Abstract. The globalization improves the prospects for the emerging markets to attain an economic development level comparable with that of industrialized countries. Without ignoring the specific policies concerning the openness degree, globalization might increase capital and technology flows towards these markets, thus generating a higher income rate growth than would be possible in a less integrated world economy. An important role in this capital stream is played by the investments made in emerging markets, process which continues to sustain a high interest from the behalf of equity funds (private or not) around the world. The paper analyzes the main aspects related to this kind of investments such as: ways to recognize an emerging market, arguments and counterarguments for these investments, new trends, capital flow related problems, the role played by the privatization and, finally, instructions for building an emergent market portfolio.

Keywords: emerging markets; capital flows; privatization; portfolio selection.