Market Overview - Despite markets hovering near all-time highs, there is a shift from exuberance to cautious optimism, influenced by weak U.S. employment numbers and the potential economic impact of a federal government shutdown [1] - The market has not seen a 10% correction in over six months, leading investors to brace for a potential drawdown instead of a year-end rally [2] Value Stocks - Investors sitting on significant unrealized gains may consider reallocating to value stocks to minimize losses and generate income through dividends [2] - Five value stocks with a market cap of $3 billion or higher and a Benzinga Edge Value score of at least 90 are highlighted for portfolio protection in volatile environments [3] Sasol Ltd. - Sasol Ltd. has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 99.66, with a market cap of $3.94 billion, trading at 10 times earnings, a P/B value of 0.4, and a P/S ratio of 0.27, indicating it is undervalued compared to U.S. and emerging market peers [4] - The stock has shown volatility but has evidence of upward momentum, with key technical levels to watch for a potential breakout [6] Gerdau SA - Gerdau has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 97.67, with a market cap of $7 billion, trading at 8 times forward earnings, a P/B value of 0.70, and a P/S ratio of 0.37, along with a 3.27% dividend [7] - The stock has been trending higher since a Golden Cross in August, currently over 10% above its 50-day SMA, indicating bullish momentum [9] Ecopetrol SA - Ecopetrol has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 97.47, with a market cap of $19 billion and annual sales exceeding $30 billion, showing a nearly 20% increase year-to-date [10] - The stock's fundamentals and technical trends are favorable, with a P/E ratio of 6.55 and a P/S ratio of 0.64, and bullish momentum is building [12] Seaboard Corp. - Seaboard has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 94.03, with a market cap of $3.5 billion and annual sales over $9 billion, trading at 9 times earnings, a P/S ratio of 0.36, and a P/B ratio of 0.71 [13] - Recent signals indicate a revival in bullish momentum, with a significant rally taking the share price above the 50-day SMA [15] Fluor Corp. - Fluor has a Benzinga Edge Value Score of 91.46, with a market cap of $7 billion and annual sales exceeding $16 billion, trading at just 2 times earnings and a P/S ratio of 0.47 [16] - The stock has seen a 15% increase in the last three months, breaking above its 50- and 200-day SMAs, indicating a potential momentum reversal [18]

So, here's a question I was trying to figure out when we're talking about stable coins. If we're right here in the United States, okay, a stable coin is generally pegged to the US dollar. What's the difference between just a digital dollar. Why would I go with a stable coin that's backed by a company when I could just go with the digital dollar and just use it here.>> So, the main difference is really about the networks on which you're processing the transactions. So, traditional banking dollars go through ...

Core Insights - The argument for adding emerging-market stocks to investment portfolios has strengthened in 2025, particularly due to the U.S. dollar's poor performance against other currencies, leading to international stocks outperforming domestic ones [2][3] Group 1: Emerging Market Stocks - The MSCI EM index increased by 7% in September, marking its seventh consecutive monthly gain, with Goldman Sachs raising its projected outlook for emerging markets in 2026 [3] - LG Display Co., Ltd. has a market cap of $5 billion and generates significant revenue from Asia, the U.S., and Europe, with shares up over 60% year-to-date [4][6] - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. controls over 50% of the foundry chip market and reported a 10% revenue growth quarter-over-quarter and 40% year-over-year, with a net profit margin increase to 45.7% [7][9] - ICICI Bank Ltd. is a major player in India's financial sector, with most revenue from domestic clients, and is positioned well due to favorable demographics and reshoring trends [10][12] - Harmony Gold Mining Co., Ltd. has a market cap exceeding $10 billion and has seen its shares nearly double the price of gold, which has risen over 50% year-to-date [13][15]

Core Insights - Emerging markets have shown resilience against bearish sentiment in 2025, achieving one of their best performance years to date [1] - Despite the recent rally, many emerging markets continue to offer attractive valuation levels for investors [1]

