The globalization of financial markets has led to an integrated world market. Emerging economies such as China and India have opened up their markets to foreign investors. New instruments such as exchange-traded funds are being created, and current instruments are being expanded to include real asset investments such as natural resources and real estate investments.To better understand the full range of investments available, this book identifies different asset classes and current hot topics such as new financial instruments, innovations, and strategies in a changing global environment. Asset class, which can be labeled as either traditional or alternative investments, is examined in three areas: (1) trends — description of the current topic/instrument/strategy in the chosen asset class; (2) opportunities — identification of what is new and/or where to invest or arbitrage, i.e., location; and (3) risks — determination of the risks (peculiar to the location) and how international investors can manage/reduce/eliminate them.
