"Russia is a high-profile emerging economy with great investment potential -- along with high risk," says Leonard Goodall who eyes a Russia-focused ETF in No-Load Portfolios.
"With enhanced growth prospects, emerging economies such as Russia have the potential to outperform fully developed countries over the long term.
"As more and more people join the middle class in these countries, opportunities abound to sell them products of all kinds, driving profits and stock prices higher.
"From 2003 to 2008, Russia's economy grew at an average annual rate of over 5%, but it was slammed last year when commodity prices plunged. Russia is primarily a commodity-based country, heavily dependent on energy and mining exports.
"As oil and other commodity pries have risen this year, the Russian economy has improved, although its GDP is still down 9.8% year-on-year.
"The Russian experience offers a good lesson for all investors who are considering buying into emerging markets. Like Russia, many of these economies are often poorly diversified, depending disproportionally for their well-being on exports of a few commodities or other export products.
"Moreover, many emerging economies carry above-average political risks. And large economic swings are to be expected.
"The Market Vectors Russia ETF (NYSE: RSX) provides a good example. It's up over 100% this year, but over the last half of 2008, its performance was disastrous.
"Young investors with long investing time horizons have the best opportunities to capitalize on the high long term growth rates we can expect from Russia.
"For the rest of us with shorter perspectives, countries such as Russia should be viewed as trading vehicles only."
For subscription information for Leonard Goodall's No-Load Portfolios, contact Portfolios Strategies Inc., 8635 W. Sahara, #420, The Lakes, NV 89117
