Great Graphic: New DM-EM Equity Convergence

This Great Graphic, created on Bloomberg, depicts the MSCI equity index for the developed countries (orange line) and the emerging markets (white line). 

The charts begins at the start of last year.  In the first several months of 2013, DM outperformed EM. The big EM sell-off coincided with first hint from the FOMC about tapering.  EM recovered and tracked the DM until October.  A new phase of divergence, with DM outperforming again lasted into early March.  

Since mid-March the performance is a study in contrasts.  MSCI emerging market equity index is up about 8.4%.  During the same time the developed markets index is up a little less than 1%.  

In the foreign exchange market over this period, the dollar-bloc is the strongest.  The Australian dollar is easily the best performer rising 3.3% against the dollar, followed by the Canadian dollar (1.7%) and the New Zealand dollar (1.5%).  Sterling is a distant fourth, up 0.4%, and all this was recorded today.  The other major currencies have lost ground against the dollar this period. 

Among the emerging market currencies, the Brazilian real (5.8%), Colombian peso (5.5%) and Turkish lira (5.5%)  have led the advance.  Chilean peso (3.5%) and the Russian rouble (3.0%) round out the top five.   As with the majors, the high yielding/high beta currencies has generally outperformed.