Trustnet Magazine Issue 10 September 2015 | Page 18

INVESTMENT STRATEGY EMERGING MARKETS EMERGENCY Emerging markets have ended a woeful couple of years with an all-out crash – Adam Lewis looks at whether you should cut your losses or use the correction as a buying opportunity I f there was ever a moment to be focusing on the case for emerging markets, the recent falls in China and the accompanying spike in global volatility that followed would suggest that time is now. China has dominated the financial headlines in recent weeks. The government’s decision to revalue the currency, combined with the release of data showing that the economy is growing at its slowest rate since 1990, sent global markets in a spin triggering what has now been termed “Black Monday”. THINKING LONG TERM Predictably, stock markets outside of China have quickly bounced back, but the events illustrate the challenges of investing in emerging markets. Having peaked in June, China’s Shanghai index is down 30 per cent over the past three months. However, rather than trying to seek solace in news stories such as the People’s Bank of China’s decision to raise interest rates, when it comes to investing in emerging markets the key is to think longer-term. Amaya Assan, a senior investment research analyst at Square Mile Research, says emerging markets PERFORMANCE OF INDEX OVER 3 MONTHS 20% Shanghai Stock Exchange 10% 0% -10% -20% -30% 31 21 13 05 Aug 28 20 10 02 Jul 24 16 08 Jun 29 May -40% Source: FE Analytics 16 trustnetdirect.com trustnetdirect.com 17