Investing in BRIC Countries: Evaluating Risk and Governance in Brazil, Russia, India, and China

Chart a course for success in the fertile terrain of BRIC investing! The world’s largest and fastest-growing emerging markets are those of the BRIC nations—Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Combined, these countries house more than 40 percent of the world’s population, and their respective GDPs are growing at an impressive rate. This economic success comes partly from a trend toward good corporate governance, a concept virtually unheard of in these four nations just a decade ago. Still, the BRICs have a long way to go. Corruption, doubledealings, and other conflicts of interest are regular business practices for far too many companies. Although investing in BRIC nations can be wildly profitable, you must familiarize yourself with the realities of their corporate governance to avoid catastrophe. With Investing in BRIC Countries, you are equipped with the best available tool for detecting the signs of poor governance. Edited by Standard & Poor’s® equity research and governance group, it details the group’s highly successful approach to analyzing risks in emerging economies.With case studies illustrating the effectiveness of corporate governance scrutiny, Investing in BRIC Countries examines the economic structure and governance status of each BRIC nation—and then explains how to: Detect the malevolent influences of a powerful minority of shareholders Protect yourself from misleading or false audits and risk assessments Recognize regulatory weaknesses with regards to shareholder rights Distinguish effective boards of directors from weak or corrupt ones As the financial crises in Mexico, Russia, and Asia during the 1990s prove, corporate governance is the pivot on which an emerging market’s success or failure hinges. Before entering one or more BRIC markets, perform the due diligence they require. Investing in BRIC Countries is the best tool available for mitigating your exposure to risky deals and other problems that can arise when dealing with international companies.