This first of its kind reference provides insights into the intricacies of assessing vulnerabilities of todays emerging markets. Qualitative and quantitative elements common in public, multinational, and private sector decision-making are explored, as are the range of public and private sector participants including the IMF/World Bank, banks, insurance companies, and mutual and pension funds. Stock, bond, currency, and derivatives markets development and growth are covered using illustrative examples and case studies from the authors’ firsthand experiences with guidance and assessments in every emerging region, as well as the critical impact of the legal/regulatory environment and benchmarks/indices and credit ratings. The authors draw upon their expertise in working with public and private market participants for more than three decades and offer a historical perspective of the rise in capital flows and investment in emerging economies. Each theme and chapter offers students and industry professionals bottom-line jargon-free examples to illustrate analytical criteria and techniques.