Diversified sources of income from emerging market bonds

Emerging market bonds can deliver a number of key features within a credit portfolio, including robust risk-adjusted returns and attractive yield generation. An active approach grounded in fundamental research, tight risk controls and seeking diversified sources of alpha, can help deliver these features from emerging market bonds for investors.

Bond market takeaways

Insights on the top opportunities in global bond markets from Vanguard’s active fixed income team.

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Some funds invest in emerging markets which can be more volatile than more established markets. As a result the value of your investment may rise or fall. For fund risks please refer to the disclaimer wording in the videos.

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Our bond managers share their highest conviction ideas in the current market environment.

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Why the Vanguard Emerging Markets Bond Fund?

Diversification

Benchmarked against the J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Diversified Index, which contains the same constituents as its parent index but spreads allocations more broadly across securities, which better aligns with our investment approach.

Risk-controlled

Uses a dynamic and tightly risk-controlled approach to generate long-term, consistent levels of outperformance.

 

 

 

Expertise

The fund harnesses the wide-ranging expertise of a global credit research team of 60+ members with an average of 15 years’ experience1.

 

 

 

Investor value

Our scale helps us to provide value to investors with an ongoing charge of 0.60% versus an industry peer group average of 0.99%2.

 

 

 

Source: Vanguard. Data as at 31 March 2024.

Source: Vanguard and Morningstar. Data as at 31 March 2024. The ongoing charges figure (OCF) refers to the Investor GBP hedged Acc share class. The OCF covers the fund manager’s costs of managing the fund. It does not include dealing costs or additional costs such as audit fees. Morningstar peer group average OCF for IA Sector = Global Emerging Market Bond - Hard Currency.

About the Vanguard Emerging Markets Bond Fund

US dollar-denominated emerging market sovereign bonds have become a significant segment of global bond markets in recent years. We believe the asset class can play a valuable role in client portfolios, offering strong risk-adjusted returns and attractive yields as well as diversification against traditional credit and equity risk.

It is an area teeming with opportunity – and the Vanguard Emerging Markets Bond Fund’s managers aim to achieve consistent long-term outperformance by identifying diversified sources of alpha while avoiding the potential for significant drawdowns, with a bias towards liquidity.

The fund’s benchmark is the J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Diversified Index, which promotes lower concentration than other funds in the peer group. The fund typically has 250-300 holdings, primarily across diverse emerging market sovereign bonds denominated in US dollars. However, it has the flexibility to invest in local currency and corporate bonds, and maintains liquidity to ensure it can capitalise on opportunities as they arise.

To help mitigate currency risk, the fund hedges returns back to sterling or euros through available share classes.

The value of investments, and the income from them, may fall or rise and investors may get back less than they invested.

“Emerging market sovereign bonds are an increasingly popular holding within investors’ fixed income credit allocations because we believe the asset class presents some of the best opportunities for risk-adjusted, consistent alpha generation in global bond markets.”

Nick Eisinger

Emerging Markets Lead Strategist, Vanguard, Europe.

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Vanguard’s approach to active management

Vanguard is one of the world’s largest active managers. Our heritage in active fund management dates back to the year we were founded – 1975. For almost half a century we have strived to provide long-term alpha at a cost that represents value to investors.

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Investment risk information 

The value of investments, and the income from them, may fall or rise and investors may get back less than they invested.

Some funds invest in emerging markets which can be more volatile than more established markets. As a result the value of your investment may rise or fall.

Investments in smaller companies may be more volatile than investments in well-established blue chip companies.

ETF shares can be bought or sold only through a broker. Investing in ETFs entails stockbroker commission and a bid- offer spread which should be considered fully before investing.

Funds investing in fixed interest securities carry the risk of default on repayment and erosion of the capital value of your investment and the level of income may fluctuate. Movements in interest rates are likely to affect the capital value of fixed interest securities. Corporate bonds may provide higher yields but as such may carry greater credit risk increasing the risk of default on repayment and erosion of the capital value of your investment. The level of income may fluctuate and movements in interest rates are likely to affect the capital value of bonds.

The Vanguard Emerging Markets Bond Fund may use derivatives, including for investment purposes, in order to reduce risk or cost and/or generate extra income or growth. For all other funds they will be used to reduce risk or cost and/or generate extra income or growth. The use of derivatives could increase or reduce exposure to underlying assets and result in greater fluctuations of the Funds net asset value. A derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a financial asset (such as a share, bond, or currency) or a market index.

Some funds invest in securities which are denominated in different currencies. Movements in currency exchange rates can affect the return of investments.

For further information on risks please see the “Risk Factors” section of the prospectus on our website.

Important information 

For further information on the fund's investment policies and risks, please refer to the prospectus of the UCITS and to the KID before making any final investment decisions. The KID for this fund is available in local languages, alongside the prospectus via Vanguard’s website.

The information contained herein is not to be regarded as an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy or sell securities in any jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation is against the law, or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation, or if the person making the offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal, tax, or investment advice. Potential investors are urged to consult their professional advisers on the implications of making an investment in, holding or disposing of shares and /or units of, and the receipt of distribution from any investment.

Potential investors will not benefit from the protection of the FinSA on assessing appropriateness and suitability.

The Manager of Vanguard Investment Series plc is Vanguard Group (Ireland) Limited. Vanguard Investments Switzerland GmbH is a financial services provider, providing services in the form of purchase and sales according to Art. 3 (c)(1) FinSA . Vanguard Investments Switzerland GmbH will not perform any appropriateness or suitability assessment. Furthermore, Vanguard Investments Switzerland GmbH does not provide any services in the form of advice. Vanguard Investment Series plc has been authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland as a UCITS. Prospective investors are referred to the Funds' prospectus for further information. Prospective investors are also urged to consult their own professional advisors on the implications of making an investment in, and holding or disposing shares of the Funds and the receipt of distributions with respect to such shares under the law of the countries in which they are liable to taxation.

Vanguard Investment Series plc has been approved for offer in  Switzerland by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). The information provided herein does not constitute an offer of Vanguard Investment Series plc in Switzerland pursuant to FinSA and its implementing ordinance. This is solely an advertisement pursuant to FinSA and its implementing ordinance for Vanguard Investment Series plc. The Representative and the Paying Agent in Switzerland is BNP Paribas Securities Services, Paris, succursale de Zurich, Selnaustrasse 16, 8002 Zurich. Copies of the Articles of Incorporation, KID, Prospectus, Declaration of Trust, By-Laws, Annual Report and Semiannual Report for these funds can be obtained free of charge from the Swiss Representative or from Vanguard Investments Switzerland GmbH via our website.

The Manager of the Ireland domiciled funds may determine to terminate any arrangements made for marketing the shares in one or more jurisdictions in accordance with the UCITS Directive, as may be amended from time-to-time. 

For investors in Ireland domiciled funds, a summary of investor rights can be obtained and is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch and Italian. 

Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable but J.P. Morgan does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The Index referenced herein is used with permission. The Index may not be copied, used, or distributed without J.P. Morgan’s prior written approval. Copyright 2016, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved.