Investing in Libya, Iraq etc through ISA?

sorcerer

Perhaps you should discuss this with your mother before you try this, it seems very high risk to me. My ISA is 100% high risk funds, but I wouldn't even do this.

sabretoothtigger

I considered an Iraq tracker in 2009. For the obvious reasons you say but really the deaths are ongoing. I bought GKP instead just after the election

grey_gym_sock

it doesn't look like any iraqi or libyan exchange is recognised: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/fid/rse.htm

jamespearson

I think that Iraq and Libya are fairly safe investments. Loads of oil, v little debt. One should not assume either is a truly sovereign nation. Libya v strict on criteria for listing, 5 years tax free. This investment gives a possibility of 10x in 5-10 years, I will only invest a little of her money in it. The investment isn't speculative enough for me, tho I probably will put some of my dormant funds here. What I wouldn't do is invest directly into the West, Japan, China. Now that would be too risky for my mother's money! ;-)

jamespearson

sabretoothtigger wrote: »

I considered an Iraq tracker in 2009. For the obvious reasons you say but really the deaths are ongoing. I bought GKP instead just after the election

How would your Iraq tracker have done? Also, where would you have bought it from?

sabretoothtigger

I think it was DB who issued Iraq tracker. Certainly their was Kuwait and I figured they also might benefit but both were imprecise



Talk through

http://www.fool.com/investing/international/2012/05/31/is-this-todays-biggest-oil-opportunity.aspx#.T_r9VvVMhFD

I like Japan. Its the currency and the government that has the problems, lots of the companies are good world performers. Domestically Im not sure about their business but as an exporter and holder of high tech and engineering they seem fine and the price has fallen for decades.

Its become tradition to avoid Japan for the west, their own people are greater holders of both their own shares and debt but its the shares that should outperform in that its less internally focused making the equity rise relatively. I dont think Japan is expensive

grey_gym_sock

you have some interesting views about risk there. i would pay more attention to political and legal stability.

jamespearson

Yes, Japan has some cheap companies, defo- but percentage of debt to GDP is just way too high except for a pump and dump. I'm bearish about China, US debt, Euro- if they go wrong then Japan may haveserious problems. All this zombie capitalism is not really capitalism, and the bubble must burst. I want to invest this money in recovery countries, perhaps one day Japan.

There's truth that those countries have less perceived stability, and maybe even truly less stability. Iraq pm been there 6 years, tho- and i'd wait for a new government in Libya. The Us still has huge power over Iraq, and France, Canada, EU over Libya. They want to open up and unlike Syria or Egypt have lots of the black stuff. Egypts stock market is major performer ytd, tho... Imagine what it would be like with loads of oil!

srcandas

James you've covered most of the world. Always interesting to hear from someone who thinks outside the box. Do you have any thoughts on South America and Mexico? The latter seems to have some potential.

:beer:

sabretoothtigger

Whose holding the debt though, is Toyota or Honda and all that really indebted so badly. If its government we're talking about then yes thats a problem, do they drag down good companies Im not sure

But anyway Im more positive on pacific then japan as it is already developed and yes they got problems.
This random fund I saw says 6 PE and 4.55 yield which is almost unbeliavable for normal companies http://www.google.co.uk/finance?q=NYSEARCA:EPP
[Yahoo say 12PE but I still like them, very unrisky holdings I think http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/hl?s=EPP]

South America and Mexico? The latter seems to have some potential.

As a neighbour to USA, I think Canada is unvalued. If you like South America then you could look into some Spanish shares largely operating there but now oversold thanks to homeland strife.
TEF and BNC are gigantic global and big on anywhere speaking spanish or nearby seems like, should benefit from growth I would expect