RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Rethinking Emerging Markets: A Fresh Perspective
JF The Journal of Portfolio Management
FD Institutional Investor Journals
SP jpm.2022.1.372
DO 10.3905/jpm.2022.1.372
A1 Gerald Garvey
A1 Ananth Madhavan
YR 2022
UL https://pm-research.com/content/early/2022/06/13/jpm.2022.1.372.abstract
AB The standard classification of emerging markets (EMs) does not correspond well to stage of development, wealth, culture, or industrial mix. The authors propose using unsupervised learning to group country stock markets across countries based on similarity of returns. The authors find that EMs contain two distinct groups reflecting Asian manufacturing and commodity exposure. This heterogeneity provides diversification to index investors and allocation opportunities to active investors. China is on the edge between the two groups, consistent with it being a key manufacturer and a major driver of commodities. The authors argue for retaining the existing EM classification and treating China as a separate entity.