Emerging markets to account for one-third of fin assets by 2020: McKinsey

The value of financial assets worldwide is expected to touch USD 371 trillion by 2020, with emerging economies including India, accounting for about one third of the total amount, says global consultancy McKinsey. The projected worth of financial assets in 2020 would be nearly double the value of around USD 198 trillion witnessed last year. These projections are part of a report prepared by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Company. In 2010, emerging economies made up for 21 per cent of the global financial assets worth USD 198 trillion. “Depending on economic scenarios, we project that emerging market financial assets will grow to between 30 and 36 per cent of the global total in 2020, or USD 114 to USD 141 trillion. China’s financial assets could be as much as USD 65 trillion by then, and India’s could reach USD 8.6 trillion,” the report said. As per MGI, financial assets are equities, bonds, other fixed-income securities, cash, bank deposits and alternative assets. The value of real estate, derivatives, physical assets such as gold and equity in unlisted companies are excluded. The report noted that emerging market financial assets grew 16.6 per cent annually over the past decade – about four times the rate in mature economies. “These assets stood at about USD 41 trillion in 2010 and constituted 21 per cent of the global total, up from 7 per cent in 2000,” it added. In terms of allocation, investors might put in just 22 per cent of their financial assets in equities by 2020 as compared to 28 per cent in 2010. “The rise of wealth in emerging nations is the largest factor in this shift, followed by ageing populations and growth of alternative investments,” the report pointed out. Regarding India, MGI said that households are the largest investor class – holding 42 per cent or accounting for USD 835 billion of the country’s financial assets worth USD 2 trillion. Noting that Indian household investors prefer gold and real estate to financial assets, the report said the government holds more than a quarter of all financial assets. “This USD 560 billion portfolio is largely invested in bonds and the listed equity of corporations. Banks are also investors, with USD 280 billion in securities…,” it said. PTI