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Latest Emerging Market Viewpoints
From Matt Linsey and the North of South Capital team

It has been a year since Trump assumed the office of President of the United States. At the time there were concerns that he would follow through on his election rhetoric and that a trade war would soon begin, with Mexico and China as the main targets. 

Will Bartleet, CIO and Portfolio Manager of Pacific Multi-Asset
Bitcoin: Let’s run through the bubble checklist

As Christmas parties start to fill the diary, there’s one subject everyone wants to talk about: Bitcoin. Blockchain is an innovative technology that creates an electronic ledger secured with cryptography whose applications range from the origination of corporate bonds* to simplifying the process of recording property titles. 

Latest Emerging Market Viewpoints
From Matt Linsey and the North of South Capital team

As we near the end of 2017 and look forward into the new year, many investors will be asking whether there is still value to be found in our markets. After all, we have seen 30%+ gains in dollar terms in many of the Emerging Market indices, significantly ahead of moves in the developed world. In fact, we seem to be on track to see the MSCI EM index outperform the S&P for the first year since 2012.   

Latest Emerging Market Viewpoints
From Matt Linsey and the North of South Capital team

The top 100 crypto currencies now have a combined market capitalisation of over U.S. $300 billion. This is similar to the total market capitalisation of Turkey, a country with a GDP of close to U.S. $900 billion.

Whether this is a bubble that will be compared to “tulip mania” in the future or a viable replacement of fiat currencies is impossible for us to answer. All we can do at this point is to explore the positives and negatives of the crypto currencies and their potential impact on the emerging markets. 

Latest Emerging Market Viewpoints
From Matt Linsey and the North of South Capital team

Over the past few years we have come across a considerable amount of research pointing out the risk of an imminent financial crisis in China. Predictions have ranged from “the economy could just stop”, “the currency is in danger of collapsing” to the “housing market is not sustainable”. The purveyors of these views have ranged from well-known independent research houses and a number of high profile hedge fund managers to the occasional brave Chinese bank sell side analyst warning of disaster. 

Will Bartleet, CIO and Portfolio Manager of Pacific Multi-Asset
Who will be the next Governor of the Federal Reserve?

One of the most influential leaders in the world will be appointed soon. You won’t have been able to vote for the candidates, nor will any of your neighbours. But don’t worry, the appointment will be decided by a wise leader, the 45^th President of the United States, Donald Trump. Yes soon, we will know who will be the next Governor of the Federal Reserve.  

FULL PRESS RELEASE
Pacific Asset Management announces launch of new Emerging Market UCITS fund and boosts team with two senior hires, as Multi-Asset Range tops $120 million AUM since launching in January.

Pacific Asset Management (PAM), the asset management arm of Sir John Beckwith’s Pacific Investments Group, confirms that its new Emerging Markets Long Only UCITS fund will launch in November 2017 and also announces two further senior hires to strengthen its existing team. 

Will Bartleet, CIO and Portfolio Manager of Pacific Multi-Asset
Opportunities in Eastern Europe

Contrarian investing is often thought of as being like catching a falling knife: looking for assets that are tumbling and heroically buying into them at the bottom. Like all dangerous games, you can sometimes play and look like a hero, but more often than not you come off worse for wear. Our approach to contrarian investing is not to fight the herd, but rather to look elsewhere for great opportunities that are just off most investors’ radar screens.

One equity market that meets this approach is Eastern Europe, comprising of Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic. Not part of Europe, so ignored by European investors, but not big enough to grab the full attention of many emerging market investors. 

Latest Emerging Market Viewpoints
From Matt Linsey and the North of South Capital team

The big shock for most investors this year has been the weakness of the U.S. dollar. It had become consensus that the U.S. Federal Reserve would begin the process of shrinking its balance sheet and increasing interest rates in a more aggressive fashion in reaction to an expanding economy and aggressive fiscal spending by the Trump administration. 

Will Bartleet, CIO and Portfolio Manager of Pacific Multi-Asset
UK Paycuts – Thanks for your hard work, here's a pay cut

Imagine walking into your manager’s office at the end of a good year and your boss smiles and awards you a pay cut. This is exactly what has happened to workers in the UK this year. Whilst wages have risen 2.1%, inflation is running at 3.6% so in real terms, the average worker is 1.5% poorer than they were last year. Prior to 2008, workers’ pay exceeded inflation by 2.5%, so every year people ended the year better off than they started it. Since then real wage growth has been negative, so on average, after inflation, UK workers are earning less than they were nearly 10 years ago.