Being a pioneer in investing in emerging markets, any piece of advice to share with investor during the recent market situation?

My advice to investors would be not to panic. It is very easy for us to be caught up in emotions or simply follow the herd. I would suggest that investors take a long-term view to investing, carefully evaluate their options and of course, diversify their holdings.

History has shown us that the best time to buy is when everyone is despondently selling. This enables us to pick up stocks at more attractive prices. The markets may continue to be volatile at times, but the underlying fundamentals of emerging markets remain in tact.

Other than Rule #16, any rule of thumb to share with us especially I am new to emerging markets.

In addition to rule 16 which is "patience is more than its own (just)reward", other rules include "your best protection is diversification" and "long-term planning pays".

You have shared with us you rule #60 of when is the best time to buy. Is there any rule for the timing to sell?

Yes, rule #19 states that the "time of maximum optimism is the best time to sell. Also rule # 57 states "When everyone else is dying to get in, get out."

Apart from Brazil, India, Russia, and China, what are the latest hot EM countries from your point of view, any insights on the next rising star of emerging markets?

Frontier markets are looking interesting and could in the future become tomorrow's emerging markets. However, one must not get carried away with the hype and pay excessive prices. Take Vietnam for example, while we believe that the market has good potential, its valuations are currently  high and thus we continue to monitor the opportunities in that market.

Additionally, the larger frontier markets such as Slovenia, Romania, Croatia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine are also beginning to look good. Any of them could become tomorrow's emerging market.

We have been impressed by the Middle East's economic performance. We also believe that the potential for economic growth and development remains considerable, especially if the current trend toward the implementation of political and economic reforms remains on course.

The Middle East, therefore, is a region of great interest to use and will be the focus of continued research. In fact, we recently opened a new office in Dubai to allow us to capture the growing opportunities in the region.

Among all the emerging markets that you have mentioned, which countries/ regions should I focus on as a start?

We are finding bargains across all emerging markets, thus the preference really depends on an individual's risk profile. For an investor who is new to emerging markets, I would suggest investing in a global emerging markets fund.

This would allow him/her to gain exposure to the asset class as well as hold a diversified portfolio thereby reducing his/her risk.

Franklin Templeton offers investors with an excellent way to achieve investment goals. Our funds enable investors to benefit from the fund manager's experience as well as buy a basket of stocks at cheaper prices than if he/she were to buy individual stocks.

What other kind of factors that I should consider or need to be aware of when investing?

Investors should be prepared to invest for the long-term. Stock prices are not only dependent on fundamentals but also on market sentiment.

A change in either can cause stock prices to experience great volatility, be it in emerging markets or in developed markets.

Investors should also be aware of the different types of risks (economic, liquidity, operational and currency) involved in investing in emerging markets so that they are in a better position to make an informed decision.

Of course, the above cautions are not different from investing in any  market, emerging or developed. It is just that emerging markets on an  individual basis can be influenced by more dramatic changes.

What is your latest publication? Any preview to share?

The latest are publications under the Mark Mobius Masterclass and Mark Mobius Financial Insights series.

More recent books include "Equities: An Introduction To The Core Concept" and "Mutual Funds: An Introduction To The Core Concepts".

These will be followed "Technical Analysis: An Introduction To The Core Concepts", "Foreign Exchange and Money Markets", "Derivatives", "Risk Management" and "Debt Markets". These books act as educational guides to various investment topics.