World's Most Popular and Unpopular Stock Investment Targets in Q1-2014

Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index has been one of the world's best performing indices in 2014 as the country's economic fundamentals have improved, evidenced by easing inflation, a moderating current account deficit and an appreciating rupiah exchange rate. After having been hit hard by capital outflows in 2013 - amid heightened uncertainty about the future of the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program - the tables have turned for Indonesia in the first quarter of 2014.

The table below shows the five winners in terms of stock trading in Q1-2014. Please note that the percentage growth figures are adjusted to local currency appreciation/depreciation.

Index	Country	Growth %
Dubai Financial Market General Index	United Arab Emirates	+32.3%
SOFIX Index	Bulgary	+22.2%
Jakarta Composite Index	Indonesia	+19.2%
Vietnam Ho Chi Minh Stock Index	Vietnam	+17.4%
PSI 20 Index	Portugal	+16.0%

^{Source: Financieele Dagblad}

Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions in Crimea resulted in significant losses for the indices of Russia and Ukraine. Other indices that performed poorly in the first quarter of 2014 were those in Latvia, Peru and Nigeria:

Index	Country	Growth %
Ukraine PFTS Index	Ukraine	-18.7%
MICEX Index	Russia	-14.9%
OMX Riga Index	Latvia	-9.6%
Bolsa de Valores de Lima G. Sector Index	Peru	-9.5%
Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index	Nigeria	-8.9%

^{Source: Financieele Dagblad}

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