In recent years, a small number of institutional investor (e.g. big asset managing firms such as BlackRock and Vanguard) have accumulated large amounts of stocks in thousands of publicly traded companies through index funds. An index fund aims to copy the performance of a specific stock market index (like the S&P 500) by buying all (or most) of the stocks in that index. These firms, acting to represent many individual investors, often exercise voting rights on behalf of those investors, shaping corporate policy on issues ranging from corporate management to social responsibilities.

BRICS is a group of emerging economies created to coordinate its members’ economic and diplomatic policies, found new financial institutions, and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar, such as through establishing the New Development Bank (NDB) and Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) as alternatives to Bretton-Woods institutions. BRICS current has ten member states: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.

BRICS is a group of emerging economies created to coordinate its members’ economic and diplomatic policies, found new financial institutions, and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar, such as through establishing the New Development Bank (NDB) and Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) as alternatives to Bretton-Woods institutions. BRICS current has ten member states: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.