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Wednesday, April 3, 1:57 PM Today marks Global X's launch of the first ever single country ETF covering Nigeria (NGE). Existing Frontier market funds like FM and FRN currently allocate just a small portion of their holdings to Nigeria. NGE comes with an expense ratio of 0.68% vs. PMNA's 0.95%, EGPT's 0.94%, FM's 0.79% and FRN's 0.65%. Comment!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 12:53 PM Investing in frontier markets is about to get a bit easier as MSCI launches its Frontier Markets 100 index with BlackRock set to launch an ETF to track it. The index has 100 companies across 21 countries, and with 60% of the value coming from the Middle East. Comment! [Global & FX]
Friday, February 24, 2012, 1:30 PM John Burbank (video) of Passport Capital has put 15% of his $4B fund into Saudi Arabia which should benefit from a bigger opening of the market to foreigners (of which only 1% of the market is owned). Also helping, of course, is easy central bank money around the globe which should continue juicing oil. GAF +13.8% YTD. Comment! [Global & FX, Quick Ideas]
Monday, November 28, 2011, 12:46 PM While competitors are cutting back, Goldman Sachs (GS) is broadening its MENA equity research, initiating coverage on 80 new stocks, bringing the total to 121. Goldman's key theme is rising oil prices and the bank is looking at not only resource firms, but other beneficiaries like infrastructure and consumer spending. Comment! [Global & FX]
Wednesday, June 8, 2011, 4:45 PM John Burbank is making downstream bets on oil by snapping up infrastructure plays in Saudi Arabia. As of May, Saudi investments make up nearly 11% of his flagship Global Strategy fund. Despite turmoil in the region, he says “The crisis isn’t affecting the long-term reality that this is where the oil is.” Comment! [Energy, Global & FX, U.S. Economy]
Friday, May 27, 2011, 11:36 AM Turnout for today's rally against Yemen's government is less than had been expected as citizens are either fleeing Sanaa or worried about getting killed in what is looking increasingly like a civil war. Already somewhat a safe haven for al Qaeda, a failed Yemeni state could seriously erode ME security. 1 Comment [Global & FX]
Thursday, May 26, 2011, 9:59 AM Moody's downgrades Bahrain's credit rating to Baa1 from A3, citing political risk and weak government finances if oil stays below $100/barrel. An important Middle East financial center, Bahrain's banking assets dwarf its GDP. Comment! [Global & FX]
Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 4:37 PM The governing committee in Misrata confirms it has made an official request for foreign troops on the ground to stop Gaddafi forces from killing civilians. NATO and the U.N. have yet to respond. The U.K. is sending military advisers into Libya, but on an unrelated mission. 2 Comments [Global & FX]
Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 9:59 AM Following weeks of protests, Syria lifts its emergency law. The law, in place for nearly 5 decades, effectively suspended constitutional protections for citizens. 4 Comments [Breaking News, Global & FX]
Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 8:58 AM The protests and security force crackdowns continue in Syria, where 20K in Hams were fired at during an overnight sit-in. A government statement saying the demonstrations are the work of Salafist organizations, i.e. al-Qaeda, seemingly gives the green light for an even bloodier crackdown. 1 Comment [Global & FX]
Thursday, April 14, 2011, 11:05 AM Having made Libya its problem, NATO is warned by opposition groups that a massacre will occur in Misrata if air attacks against Gaddafi forces are not stepped up. Other than France and the U.K., NATO appears to have lost interest. 11 Comments [Global & FX]
Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 11:45 AM Following mass arrests of nearly every male security forces could get their hands on in the Syrian city of Baida, the women of the town protest for their release. In the meantime, the city of Banias, home to one of the country's two oil refineries, remains sealed. Comment! [Global & FX]
Monday, April 11, 2011, 2:12 PM A move by the Gulf Cooperation Council to mediate President Saleh's gradual departure from power is called unconstitutional by the country's opposition groups who want his immediate resignation. After similarly rejecting GCC help last week, Saleh now claims to welcome the group's participation. Comment! [Global & FX]
Monday, April 11, 2011, 11:26 AM Security forces seal off and cut electricity to the city of Banias after weekend demonstrations in which several pro-democracy protesters were killed. Bashar Assad, sounding ominously like his father before he had thousands killed, blames the unrest on a foreign conspiracy. 1 Comment [Global & FX]
Sunday, April 10, 2011, 5:10 PM Breaking: South African President Jacob Zuma, in Libya to try to negotiate a ceasefire, says Gaddafi has accepted the roadmap to peace proposed by the African Union. 5 Comments [Global & FX]
Friday, April 8, 2011, 2:18 PM The violence continues to escalate in Syria where BBC now reports 23 protesters killed by security forces in Deraa. Following the deaths of demonstrators over the past weeks, demands for political reform have morphed into calls for the regime to be toppled. 2 Comments [Global & FX]

PMNA PowerShares MENA Frontier Countries Portfolio ETF

PMNA

PowerShares MENA Frontier Countries Portfolio ETF