JPMorgan GBI-EM Index

JPMorgan GBI-EM Index

The JPMorgan Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets (GBI-EM) indices are comprehensive emerging market debt benchmarks that track local currency bonds issued by Emerging Market governments. The index was launched in June 2005 and is the first comprehensive global local Emerging Markets index. As Emerging Market governments look increasingly toward their domestic market for sources of finance, investors are looking more closely at local markets in search for higher yield and greater diversification.

As external debt spreads compress and opportunities seem more appealing in local rates, the likely combination of increasing demand and supply will pave the way for deeper and broader local markets, which the GBI-EM will attempt to capture. The launch of the GBI-EM was followed by the Diversified versions for GBI-EM and GBI-EM BROAD in January 2006. The GBI-EM GLOBAL, launched in November 2006, is the latest addition to the GBI-EM family of indices, providing a readily investable version of the GBI-EM BROAD by excluding China and India. The GBI-EM indices is composed of only those countries from the GBI universe that meet criteria for an Emerging Market, resulting in 17 countries from four regions. The regional sub-division of the indices consists of Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East/Africa.