOXX Select Dividend Index Components

One of the dividend ETFs for European stocks is the iShares DJ Euro STOXX Select Dividend. This ETF offers exposure to European companies that have historically paid out high dividends.

The Top 10 holdings in the iShares DJ Euro STOXX Select Dividend ETF are listed below together with the current dividend yields and ticker if listed in the US markets as ADRs:

1.Banco Santander (STD)
Current Yield: 4.32%
Country: Spain

2.Erste Bank(EBKDY)
Current Yield: 2.13%
Country: Austria

3.Banco Popular Espanol
Country: Spain

4.Vallourec
Country: France

5.Metso Oyj (MXCYY)
Current Yield: 3.29%
Country: Finland

6.Enel Spa(ENLAY)
Current Yield: 4.71%
Country: Italy

7.WERELDHAVE NV
Country: The Netherlands

8.RWE AG (RWEOY)
Current Yield: 6.32%
Country: Germany

9.WARTSILA
Country: Finland

10.DEUTSCHE POST
Country: Germany

Ben Bernanke gets Grade C

US  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke received Grade C for preventing a global economic disaster but failing to see it coming. He also shares the blame for plating the seeds of the next crisis due to the growing massive US debt. In the Central Banker Report Cards 2009 by Global Finance, there was a handful of central bankers who got Grade A.

Central-banker-Ranks

Source: Global Finance

Grade A was awarded to:
Zdenek Tuma of Czech Republic
Jean-Claude Trichet of European Union
Glenn Stevens of Australia
Zeti Akhtar Aziz of Malaysia
Lee Seongtae of South Korea
Fai-Nan Peng of Taiwan
Stanley Fischer of Israel

Incidentally Reserve Bank of Australia today  raised the interest rate to 3.25% from 3% , the first developed country to do so. Asian countries of Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan weathered the credit crisis better due to the effective policies implemented by their central banks.

The World’s 50 Biggest Banks based on Assets

The 50 biggest banks in the world based on total assets was released by the Global Finance magazine. The number of banks with more than $1 Trillion in assets grew to just 25 from 24 due to the credit crunch last year.

Biggest-banks

Source: Global Finance

The total assets of banks of Citibank(C), Royal Bank of Scotland(RBS) dropped by the end of 2008. Assets of Lloyds Banking Group(LYG), Wells Fargo (WFC) and JPM Morgan Chase(JPM) grew due to acquisitions.

European banks especially British banks dominate the top 10 rankings.None of the Latin American made it to this list. The growing power of Chinese banks is evident from the appearance of four Chinese banks in the above table as opposed to just one last year.

Related:
The World’s Biggest Banks by Assets Held

List of Latin American ADRs Up More Than 100% YTD

Emerging markets are the best performing markets this year. In the emerging markets, the main market index of countries like Brazil have skyrocketed year-to-date (YTD) relative to other countries. For example, the MSCI Brazil Index ETF (EWZ) is up an incredible 99.42% as of September 30,2009. Some of the Latin American ADRs have also have great runs.

The list below shows the Latin American ADRs which are up 100% or more as of Oct 6, 2009:

GRUMA – GMK
Gafisa – GFA
Ternium – TX
Nortel Invesora – NTL
Braskem – BAK
MetroGas – MGS
AFP Provida- PVD
Companhia Siderurgica Nacional- SID
Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes – GOL
Banco Macro- BMA
Grupo Financiero Galicia – GGAL
Telecom Argentina – TEO
Gerdau – GGB
Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao – CBD
Vivo – VIV
Net Servicos de Comunicacao – NETC
AmBev – ABV
TIM Participacoes – TSU
Votorantim Celulose e Papel – VCP
Banco Bradesco – BBD
BRF – Brasil Foods – PDA
Edenor – EDN
AmBev – ABV
Aracruz Celulose – ARA
Vale – VALE
BBVA Banco Frances – BFR