Poland: The overlooked market
CNN's John Defterios examines why Poland is not considered one of the "must own" economies from the emerging market countries
It all began with a Bric over a decade ago, an acronym name for the fast growing emerging market of Brazil,Russia,India and China, adding South Africa the Bric's bonding new political voice on the world stage. Then came a handful of others,Civets, Mist, Mint and the N11. With every new word play, a new group of hot emerging markets took centerstage. New must have investments in global finance. Yet one emerging market continues to fly under the radar.
So when you look globally,the emerging markets, usually you may name Brics or Asia, usually do not look at Poland. Sometimes we have such a feeling that they overlook southern and eastern Europe.
But while the lights of China and Brazil or Indonesia and Vietnam garner the headlines, Poland has quietly taking care of business. Since the break of the Soviet Union, its economy has grown on an average between 4 and 5% a year. It's the only European Union country to avoid recession since the global financial crisis hit back in 2008. And as a sign of Poland's economic health, the world's stock exchange played host to the largest number of IPOs in Europe last year.It's in empty of boat track record.And when added to its geographic location, competitive labor cost, sizable local market and educated workforce,it's hard to see how Poland go so unnoticed.
We can say that our market is a little bit undervalued. Frankly sometimes Poland became different due to the emerging market countries.
Not everyone has missed Poland economic story. Twinings, Electrolux and Dell have all moved factories to the country in recent years.
But the investment trend in the emerging market is for example to go from here in the Mid-East to far east Asia,or south into Africa. Regrowth is taking a way as 6 to 7%, that level of expansion is encouraging foreign direct investment although Poland is within a market of better than a half billion consumers.
We do not experience the growth like the emerging markets,like 5% or like 7 in China, but we are still doing much better than every Eruopean growth.
The IMF forcasts Poland will grow by 2.4% next year. Not enough perhaps to put the P of Poland in the next acronym of the world's hottest emerging markets, but enough to make the last twenty years Poland's best period of sustained economic growth and give it the status of a leading emerging market.