Mead Johnson shares vaulted higher after its first-quarter earnings beat the analysts’ estimate by 3 cents on the strength of rising revenues in emerging markets.

Investing in Hong Kong-based funds and companies can be one way of tapping into China and according to one global investment advisor, now might be the time to do so.

Canada’s dollar is likely to remain highly volatile as investors weigh future prospects for the global economy and news coming from Europe, China and the Mideast.

In spite of increasing regulation and a March 16th deadline for microblog users to have their identities verified by the state, Chinese social media is still a fast-growing business.

Brazil has replaced China as the favorite market for emerging private equity deals, as big names race to get a share of the market. Nearly 70 percent of investors in private equity funds now see Brazil as the most attractive market for deal-making over the next year, while less than 60 percent of investors said the same about China.

With U.S. fast food giant Yum! Brands Inc. seeking to dig deeper into the China restaurant market with its proposed Little Sheep acquisition, other Chinese restaurant chain stocks, like Ajisen China Holdings Ltd. (0538.HK), are also drawing the market’s attention.

Renren Inc. broke below its initial public offering price of $14 Wednesday, plunging 12 percent to $13.04 in midday trading before closing at $13.49, posting a negative total return of 4 percent. The first week’s dismal performance for Renren following its IPO has aroused concerns about other Chinese IPOs waiting in the pipeline.

Hong Kong has been experiencing some tumultuous times of its own: home prices have increased 13 percent this year on top of a 30 percent jump in 2009.

Experts agree that the immediate impacts of yuan re-valuation will be minimal as the Chinese government is expected to realize the appreciation through a series of minor steps.

Caterpillar isn’t afraid to get down and dirty in a tough economic environment. With strong growth in the last quarter, the company may be one of the best investment choices in a slow economy.