The cascading effect

Click to check crude oil's cascading effect

Crude oil futures in New York jumped to a record $139.89 a barrel on June 16. What does this mean for the government, and for you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity returns: Emerging markets outperform

Equity returns in emerging markets continue to outperform those in mature markets, even though emerging equity markets are more volatile, says the latest World Bank report.

Check how equity in emerging markets performed

Though the correction in late 2007 and early 2008 was sharper in emerging markets than in mature ones, so were the gains. Equity prices in all markets peaked in October 2007, with gains for the year of 45 per cent in emerging markets, compared to 13 per cent in mature markets. As of mid-May 2008, equity prices in emerging markets were up 32 per cent from the beginning of 2007, while mature markets posted gains of only 2 per cent. Investor confidence in emerging equity markets reflects these countries' growth potential. Indeed, composite indices for emerging and frontier equity markets have strongly outperformed those in mature markets in each of the five past years.

Almost 80 per cent of developing countries posted average annual returns in excess of 25 per cent over the past five years. Less than 30 per cent of high-income countries could match these returns.