Emerging Markets (EM) entered Q2 2026 facing heightened geopolitical and macro uncertainty, driven by rising oil prices, shifting inflation dynamics and increased volatility in local markets. Despite these near-term challenges, resilient fundamentals, disciplined policy frameworks and attractive valuations continue to support EM’s longer-term income and diversification potential.
Emerging markets debt (EMD) has grown significantly in breadth and depth over the past two decades, creating a more diverse opportunity set for institutional investors. Against a backdrop of changing trade dynamics, shifting commodity prices and divergent country fundamentals, the panel explores the role of careful selection, active management and bottom-up research when assessing the asset class.
Emerging markets debt performance is ultimately driven by a combination of global and domestic forces. Global and domestic conditions set the backdrop against which capital flows, borrowing costs, and currency dynamics are determined, while domestic policy credibility and market structure decide whether countries can absorb external shocks or amplify them.