The Rising Risk of Emerging Markets

by: James Picerno posted on: June 02, 2008 | about stocks: EEM / EFA / IWV    
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There's a whole lot of stress-testing going on these days in the capital markets. And one of the striking lessons is that emerging markets have proven to be far more durable than many investors, including yours truly, thought possible. Yes, the durability could evaporate tomorrow for all we know. But for the moment, it's hard not to be impressed by the resiliency of equities in the developing world.

Consider the table below, which compares the major asset classes and ranks performance by May 2008 total returns (click to enlarge). Once again, emerging markets were the clear winner, rising by more than 3% last month. Other than commodities, emerging markets equities are comfortably in the lead for the past year through May 31, 2008 as well.

Yes, there have been some tough spots along the way, as there inevitably are for all the major asset classes. This year's January and March were especially hard on equities in emerging markets, which suffered dramatic declines in those months. Nonetheless, it's hard to overlook the fact that despite all the turmoil in the global economy--from wars to price shocks in energy and food to various political and weather-related disturbance--this slice of the world's stocks has held up remarkably well.

Let's take a look at the longer term for some historical perspective. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets (EEM) posts a 33% annualized total return for the five years through May 31, 2008. By comparison U.S. stocks are up by an annualized 10.3% over that span, as per iShares Russell 3000 Index (IWV). Foreign equities in the developed world, mainly Europe and Japan, look a bit better than the U.S., with a 18.9% annualized total return via the iShares MSCI EAFE Index (EFA), although that still pales next the emerging markets.

On one level, there's nothing particularly surprising about emerging markets' superior performance. Indeed, these markets are higher-risk economies and so the higher return is compensation for bearing that risk. One measure of risk, although hardly the only one, is price volatility, and by that metric MSCI Emerging Markets Index is nearly twice as volatile (based on trailing 3-year annualized standard deviations) as either MSCI EAFE or Russell 3000 indices, which represent foreign-developed equities and U.S. equities, respectively.

The bottom line: Emerging markets have soared through thick and thin in recent years. There have been mini corrections, but so far this asset class has yet to suffer a major setback. That alone makes me nervous. Parties, after all, don't go on forever, and higher risk eventually lives up to its reputation on the downside.

Yes, there are strong arguments for why emerging markets should prosper in the years ahead. We don't dismiss those arguments and, in fact, we're a believer in the idea that the developing world will continue to shine as a long-term proposition.

But everything has limits, including the idea that emerging markets are immune to the various economic, financial and political viruses that stalk the globe. Note that the trailing dividend yield for emerging markets (as per the S&P/Citigroup Emerging Markets index) at the end of April 2008 was a relatively spare 1.9%, down from more than 3% as recently as July 2005. No doubt the yield is even lower as of Friday's close, after emerging markets' robust rise in May.

What's a strategic-minded investor to do? Cut back on emerging markets. Not completely, although if you've been riding this wave for several years, your portfolio's allocation to emerging markets is surely overweight by more than a little, relative to Mr. Market's allocation. As of last Friday, the float-adjusted capitalization of the world's emerging markets represented just under 11% of global equity market capitalization, according to numbers from S&P/Citigroup indices--more than double from the start of 2004.

Yes, strong growth in emerging markets in recent years warrants a rising share of the global market capitalization for this realm. As such, there are many reasons why strategic-minded investors might want to put more than 11% of their portfolio into emerging markets stocks. In fact, asset allocation is inevitably a customized decision that's specific for each investor's particular situation. Nonetheless, by my reckoning (and imperfect expectations of the future), we're of a mind to venture no higher than a market weight, if not a below-market weight allocation in emerging markets. The reasoning starts with respecting the financial laws of gravity.

This article has 13 comments! Add yours below...
James Picerno

James Picerno

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This article has 13 comments:

  •  
    puttster
    Jun 02 04:40 PM
    er, my china fund is down 30%. just how much do you need to call it a major setback?
  •  
    akapital
    Jun 02 05:04 PM
    puttster, China is no longer considered an emerging market...

  •  
    Heisenberg
    Jun 02 05:09 PM
    You typed ALL of that to get too ".....market weigh if not a below market weight allocation..." Do you get paid by the word or by number of times your name is in print ?
  •  
    Cicero
    Jun 02 05:16 PM
    Latin America is runnning on all cylinders and some regional funds have held up (EMF, Tremex, GAF and GUR of my holdings). But many emerging markets are well off their highs. Here are my single country holdings and how far they are below their 1 year high:

    IIF (44%) India
    CAF (41%) China Smaller companies
    FXI (30%) China larger
    TKF (28%) Turkey
    ISL (24%) Isreal
    EWY (22%) S Korea
    TRF (18%) Russia
    EWT (10%) Tawain

    Does anyone know of a free stock charting website that factors dividends and distributions into the charts (so you can see actual returns visually without having to do the math to adjust for them)?


  •  
    Sophisse
    Jun 02 05:31 PM
    There are really only two ways to predict the future. Either "trend x has gone on for a long time so it will continue", or "trend x has gone on for a long time so it will soon change/stop/reverse&qu... I thought you were going for option (a), but you jumped onto option (b) at the last minute.
  •  
    CarlosSlim
    Jun 02 08:09 PM
    My Website
    Our brains predict the future every day:
    news.yahoo.com/s/lives...;_ylt=AtlVdpEzQ_nThqI4...

    One tenth of a second into the future.

    Now that's some short-term trading!

  •  
    Everyday
    Finance
    Jun 02 10:19 PM
    My Website
    I'd still classify China as "Emerging" in many respects. A good deal of the populus is illiterate and lives on less than a dollar a day. In a region where human capital is still cheaper than automation, I'd call that "emerging". Perhaps you're referring to "frontier" countries like Colombia, etc. that are even more extreme in the "emerging" specturm?

    Investing internationally is the new diversification that our parents' generation relied on for US equities diversification. We're approaching the end of dominance in the world and need to face up to a global economy. So long to the days of 90% US, 5% cash and 5% international. If you want to achieve the long run 9% returns of the US moving forward, it's likely you're going to need heavier international exposure.

    About half of my portfolio's outside the US due to long time horizon. Now that I think of it, going to post my High-Yield self-directed IRA holdings now...
  •  
    cromag
    Jun 03 01:51 AM
    Cicero: I think Stockcharts.com might meet that criteria.
    stockcharts.com/charts...

  •  
    bsharvy
    Jun 03 03:20 AM
    My Website
    China is most certainly an emerging market.
  •  
    Sherdil
    Jun 03 08:11 AM
    I have 100% in emergin markets for last several yrs and doing well
  •  
    johnthebear
    Jun 03 10:57 AM
    I predict a sharp drop in China after the games and reality of the global slowdown seeps in. Who knows, it may even happen sooner?
  •  
    Topforeignst
    ocks
    Jun 03 05:25 PM
    My Website
    Chinese stocks are still overvalued.I think they will drop dramatically even before the games.
  •  
    Cicero
    Jun 04 07:44 AM
    Thanks Cromag, that's a big help. Checking out two similar funds or stocks is hard when they appear to have the same return looking at a chart, but in reality one has a 10% distribution a few months back and the other hasn't. Too bad you can only go back one year, but I'm buying you a beer tonight anyway!

    I wonder how many investors never realize this idiosyncrasy?
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