The markets that have prospered amid the August crisis

Politicians and traders have cut short their holidays to address the sharp falls in markets seen since the start of the month - but should they have stayed on the beach?

Those investors with the chutzpah - or even the ability – to have invested in equities listed in the Caribbean would have been rewarded with rising markets at a time when major indices posted falls of 10% or more.

Data from MSCI shows its indices in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago are two of just three to have risen over the course of the month thus far, posting gains of 2.2% and 0.5% respectively.

But August’s leading index is unlikely to have been on the minds of those at home or abroad: the near 2.3% rise in the MSCI Zimbabwe index seen since the start of the month puts it at the top of the pile.

The best return over the five working days to 8 August, a period encompassing the major indices’ most significant falls, has been produced by another country that could charitably be described as ‘unloved’: Venezuela, where markets stood 1.4% up.

Next best is Jamaica, which saw its main index rise by 0.58%. Time to head back to the beach?