Group 1 - The expectation is that bond yields, particularly the ten-year yield, may continue to decline due to attractive real yields in the bond markets and a decrease in inflation [1][2] - A formal announcement regarding a new inflation target could lead to further declines in bond yields, currency appreciation, and a reduction in the inflation rate [2][3] - There have been significant capital inflows into the South African bond markets, exceeding 409 billion rand in recent months, which is a crucial factor for the bond market's performance [4] Group 2 - The yield differential between the U.S. Treasury ten-year yield and the South African government bond yield is favorable for South Africa, contributing to the positive sentiment in the bond market [5] - The inflation differential between South Africa and the U.S. has narrowed, indicating a faster dis-inflation rate in South Africa, which is important for investors [5] - There is a renewed positive sentiment towards emerging markets, with South Africa being a notable player in this category [5] Group 3 - Central banks globally are increasing their gold holdings, with the price of gold recently spiking to a record $4,000, which may influence the South African Central Bank's strategy [6] - South Africa maintains significant gold reserves and has the capacity to extract more gold if necessary, indicating a strong position in terms of gold assets [7] - Concerns about rising debt levels are prevalent, but emerging market debt has not increased as significantly as that of advanced economies, suggesting a different risk profile [8][9]

lisk cover. Photo by BeInCrypto Lisk has launched a $15 million venture initiative, the Lisk EMpower Fund, aimed at accelerating Web3 startups in Africa, Latin America (LATAM), and Southeast Asia. The fund positions itself as a counterweight to the oversaturated Western venture scene, where valuations are at record highs and returns are increasingly muted. Lisk’s $15 Million EMpower Fund Targets the Gaps Global VCs Miss Lisk is betting that the world’s most transformative Web3 companies will emerge from ...

Group 1 - Argentina's financial assets have rallied for three consecutive days following U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's announcement of significant support for President Javier Milei's government and markets [1][2] - The U.S. is negotiating a $20 billion currency swap line with Argentina's central bank and is prepared to purchase Argentina's dollar-denominated bonds on the secondary market [1][3] - Argentina's 2030 bond price increased over 4 cents to 75.36 cents on the dollar, while the local stock benchmark rose over 6% in early trading, and the peso strengthened nearly 3% on the day, marking weekly gains above 10% against the U.S. dollar [3][5] Group 2 - Bessent emphasized that the U.S. support for Argentina is unprecedented and represents one of the strongest examples of U.S. Treasury backing in emerging markets history [4] - Prior to this support, Argentina's markets were under significant pressure, with bonds falling as much as 20% for the year and the peso hitting a weak limit, necessitating over $1 billion in central bank interventions [5] - The upcoming legislative midterm elections on October 26 could influence Milei's party's ability to strengthen its position, although the recent U.S. support enhances Milei's negotiating power [4][6]

Emerging markets are quietly putting together a banner year. So far in 2025, the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF ( EEM ) is up 29%, dividends included. That trounces the S&P 500’s 13% advance. Critics may argue that a weaker dollar has been a majorFreelance Financial Writer | Investments | Markets | Personal Finance | RetirementI create written content used in various formats including articles, blogs, emails, and social media for financial advisors and investment firms in a cost-efficient way. My passion ...

Group 1 - Adrian Cheng, a member of one of Hong Kong's wealthiest families, has launched a new firm focusing on the digital space and emerging markets [1] - Cheng previously served as the CEO of New World Development but stepped down a year ago [1] - The new firm's focus indicates a strategic shift towards digital innovation and growth opportunities in emerging markets [1]

Emerging Markets & Regulations - Emerging markets are establishing credibility through stringent entry criteria [1] - Mining enforcement is intensifying on a global scale [1] Cryptocurrency Frameworks - The EU's unified framework is already exhibiting vulnerabilities [1] - There's a contrast between state-supported crypto infrastructure and clandestine operations [1]