Emerging-market equities could gain 15% in the next 12 months, Sean Taylor, chief investment officer for Asia Pacific and head of EM equities at DWS Group, tells Bloomberg (watch, runtime: 4:27). Globally, equities have had a strong run during the first half of 2021, but major EMs including China and the rest of Asia have underperformed, making room for an upside, he says. The EM index, however, is “skewed” toward China, which hasn’t been performing as well as others so far into the year, giving investors reason to be picky.

Speaking of which, what actually makes EM investment worth it? Strong economic growth that could surpass growth rates in the developed world over the coming years, as well as portfolio diversification, provide the positive case for investing in EM, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Yes, but: High volatility, weak currencies, and high debt levels are all factors that make some investors think twice.

Also from EM-verse: Ghana wants to sell green and social bonds worth up to USD 2 bn in November, the country’s finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta told Bloomberg. The West African nation — which is looking to borrow some USD 5 bn from international debt markets before the year is out — plans to use proceeds from the social and green bonds sale to refinance debt it had taken out for national education and health projects.

The sale would be more than double the size of Egypt’s USD 750 mn inaugural green bond issuance last year, and would position Ghana as a leader in sustainable bonds in Africa.

China is intensifying its cybersecurity crackdown on tech companies: Chinese regulators have opened cybersecurity investigations into three more US-listed Chinese tech companies for what it fears could pose national data security risks, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said, according to CNBC. The firms under review — two subsidiaries of Chinese transport company Full Truck Alliance and recruitment platform Boss Zhipin — were barred from registering new users.

This comes after US listed Chinese ride-hailing app Didi, which made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange a week ago, was removed from app stores in China following a cybersecurity probe by the Chinese government.

US tech giants are threatening to leave Hong Kong: Facebook, Twitter, and Alphabet have warned the Hong Kong government that they could pack their bags if it follows through on plans to change data protection law, the Wall Street Journal reports. The proposals would hold the companies liable for doxing, potentially leading to criminal charges being filed when their platforms are used to maliciously share personal data.

THE CLOSING BELL-

The EGX30 rose less than 0.1% at yesterday’s close on turnover of EGP 1.31 bn (5.7% above the 90-day average). Foreign investors were net buyers. The index is down 4.6% YTD.

In the green: GB Auto (+2.3%), AMOC (+1.9%) and Palm Hills Development (+1.5%).

In the red: Orascom Development Egypt (-2.3%), Cleopatra Hospital (-2.0%) and ElSewedy Electric (-1.6%).

Asian markets are mostly in the green this morning, with Chinese shares the outliers. European and US shares look set to open in the green.