Emerging market crises cause investor sentiment to fall to lowest level since 2016

Fell 5.1 percentage points

Emerging market equities saw the second largest drop in sentiment this month, amid continued issues in Turkey and Argentina, sparking investor concerns of contagion risk, according to the Lloyds Investor Sentiment index.

The monthly index, which measures net investor sentiment towards an asset class, found emerging market equities fell 5.1 percentage points (ppt) to 12.9% in September, the lowest level since 2016. Investors have been spooked by recent issues in Turkey and Argentina, who raised their respective interest rates to 24% and 60% in an attempt to curb inflation, following the significant falls in the lira and peso. The lira has plummeted 40% against the US dollar so far this year amid longer-term concerns about the mis-management of Turkey's over-heating economy and a row between the US over...