Facebook Taps Emerging Markets With Stripped Down App

Facebook has quietly launched a stripped-down version of its mobile app, aimed at emerging market users with low-end mobile devices.  The social media giant confirmed to CNBC on Monday that "Facebook Lite" was an official app. It is available in eight countries: Bangladesh, Vietnam, Nigeria, Nepal, South Africa, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

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How Much Should You Invest In Emerging Markets?

What’s the right amount to invest in emerging markets? Increasingly, investors have taken larger bets that returns from giant Brazilian miners or Indonesian factories will beat more sedentary gains expected from companies at home.  One investment outfit believes this trend has gone too far. Rplan berated investors this week for putting more than 20pc of their portfolio in exotic funds. It undertook research that found 26pc of its investors who make their own decisions had put more than a fifth of their money in emerging markets.

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A Bargain Hunter in Emerging Markets

Emerging markets have been a tough place lately for equity-fund managers to generate positive returns. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index was down 2.2% last year, as investors favored U.S. stocks.  The $3.2 billion Thornburg Developing World fund lost 3.04% in 2014, trailing Morningstar’s Diversified Emerging Markets category by three basis points (0.03%). But manager Lewis Kaufman, 39, who has run the fund since it launched in late 2009, has done well over longer periods. The fund’s five-year annual return of 7.7% is at the top of its peer group.

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India: Fairest Emerging Market of Them All?

The Indian economy is set to kick off the year as the favorite among emerging markets thanks to a series of positive economic developments coupled with the accelerating pace of Prime Minister Modi's reforms.  "We expect India's stock market to generally outperform emerging and developing peers in 2015," said Howie Lee, investment analyst at Phillip Futures, in a report last week. The Sensex stock index was Asia's second-best performing market in 2014, rising around 30 percent.

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Emerging Market Stocks Rise as Energy Producers, Banks Lead Gain

Emerging-market stocks headed for the biggest four-day gain in 15 months, led by energy and financial companies, as investors bet oil prices are stabilizing and China will step up measures to support economic growth. Russia’s ruble rose for a second day.  VTB Bank jumped to the highest price since July 2012 in Moscow after saying it’s financing a $283 million copper-mill project in Armenia. Shares in Dubai and Nigeria rose for a third day. Cnooc Ltd. and PetroChina Co. climbed more than 4 percent, while Bank of China Ltd. led mainland shares traded in Hong Kong to the largest gain in two weeks. The ruble gained 6.9 percent versus the dollar.

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Emerging Markets Poised to Outperform in 2015

In 2015, we believe ongoing economic reform in many emerging markets could positively influence economic growth trends and corporate profitability. Stock valuations at a discount to those of developed markets do not accurately reflect the potential of emerging markets.  High economic growth rates will remain a key attraction of many emerging markets. Even with major economies like Brazil and Russia slowing down, overall growth in emerging markets during 2015 is expected to be comfortably in excess of that achieved by developed markets, with China and India likely to drive the Asian region to particularly strong growth.

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Emerging Markets Drive Satellite Growth

Emerging markets hold the key to subscription and revenue growth in satellite pay-television. Subscriptions to satellite television services reached 196 million homes in 2013 and revenues passed $97 billion, as reported by Euroconsult. Emerging markets now account for 60% of global subscribers and nearly all growth in subscriptions to satellite television.

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For Investors, India Remains Favorite Emerging Market

Kudos to new prime minister Narendra Modi. Thanks to him and Reserve Bank of India chairman Raghuram Rajan, India is the global fund managers favorite emerging market.  Despite a temporary bump in its growth trajectory, London-based investment firm Schroders says India is the best of the big emerging markets for investors.

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People in Emerging Markets Catch Up In Life Satisfaction

People in emerging economies are considerably more satisfied with their lives today than they were in 2007. A Pew Research Center survey finds that publics in emerging nations now rival those in advanced economies in their self-reported well-being.

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Xiaomi is the Apple iPhone for Emerging Markets

The name Xiaomi was splashed across headlines last week because the Chinese smartphone maker was reportedly seeking $1.5 billion in fresh funding that would value it at over $40 billion. That means the company, little known in the West, would be awarded twice the valuation of Sony and 2.5 times that of Lenovo Group. PC manufacturer Lenovo generates more than $40 billion a year in sales, compared with the $13 billion expected this year for Xiaomi.  Could the privately held smartphone company conceivably be worth that much? Yes, if you look at its sales trajectory and growth potential in emerging markets.

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