WASHINGTON, D.C., June 15, 1998 --- The International Finance Corporation today released the 12th edition of its annual Emerging Stock Markets Factbook, covering markets for 75 developing countries and countries in transition. It tracks the rise and spread of the "Asian contagion", which was the seminal event for emerging markets in 1997.
By the end of 1997, emerging markets had 19,800 listed companies, representing nearly half of world stock exchange listings. Their combined market value of US$2.3 trillion was equivalent to 9 percent of world market capitalization. Six of the world’s 20 largest stock markets were in emerging economies. More than US$2.7 trillion worth of trades were conducted in emerging markets in 1997, about 14 percent of all world stock trades.
The Factbook 1998, covering 1997 and earlier years, includes 340 pages with chapters on basic economic data and key trends in capital flows and stock prices, world stock market series, detailed profiles on individual markets as well as IFC Index features and results. There is a particular focus on the 52 markets covered in these IFC global, regional and industry indexes and the investable index of stocks available for foreign purchase. The Factbook 1998 also includes appendices on foreign investment regimes, withholding tax, trading costs, and operational risk for investing in emerging stock markets.
The Factbook series is widely used by emerging market investment specialists who consider it the most authoritative source of information available on emerging stock markets.
IFC, part of the World Bank Group, fosters economic growth in the developing world by financing private sector investments, mobilizing capital in the international financial markets and providing technical assistance and advice to governments and businesses. It is a leading producer of information on emerging markets.
The Factbook is produced by the Emerging Markets Data Base unit of IFC.
Copies are for sale and may be ordered from IFC by contacting
Stephanie Hughes at (202) 473-9520 (phone), (202) 974-4805 (fax) or emdb@ifc.org (e-mail) or from
the World Bank Bookstore at (202) 473-2941.
Journalists may obtain the Factbook 1998 free of charge by contacting
Lana Moriarty at (202) 473-6005 (phone), (202) 974-4384 (fax) or
lmoriarty@ifc.org (e-mail).
