Kicking The Bear While It's Down

Whether the EU's newly imposed sanctions on Russia will affect its own recovery remains to be seen.  Russia is, after all, Europe's third largest trade partner--not to mention the fact that it supplies about one-third of the natural gas imported by the EU.  It appears likely, however, that efforts to inflict damage on important economic sectors such as Energy and Financials will result in exacerbating an already rather negative environment.  A quick look at performance among Russian constituents of MSCI EMEA that are targeted by the latest sanctions paints a bleak picture.

Energy Sector Performance



Financial Sector Performance:



Utilities Sector Performance: