Anglo American PLC, which represents about 10% of the South African index, has been one of the worst performers among the world's major diversified mining companies.It has now addressed issues with its under-performing management team. Chief executive officer, Cynthia Carroll, is focusing on cost savings which should help. The stock, however, will require In the scenario both a weaker South African Rand, and a stronger price for platinum, rhodium, palladium and diamonds in order to regain its comparative position against other majors.

Silk Invest Ltd, a specialist asset management firm regulated by the FSA, has acquired Danfonds Frontier Fund SPC, a Cayman based hedge fund, in an all equity deal. br /br /Danfonds Frontier Fund SPC will be renamed Silk Invest Frontier Fund SPC and Danfonds Investment Management (Cayman) Limited will be renamed Silk Invest (Cayman) Limited.

Zambia will get its first credit rating from Standard Poors in 2009. A sovereign rating is long overdue. Zambia could possibly get a B/B+ credit. It has had good economic growth, modest budget deficits and now has low debt. Its political history, with its Presidential elections and volatile exchange rate will probably work against it.

Daniel Broby, Chief Investment Officer of Silk Invest, will speak at the Asian Frontier Markets 2009 - Hong kong.br /br /5 March 2009 - Day 1 br /Macro view on Asian Financial Liberalization br /Understanding Vietnam’s Market Fluctuation br /Frontier Market in the context of Global Financial Crisis br /Panoramic view on Cambodian Market br /Investment Strategies in Frontier Market br /Mitigating Idiosyncratic Risk in Frontier Market br /Encouraging better investments in Bangladesh Market br / br /6 March 2009 - Day 2 br /Positive positioning: Asian Frontier Markets in attracting Foreign Investors br /Exploring the potential of Capital market on pre-emerging countries br /Evolution Hedge Funds in Frontier Market br /Kazakhstan: Leading Central Asia market br /Most preferred Asset Class in Frontier Market by Mainstream Investors br /Forecasting Asian Frontier Market br /Lessons Learned: Investment Strategies in African Frontier Markets

Unity Bank Plc and Shenzhen Energy are looking to Nigeria's power industry and discussing a potential JV. Shenzhen Energy Group has strong expertise in gas-turbine powered plants. Unity Bank has already assisted Shezhen Energy Group to secured a site in Geregu, near Ajaokuta in Kogi State, to build a power plant.

Shares in Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia all rose sharply on rumors local soveriegn wealth funds intend to buy shares in local companies. Oman Telecommunications and Saudi Basic Industries Corpóration were the biggest benefitiaries of the rumours.

The Bahrain real estate market is not in as bad shape as the UAE. Buyers do not want to commit right now and the market is in mild decline. That said, the majority of homes in the Kingdom have been bought by owner-occupiers and speculator activity has been restrained, although it does exist. One aspect that has helped the Bahrain market so far is he presence of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Despite falling house prices, there is a shortage of housing and that makes the long term picture look brighter.br /br /In the north, various new developments are being constructed on reclaimed land. This does not help the increasing demand in low cost housing, so investors are keenly watching demand.

Investors spent the holiday-shortened Christmas week in an un-merry mood, digesting more gloomy economic data and taking stock of a tumultuous 2008.

With the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Index down by 35.8% and 40.6% respectively for the year to date, many investors would be anxious to wave the old year goodbye. But changing the calendar digits from ’08 to ’09 will regrettably not make an iota’s difference to the perilous nature of the investment environment facing investors as we usher in the New Year.

Come January 1, investors will not only be hung over from 2008’s market rout (and possibly the previous night’s exuberance), but also still be battling with the implications of the credit crisis for the global economy and financial markets,

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Misr National Steel - Ataqa is to be aquired by Red Sea Steel for LE 370.6 million ($67 million). The takeover values in Ataqa at LE 247.09 a share. Ataqa is listed on the Egyptian stock exchange but few will benefit from the massive premium as there have been no transactions in the shares throughout 2008!

Iraq's central bank will cut interest rates by one percentage point to 14 percent on Jan. 4. The good news is that Iraq's core inflation fell to 12.7 percent rate in November, from 13.6 percent in October.