Russia?

[Parky]

I have been waiting for a drop in IT prices for a while. Well, now Russia has dropped, for obvious reasons, and I am thinking of making a small investment in JP Morgan Russian Securities for example, for a bit of excitement. Based on very little knowledge, I hasten to add. Any comments, apart from the obvious political risk?

[YeeWo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMozmOBaUQI

I Strongly recommend you spend an hour of your time and watch the above! I've come to the conclusion that as the Russian Economy is awfully dependent on Oil an investment in BP/RDSB gives exposure aligned with worldwide diversification.

http://www.etf.hsbc.com/etf/uk/retail?fundid=HETF029

I did contemplate the above HSBC ETF but in the end couldn't quite press the button. Mr Putin and cronies are in place for another 6 years! In the case of an event in Russia causing a 1990's style collapse bottom-fishing via the ETF May make sense. Most of the London listed MNCs have some exposure to the place.

"Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." - Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill KG OM CH TD DL FRS RA

[bluedonkey]

My only investment-related information is that many years ago I knew an emerging markets debt trader. When there was a previous Russian financial crisis - I think they defaulted - the market completely vanished. In other words the instruments simply couldn't be traded anywhere: no buyers.

[Pendrainllwyn]

Fascinating youtube video. Remarkable man and life. Well worth watching. Thanks for sharing

[richfool]

I have been waiting for a drop in IT prices for a while. Well, now Russia has dropped, for obvious reasons, and I am thinking of making a small investment in JP Morgan Russian Securities for example, for a bit of excitement. Based on very little knowledge, I hasten to add. Any comments, apart from the obvious political risk?

I can't see economic sanctions being lifted in the near future, if anything they are likely to be increased. I shall continue to avoid.

[bungeejumper]

Much favoured over the years by Merryn Somerset Webb, the editor of Moneyweek and the world's most reliable contrarian indicator. Russia, gold stockpiling, and why we ought to give Nigel Farage a life peerage.

Last seen plugging Moscow's Micex index in Feb 2017, just before it plunged by 25%. She says Russia's so bad it's actually good, and Mr Putin is really quite a nice man who won't cause any disruptions. Don't let me put you off the idea, though.

BJ

[schober]

I imagine they've got loads of Sberbank Lukoil & Gazprom
There are some interesting articles over on SeekingAlpha such as
https://seekingalpha.com/article/413936 ... cles_title

The article has links to two other articles on Gazprom and Lukoil by the same author
All are well worth a read - stuff you wont see in the MSM!

[Parky]

Thanks all. Having slept on it, and read your comments, I have managed to overcome the urge to "do something". Having worked for BP in the past, and visited Russia and Chechnya in that capacity, I know how dodgy things can be in Russia and the old USSR countries.
Will wait for a better opportunity.

[Pendrainllwyn]

That should get the contrarians interested ...

[Backache]

Much favoured over the years by Merryn Somerset Webb, the editor of Moneyweek and the world's most reliable contrarian indicator. Russia, gold stockpiling, and why we ought to give Nigel Farage a life peerage.

Last seen plugging Moscow's Micex index in Feb 2017, just before it plunged by 25%. She says Russia's so bad it's actually good, and Mr Putin is really quite a nice man who won't cause any disruptions. Don't let me put you off the idea, though.

BJ

Not purely contrarian , I never quite got around to gold or Russia but did agree with her on Japan, which has been rewarding.

[bungeejumper]

Not purely contrarian , I never quite got around to gold or Russia but did agree with her on Japan, which has been rewarding.

That, I think, would depend on when you went in? She'd been plugging Japan for more than twenty years by the time she finally got lucky. In that time you'd have missed out on the entire market rise of the nineties and noughties. Huge miscalculation. Even today, the Nikkei struggles to make half of its end-1989 level.

BJ

[johnstevens77]

Much favoured over the years by Merryn Somerset Webb, the editor of Moneyweek and the world's most reliable contrarian indicator. Russia, gold stockpiling, and why we ought to give Nigel Farage a life peerage.

Last seen plugging Moscow's Micex index in Feb 2017, just before it plunged by 25%. She says Russia's so bad it's actually good, and Mr Putin is really quite a nice man who won't cause any disruptions. Don't let me put you off the idea, though.

BJ

Two articles in this weeks, 20 April edition, pages 5 and 19. Steer clear.

Disclosure; I hold a very small speculative amount in JP Morgan, Russian.

john

[Backache]

That, I think, would depend on when you went in? She'd been plugging Japan for more than twenty years by the time she finally got lucky. In that time you'd have missed out on the entire market rise of the nineties and noughties. Huge miscalculation. Even today, the Nikkei struggles to make half of its end-1989 level.

BJ

I have to confess I have no idea how long she had been plugging it for I don't read Moneyweek but I usually read her column in the FT which I find well written. Even though Russia is not doing well it is well above the level I recall her doing her main plug in the FT.