The crisis in Egypt at first glance may look disastrous, but analysts are taking a more long-term view of the growing economy and the future of its exchange traded fund (ETF).
Steve MacDonald for iStockAnalyst notes that Egypt’s economy is the biggest in North Africa. Though it’s debatable as to how the uprising will ultimately play out, many analysts believe that it could ultimately work out as an opportunity for investors.
Case in point: Egypt’s focus on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and its role as a pipeline player makes the current selloff a potentially huge buying opportunity in ETFs like First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas (NYSEArca: FCG), which is down 2% today and flat for the week [5 ETFs to Watch As Egypt Protests.]
Meanwhile, Egypt’s economy continues to take hits from the conflict, dragging down Market Vectors Egypt (NYSEArca: EGPT) along with it. Despite surging in the early days of protests, the ETF has fallen under the weight, losing nearly 12% in the last month.
Lourdes Garcia Navarro for NPR reports that tourism is the core of Egypt’s economy, and right now, tourists are steering clear. It’s the start of the tourism high season, but the pyramids that are normally teeming with visitors are deserted.
The uprising here sparked a massive exodus of tourists, and the loss of revenue could run into billions of dollars. Uncertainty as to how this plays out means that you’ll need to look for opportunities in areas that could benefit from the conflict and avoid those feeling the pain of it…for now. [5 ETF Lessons From Protests in Egypt.]
Tisha Guerrero contributed to this article.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.