Selected Sources for Emerging Markets
Jinfo Blog

By Adrian Janes

Abstract

DocuTicker editors contribute brief articles to FUMSI on conducting research with grey literature - reports from government agencies, think tanks, research institutes and public interest organisations.

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In my work as a contributing editor for DocuTicker, I research publicly available reports on a number of global topics. Here are some of my favourite resources for Emerging Markets:

Introduction to Emerging Markets

'Emerging markets' has become a buzzword in recent decades. In contrast to the mature markets of Western Europe, North America, Australia and Japan, emerging markets are seen as areas where investment could bring especially rich returns as these regions become increasingly industrialised and new swathes of consumers are created. However, their rapidly expanding economic state is often reflected in social, political and environmental instability. Thus risks as well as returns need to be considered by potential investors. To do this information is needed which is both reliable and as current as possible. This is not to say that older information is not worthwhile. Being an ‘emerging economy' is part of a long-term process, even if short-term growth can be astonishingly rapid (e.g. China).

Given the ubiquity of business information, much of it is itself treated as a commodity. Nonetheless, it is possible to build up a picture of many of the relevant factors when investigating the investment climate for a country or region by using free or partly free Web resources. DocuTip on Emerging Markets is an introduction to a series of reports on specific regions deemed emerging markets.

One way into this subject, other than DocuTicker itself, is to look at news stories and research work from major international institutions. Examples of these would include the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (aka Office of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), World Bank and United Nations (see Related Links, below). Emerging markets are also an area of academic research, so additionally it is possible to find useful articles and collections of resources prepared primarily for students, although some material will be restricted to the members of an institution.


Overviews

The IMF's World Economic Outlook: Crisis and Recovery published in April 2009, is a comprehensive overview of the current state of economic affairs. The recent crisis clearly has implications both for established economies and those seeking to develop because of their interdependence. Especially relevant in this report is Chapter 4, ‘How Linkages Fuel the Fire: The Transmission of Financial Stress from Advanced to Emerging Economies'.

Examples of academic resources are Chuan Li's concise essay, "What are Emerging Markets?", a handy introduction, and the Market Potential Index for Emerging Markets, provided by the International Business Center at Michigan State University (MSU). This uses a variety of indicators, such as Market Size, Market Growth Rate and Country Risk to compare the emerging economies and come out with an overall ranking. To help gauge trends, there is an archive going back to 1996. The Index is complemented by MSU's Country Insights, an excellent source to check facts about both countries and regions that fall within the parameters of emerging markets.

Despite the barriers to accessing information on emerging economies (mainly due to cost or institutional restrictions), there is still a large amount of information that can be gleaned from the Web. In a way this reflects the phenomenon itself - as countries grow economically they become more frequent objects of research and, among other things, develop greater capability themselves to gather and publish economic data. The motive of self-interest also contributes: If governments and NGOs within emerging markets wish to attract investment, one way to do so is to make more information available. Government-published information should of course be considered alongside more objective sources.


Emerging Markets Postings from DocuTicker

Below is a selection of some relevant postings from DocuTicker:

The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Microfinance Institutions and Their Clients
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=26190

Revisiting retail globalization
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=23828

Three Quarters of All Messages Sent Via Mobile
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=25159

The New Competition for Global Resources
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=22634

Global Tourism and Real Estate
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=23054

World insurance in 2007: emerging markets leading the way
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=21369


Related Links

It is important to note that, although the links below will lead to valuable material with regard to emerging markets, these sites merit further exploration for relevant items, and all have site search facilities to assist in this.

International Monetary Fund Key Issues: Emerging Markets
http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/key/emkts.htm

OECD Development Centre Insights
http://www.oecd.org/dev/insights

World Bank: Growth in Emerging Markets
http://go.worldbank.org/0TGLHL6W80

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
http://www.un.org/esa/desa/

EmergingMarkets.com
http://www.emergingmarkets.com/

An excellent collection of evaluative links, using colour-coding to show at a glance which sites are free, offer a mixture of free and premium content, or are exclusively premium in nature. There are also direct links to the stock exchanges in emerging market countries.

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