Peter Halloran on Russia: Perception and reality - why investors miss out on great opportunities

Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than a ninth of the Earth's land area. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning 9 time zones. The country has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources, as well as the world's largest forest reserves. Its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water. With 142 million people, Russia is also the ninth most populous nation.

In the 90's Russia liberalized its capital markets and has since then offered international investors participation in its riches and development. In Part 2 of our www.Opalesque.TV interview with Peter Halloran - a pioneer in the Russian capital markets and Founder of the Pharos Financial Group - he speaks about perception and reality of Russia's capital markets in 2011.

Peter explains why most investors missed the opportunities that were and still are available in Russia, and how the real business environment is misrepresented through myopic attention to a few cases of corporate governance abuse. Peter believes that corruption is manageable with a long-term view, and will continuously recede with the ascent of the middle class.

Halloran further describes how he protects investors from corporate governance abuses in Russia and how a favorable political and economic environment will further boost the Russian economy, including:

* The new START Treaty and inclusion in the WTO

* The ascent of the Russian consumer

* Putin's crack economic team

* Russia's role as a “great China play”

About Peter:
Peter Halloran graduated from Yale University (BA 1984) and spent ten years in New York working on Wall Street with Salomon Brothers, Morgan, Grenfell & Co., and CS First Boston. He worked as the principal contributor toward building the CS First Boston equity and fixed income brokerage businesses in Russia and the CIS, and from 1995 through 1997 managed a $300m proprietary trading account while being responsible for all equity trading, research and sales at CSFB in Moscow. During his tenure CSFB became the top-rated broker as measured by research ranking, trading volume and profitability. From 2000 to 2002, in addition to his duties with Pharos, Peter served as chairman of Aton Capital Group and held a stake in the company. Under his guidance that company launched the first local Russian IPO and became a leading Russian investment bank which has since been acquired by Unicredito for $424m.
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Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than a ninth of the Earth's land area. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning 9 time zones. The country has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources, as well as the world's largest forest reserves. Its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water. With 142 million people, Russia is also the ninth most populous nation.

In the 90's Russia liberalized its capital markets and has since then offered inter ...more