Emerging markets, such as Brazil, China, Mexico, and India, are attracting increasing attention as investors explore alternative markets beyond the United States and Europe. These alternative markets are characterized by rapid economic growth and industrialization. But the risks they carry require safer investment approaches, particularly in volatile regions.
Risks & Potentials: Dynamics of Emerging Markets
Investors often turn to emerging markets because of their rapid economic growth and the higher returns on offer. Typically, these markets are export-led and heavily reliant on industrial and manufacturing activities, so they present excellent investment opportunities as they continue to develop. However, such markets come with several risks, particularly in terms of their foundational impact. For example, in Pakistan or Colombia, where security threats can destabilise markets, these risks may lead to bankruptcy.
As an investor exploring emerging markets, you need to be well-prepared to navigate these risks. Here are a few key ways to do this, starting with using a mobile-based forex trading app to track currency prices, diversification, and risk management.
Common Risks in Emerging Markets
Unstable regulations and infrastructural issues are among the most common risks investors face in emerging markets.
Regulatory Changes
Emerging markets, although strong, often lack the efficiency and standards that characterize well-established markets, such as those in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. This is an interesting situation because it can harm and benefit local businesses and their investors. Regulatory instability makes long-term planning a challenge and can quickly erode profitability.
Political Instability
Political stability and financial markets are closely linked; the former significantly influences investors’ sentiments and risk appetite. Emerging markets, however, are prone to more political instability, especially with policy changes that directly impact investments. It could also arise from factors such as low economic growth, high unemployment, social and/or ethnic tensions, poor governance, and a weak rule of law, among others. These can all lead to fiscal crises and currency fluctuations within hours of any sign of instability.
Currency and Investment Volatility
When investors are uncertain about the business environment, they either withdraw from investing or continually adjust their positions to account for any volatile changes. These two responses eventually lead to volatility in local markets, including stocks, currencies, and commodities, which in turn affect their performance in the wider market. As an investor, remember that increased volatility is a risk, especially for foreign investors, who may encounter liquidation and irregular returns.
Market Inefficiency, Low Liquidity, and Illiquidity
In emerging markets, the lack of advanced liquidity can result in market inefficiency, which affects liquidity compared to developed markets. Market inefficiency happens when information asymmetry, high transaction costs, and other factors prevent the true value of an asset from being reflected in the market. This creates opportunities, but is risky due to the sudden volatility it causes.
Many large companies may still be state-run or privately owned, which is why they commonly face low liquidity or illiquidity, resulting in losses on various investments. For example, the Turkish stock market experienced heightened economic instability, leading to market inefficiency between late 2021 and early 2024.
Infrastructure Problems and Lack of Dependable Information
Emerging markets often lack stable access to data, which is crucial for informed investment decisions. In many of these countries, it is difficult to find data on specific industries or companies outside the mainstream news, which affects investors’ analysis of a company’s price-to-earnings (p/e) ratio, dividend yield, debt ratio, company earnings, and liquidity, which tell the true value of their shares. Emerging markets also lack the infrastructure that attracts expatriates and foreign investments. For example, good roads and train networks, standard hospitals and education institutions, and large financial institutions that enable residents to live productive lives.
Mitigating the Risks
The concept of a “100% safe investment” is not real. So, the best path for investors is to reduce their risks by adjusting the factors they can control.
Conduct Due Diligence
The first step when investing is to gather as much information as possible to make an informed decision. For some investments, you only need data on the previous inflation and interest rates, while for others, you might need to track other macro and microeconomic indicators. Explore various sources, from government data to news platforms and financial analysts, to know where and what to invest in.
Diversification
Spreading your capital is an excellent way to maximize profits while minimizing risks. When investing in any emerging market, it is best to diversify across sectors. However, diversification is only efficient when done right; overdiversification can make gains negligible. First, analyze the top industries/sectors with consistent returns over the last decades and then pick out the best assets in those industries. The 80/20, 60/40, and 40/60 investment principles are useful for diversifying your assets.
Play the Long Game
Investments in emerging markets typically require time to mature, which is why playing the long game is crucial. Although short-term opportunities may arise from sudden policy changes, investors should adopt a long-term mindset and plan accordingly. For example, a look at the prevailing sociocultural trends in China reveals a conservative political stance that complements significant technological strides. Investors can use this information to plan a long-term strategy that keeps them in Chinese markets.
Use Digital Tools for Research
Digital tools facilitate the tracking of data and access to information about various markets. These make them indispensable for modern investors. A mobile forex trading app enables investors to track currency data, including exchange rates, trading volumes, and momentum, allowing them to make informed decisions. For example, TradingView displays data on currencies such as the Chinese yuan, Brazilian real, and Argentine peso, as well as financial data on many companies listed on their respective stock exchanges.
Stay Updated on Trends and News
Keeping up with trends and news can help investors maximize returns. This is because other investors (who control demand) form market sentiments based on the news. For example, gold is currently on a strong bullish run, having hit over $4,000 for the first time ever. This is largely due to the US government shutdown and the resulting lack of data releases. However, any data released could affect that trend, and is closely watched by investors in emerging markets that are pushing for dedollarization.
Make Smart and Disciplined Decisions
Investing is an act that requires consistency and discipline. In emerging markets, however, every action or inaction has a direct impact on the overall performance of your portfolio. As an investor, you must make informed and data-driven decisions to minimize errors and losses. Remember, it’s okay to cut losses or ride trends where you think it’s necessary.
Another way to invest smartly is to explore Contracts For Differences (CFDs) trading and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), like the S&P 500 and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO, which offer limited exposure to currencies and stocks from emerging markets without requiring ownership of the underlying assets. This limits the risks of illiquidity and losses.
Balance Opportunity and Risk in Emerging Markets
Investing in emerging markets can unlock higher returns, but it also comes with greater risks than those carried by developed markets. For investors who are brave enough to explore these volatile markets, managing their investments safely is the top priority. One of the best ways to do that is by using a mobile forex app to track currency prices and stock data.
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