Bankers grapple with helping emerging markets

Lima, Peru

AFTER a week of discussions here, bankers and policymakers agreed that stemming the rush of investments from emerging markets was one of the most important challenges facing the global economy. But there was little agreement on how to actually do that.

On official panels, in closed-room sessions and over drinks in Lima restaurants, market participants struggled to come to grips with the persistent flows of money escaping emerging-market stocks and bonds in search of safer investment shores.

"We have never seen something like this," said Hung Tran, a senior executive at the Institute of International Finance, a trade group for global banks. Mr Tran said that he wa…