(Caracas)

Investors will know that the stock market is supposed to be a good inflation hedge, but precious few developed market investors will have ever seen how a market (or people) actually reacts during a period of heavy inflation. For a practical example, look no further than the misery that has befallen Venezuela. Inflation currently stands at 46,000% and is expected to accelerate to 1,000,000%. The government’s printing presses can’t keep up. But how has the stock market performed? The country’s benchmark index is up 73,000% in the last year. Wealthy Venezuelans are using it like a bank, buying stocks to deposit cash, and selling them when they need a withdrawal.

FINSUM: This is something you read about but rarely see in practice. It is an absolute shame what is going on in Venezuela, but a good lesson about the interconnection between stocks and inflation in practice.