Saturday 12 January 2013

Riding Out The Next Crash In UAE, Myanmar And Mongolia

If it’s emerging markets with explosive potential you’re looking for, the globe-trotting Chris Mayer has identified three. He’s visited all of them — the first two in 2012.
  • Mongolia. “The story is very simple,” says Chris. “You have a tiny economy of just under 3 million people. And they are sitting on enormous reserves of natural resources. The top 10 deposits alone are worth an estimated $3 trillion. It’s a decade-long story. I think a good analogy is Kazakhstan, which is culturally similar — an old Soviet-style economy that opened up and created an enormous boom, thanks to resources. The stock exchange went up 2,400% in six years from 2002; apartment prices rose 800%-plus and land prices in Almaty rose 8,000%.”
  • Myanmar, or if you prefer, Burma. “If I could put all of my money in Myanmar, I would,” says globe-trotter and Asia bull Jim Rogers. “Another great story,” says Chris. “Fifty years of isolation and dictatorial rule and it is finally starting to thaw. There is no reason why Myanmar can’t approach the development of its neighbors such as Thailand, given time, investment and a commitment to freer markets. I think it will be one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia…” Hard to invest there, but a great story to watch.
  • United Arab Emirates. Chris concedes this one might come as a surprise. “The economy went through a giant bust, but its place as the money center for the Middle East is secure, thanks to low taxes, privacy protection and location. It has the region’s biggest marine port and airport and is home to the highest number of foreign businesses… Best of all, the market is cheap after an epic bubble, but the underlying economy is still growing rapidly.”

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