Building Corridors to the Future in
#Pakistan | Top Global Investor Mark Mobius Bullish on
#Karachi Shares
#CPEC http://mobius.blog.franklintempleton.com/2015/08/24/building-corridors-to-the-future-in-pakistan/…
Excerpts of Franklin-Templeton's Mark Mobius blog post titled "Building Corridors to the Future in Pakistan" dated Aug 24, 2015
Pakistan is an example of a country many investors have shunned due to negative news and perceptions, but our take is that often things aren’t always as sensational as may be reported. We do know that we have found some well-run companies in which to invest. We also believe that Pakistan will attract wider investor interest in the coming years for a number of reasons.
-------
China and Pakistan recently signed trade, energy and infrastructure agreements worth US$28 billion as part of a US$46 billion plan toward establishing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a combination of cooperative initiatives and projects that include connectivity, information network infrastructure, energy, industries and industrial parks, agricultural development and poverty alleviation, tourism and financial cooperation
----------
We have been investing in Pakistan for a number of years, and see it as an overlooked investment destination with attractive valuations due to negative macro sentiment. Pakistan has benefited from an improving growth outlook, continued efforts toward fiscal consolidation, steady progress in achieving structural reforms under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and ongoing support from regional partners.
------------
The Pakistani stock market has been one of the top-performing markets in the last five years (ended June 2015).3 The MSCI Pakistan Index has more than doubled with a 129% return during that time frame, compared with a 45% return for the MSCI Frontier Index and 22% increase in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index in US dollar terms.4 In our view, despite that strong performance, valuations of Pakistani stocks still remain relatively attractive. As of end-June 2015, the trailing price-to-earnings ratio of the MSCI Pakistan Index was 10 times, versus 11 times for the MSCI Frontier Index and 14 times for the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.5
The country’s macroeconomic environment has been improving in recent years. In recent months, easing inflation has allowed Pakistan’s central bank to cut its benchmark interest rate to its lowest level in 42 years. The IMF currently forecasts gross domestic product growth in Pakistan of 4.3% this year and 4.7% in 2016, up from 2.6% in 2010.6 The fiscal situation has also been improving, supported by multilateral disbursements in recent years as well as a recent international Sukuk issuance.7 More recently, lower oil prices have also improved the country’s trade balance, although exports have been impacted by lower cotton prices and a stronger rupee.
Elsewhere, we believe government efforts on expenditure control and divestments have been positive, but the government will need to remain committed to the economic and structural reform program. For foreign investors, the most important concerns are security and political stability. An internal anti-terrorism drive was made in the wake of the tragic Peshawar incident in December 2014, which targeted schoolchildren. We think these efforts need to be maintained over the longer term to develop a better security climate for businesses and the society as a whole. In the political environment, delays in the implementation of reforms or deterioration in the political or security situation could adversely impact the country’s macroeconomic development and fiscal position, hinder investment and weaken investor confidence.
....We think it’s an ideal time for Pakistan to implement reforms that will put electric power supply on a sound financial footing, enabling adequate supply at a reasonable price for local businesses that need to be internationally competitive.
Despite a number of ongoing challenges, we see many reasons for a brighter future for Pakistan.
Building Corridors to the Future in Pakistan | Mark Mobius
