Out of the Red: Investment and Capitalism in Russia - Hardcover

While the transformation of the Soviet Union into modern Russia has attracted widespread attention from a political perspective, it has also garnered significant interest from a financial standpoint. That's because the new Russia possesses the potential for the most promising investment opportunities of the twenty-first century. That potential, of course, has not yet been fully realized.

Author John Connor knows what it takes to profit from the possibilities that this country has to offer. Through numerous forays into Russian finance and business—including the creation of a mutual fund specializing in the equities of Russian public companies as well as the founding of an insurance company within the country—Connor has cultivated unparalleled experience in this field. Now, in Out of the Red, he takes the time to share his hard-won knowledge with you.

Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, this one-of-a-kind guide opens by skillfully exploring the rebirth of Russia's economy and revealing how certain events and individuals—from the crisis of 1998 to powerful politicians—influenced the present-day environment for doing business in Russia. With this essential foundation established, it quickly moves on to detail how you can make the most of investing in this emerging arena.

Divided into three comprehensive parts, Out of the Red:

• Sets the stage for you to understand Russia in terms of investment risk and reward, including the effect of recent historic developments in this market

• Offers informative overviews of a number of Russian industries, including oil and gas, metals and mining, information and communication, retail, and real estate, and focuses on the leading companies within these sectors of Russia's free market economy

• Addresses traditional misconceptions about modern-day Russia and examines what the future may hold for investors who enter this market

• And much more

Over the last fifteen years, Russia has become a larger part of the global economy—and in the years ahead, it will continue to grow in prominence. If you want to achieve success in this market, you must understand how it operates. With Out of the Red as your guide, you'll learn how to improve your investment endeavors as you become familiar with all the opportunities this country has to offer.

Praise for Out of the Red

"As someone who served in the trenches with John Connor during the formation of the Russian securities market, I can recommend this book. His insights into the important companies and key actors on the Russian market will be invaluable to potential investors."
—Charles E. Ryan, CEO, Deutsche Bank Russia

"A must read—stimulating, provocative, and just plain fun."
—Eugene K. Lawson, President, U.S.-Russia Business Council

"Out of the Red provides a compelling corrective to the deafening drumbeat that has contributed to the negative image of Putin's Russia in the United States. It should be a compulsory read for journalists and policymakers alike."
—Padma Desai, Harriman Professor of Economics and Director,

Center for Transition Economies, Columbia University

"Given that share prices for many Russian companies have increased significantly since the 1998 crash, potential foreign investors (and for that matter, even some Russian investors) often find themselves unable to learn anything about what Russian companies do and who the personalities are. Out of the Red provides much of that information. Those who invest in Russian companies without first having consulted Out of the Red do so at their own risk."
—Marshall I. Goldman, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies,

Harvard University

"John Connor has written a stimulating—dare I say controversial—account of where Russia is headed. A successful investor himself, Connor has for the past two decades quite literally put his money where his mouth is. His insider's analysis on the risks and rewards of investing in Russia provides a valuable check list on the challenges and opportunities facing Western business, as does his candid, always colorful description of Russian business and Russian businessmen."
—Toby T. Gati, Senior Advisor, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

"For those considering investments in Russian securities, John Connor's book is a godsend. I know of no other work that describes so well the companies offering securities to investors in the Russian stock market. Both readable and concise, it provides just the sort of information potential investors need to have."
—Jack F. Matlock, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to the USSR, Special Assistant for

National Security to President Ronald Reagan