Posts from the ‘Investment’ Category

Aug 29

Studying abroad…

Legend has it that around 400 years ago the Ming Dynasty Wanli Emperor sent a letter of goodwill to the Russian Tsar but the missive simply sat on one side, ignored and unread for five decades, as there was no one at the Russian court to translate it. Even if this tale is apocryphal, it is clear that the situation today is somewhat different.

Over the past few weeks I have been studying for my exams in the language of the world’s largest economy, but one thing I have allowed myself during study breaks was a reflection on the broader educational links between Russia and China. Not only is this topic timely in light of widespread discussions of Russia’s expanding eastward links, but also I wanted to explore it given my wider interest in education and multilingualism as a vital tool for success in international business. continue reading

Aug 26

Asia’s fastest growing economies

Whilst Russia’s markets are fluctuating in line with international opinion, I want to turn attention to a new EIU report released earlier this month on Asian economic growth. As a cursory look over my previous blogs will show, I believe China reigns as the leading global economy, and the EIU’s latest report only confirmed that its economy is in a league of its own. Even with its vast size, it is still predicted to expand a further 7% next year. continue reading

Aug 22

Financial Times: Where to spend a million on real estate

FT deputy editor, John Thornhill, hits the nail on the head when he identifies Russia as the place he would spend £1 million on real estate. Last week seven FT writers explained where they would splash out on property if they had disposable cash. Thornhill notes that not only is Russia a profitable place to live, but my “magical” home town of St Petersburg isn’t a bad location to enjoy “culture, history and raw life”. continue reading

Aug 19

DST Capital and performance over politics

Business and politics are not always easy bedfellows and as I’ve mentioned before, Russia’s commercial climate has dampened slightly in recent months, a turn some commentators are putting down to political factors. But to draw such an equivalency between economic slowdown and the squabbles of our leaders with their noisy campaigns and motorcades is to ignore what I consider to be one of the primary strengths of the smart investor, namely to look beyond the posturing and PR to identify investment opportunities. Even in the midst of a media storm, an opportunity remains and business has to be able to determine where political currents run with financial ones, and where against. continue reading

Aug 5

Russia’s East IV: Latest Developments

As I noted back in June, some commentators have been heralding a new dynamic in Russia’s economic orientation, driven by disagreements with the West and greater interest in striking deals with China. I still maintain that such speculation is overblown for two reasons. First Russia’s connection with China runs much deeper than a knee-jerk reaction to recent events. And second smart investment continues in both directions between Russia and Europe/the US, even at a time of high geopolitical tension. For a while these East Asian investors have been at the vanguard of recognising the profitability of Russia’s more overlooked regions and opportunities. In this post I give an update on the latest developments for Russia’s Chinese, and more broadly Far Eastern, connections. continue reading

Jul 10

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Russia: A Business Opportunity Wrapped in a Mystery?

Despite a slight softening of business performance in recent months, experts have concluded that overall the environment in Russia is promising and that concerns felt by outside entities exceed those of companies currently operating in the region. A panel event on investment into Russia at the Milken Institute’s annual conference earlier this year saw a fruitful discussion on past, present and future issues facing the business environment in Russia. continue reading

Jul 8

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Russia remains the destination for smart investors

Given the wave of negativity concerning Russia’s economy of late, few who follow financial news closely could have failed to notice that the past week has seen two significant deals in pharmaceuticals, a sector in which VIYM has a strong interest. Both deals, I would suggest, highlight the wisdom of going ‘I know not whither’ in Russian investments. continue reading

Jun 18

Richard Branson and Google head to Eastern Europe in search of Entrepreneurs

Last week some of the big global institutions, including Google and the Financial Times, came together to launch a campaign to find the 100 most exciting individuals working in digital technology in central and eastern Europe (CEE). This hunt for “New Europe 100” is an important step to changing misconceptions; the likes of Russia, Ukraine, the Baltics are not so much a grey bleakness, but at the forefront of the world’s technology revolution. continue reading

Jun 16

EMs ever stronger against shaky US Market

The Financial Times ‘Beyondbrics’ blog posted an article last week which gives further justification to my strong belief that investors need to look beyond New York and the US Dollar, to consider the benefits of engaging with EMs. Using comments made by Jan Dehn of the UK investment managers Ashmore, Michael Pooler paints a convincing picture of the buoyancy of EM economies given global market conditions. continue reading

May 30

Will the Central Bank lift restrictions?

I was interested to read last week that the Russian Central Bank is considering lifting foreign currency restrictions for open-ended investment funds. According to Vedomosti, industry leaders in Russia are pushing for the Central Bank to relax restrictions on funds investing in foreign markets. continue reading