Media Release: What Investors Should Know About Emerging Markets in 2023

 “Emerging markets offer the potential for higher growth than developed ones, especially as increasing portions of their populations move into the formal economy and consume a wider variety of goods and services,” said Kingsley Williams, Chief Investment Officer at Satrix at an Emerging Markets IndexMore webinar.  

Satrix, South Africa's leader in index investing, regularly convenes local and international experts to provide insights to South African investors to help them make informed investment decisions. 

Natasha Sarkaria, Investment Strategist in the iShares EMEA Investment Strategy Team at BlackRock, said that emerging market (EM) equities are favoured over developed market (DM) equities on a short-term, tactical basis, with EMs likely facing macroeconomic tailwinds. “These include the potential for a weaker US dollar, the end of EMs' interest rate hiking cycles, and China's economic ‘restart’.”

Global investors have taken notice of this, with $12.2 billion flowing into EM-focused equity UCITS exchange traded products (ETPs) in the first quarter of 2023, outpacing flows into developed markets ETPs. While the majority of investments were previously in broad emerging markets, investors are now favouring single country allocations following China’s reopening and the demand for greater selectivity.

According to Tom Husmann, Equity and Commodity Product Specialist at BlackRock, country selection can contribute up to 40% of the performance generated from EM equity exposure. Therefore, investors should focus on countries that can consistently deliver higher growth.

India overtook China as the world’s most populous country in 2023, with a population of more than 1.425 billion people. With 600 million people expected to relocate to cities by 2031, driving a range of infrastructure investments, India is well-positioned to take the baton from China as the emerging markets superpower.

Arthur Kamp, Chief Economist at Sanlam Investments said India will be a major theme in emerging markets this year, “Elsewhere, China is becoming a relatively more labour-expensive environment to do business in as it moves up the value chain, so manufacturing is starting to shift elsewhere. Generally, investors want high growth, low inflation, high productivity environments.” 

He continued that the demographics in developed markets count against them and a number of countries in other regions, like Latin America, have fallen into middle income traps - this means the long-term prospects for these markets are tarnished by relatively softer growth prospects. So, there are bumps and bruises in all regions and geographical risk is elevated. The bottom line is to look for the markets that are going to consistently deliver higher growth as a key differentiating factor.”

Investors can achieve cost-effective exposures to emerging markets with a wide range of Satrix ETFs, including country-specific exposure to China or India. As investors seek long-term growth prospects, emerging markets present high-growth investment opportunities in 2023 and beyond.

About Satrix 

Satrix is the leading provider of index-tracking investment products and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in South Africa, with over R170 billion* in assets under management invested in the range of ETFs, index-tracking unit trusts, life pooled and segregated portfolios that are specifically tailored for client-specific mandates or retail funds.

It pioneered index investing in South Africa, launching the flagship Satrix 40 ETF as the first locally listed ETF in November 2000. The business services the institutional, intermediary, and individual investor markets. Satrix has proven expertise in risk management, portfolio analysis and index construction.

A core part of the Satrix purpose is to drive the democratisation of investments for all South Africans, where SatrixNOW, the no-minimum online investing platform, is a key enabler to providing access for South Africans to “Own the Market”.

Satrix holds the largest market share in the ETF industry in South Africa at nearly 32%^ and was the most successful raiser of new capital in 2022, at R3.3 billion^. Additionally, the multi-award-winning business has grown assets under management by 50% since the beginning of 2020, under some of the most challenging market conditions in history. 

Visit www.satrix.co.za

*Source: Satrix, March 2023
^Source: etfSA.co.za, December 2022

Disclosure

Satrix Investments (Pty) Ltd is an approved FSP in term of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS). The information does not constitute advice as contemplated in FAIS. Use or rely on this information at your own risk. Consult your Financial Adviser before making an investment decision.

While every effort has been made to ensure the reasonableness and accuracy of the information contained in this document (“the information”), the FSP’s, its shareholders, subsidiaries, clients, agents, officers and employees do not make any representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or suitability of the information and shall not be held responsible and disclaims all liability for any loss, liability and damage whatsoever suffered as a result of or which may be attributable, directly or indirectly, to any use of or reliance upon the information. 

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