Frontier Markets

Frontier market mutual funds and ETFs invest in a wide range of... Frontier market mutual funds and ETFs invest in a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities, and alternatives, in a range of countries or regions outside the U.S. Depending on the fund in question and its investment mandate, it may have exposure to countries such as Kenya, Botswana, Cyprus, Lithuania, and Sri Lanka, among others. Additionally, these funds can be further classified based on management style (active or passive) and asset class (single or multi-asset). The fixed-income portion of these funds may invest in debt securities varying by type (government or corporate), credit quality (investment-grade or junk), duration (short or long), and strategy (inflation-protected or sector-diversified). The equity portion of these funds may invest in common equities, and these can vary by market capitalization (small or large), dividend income (total income or high income), and strategy (sector-based or factor-based), among others. The alternatives portion of these funds may invest in strategies including real estate, currency trading, commodities, derivatives or other techniques relying on volatility, hedge fund, or quantitative strategies. A frontier market is seen as less developed than an emerging markets, but more developed than what are known as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Frontier market mutual funds and ETFs are usually considered riskier investments than their counterparts investing in emerging or developed markets. As a result, governments and private companies in frontier markets usually have to borrow at higher interest rates than their counterparts in emerging and developed markets, as they are seen as less likely to make interest and principal payments on time. Conservative-minded investors will often shy away from owning these funds. However, because frontier market securities are considered to be risky investments, the potential return is higher. Aggressive investors with higher risk appetite and positive opinion on these markets can seek to gain exposure in these funds. Last Updated: 11/27/2024 View more View less

Frontier market mutual funds and ETFs invest in a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities, and alternatives, in a range of countries or regions outside the U.S. Depending on... Frontier market mutual funds and ETFs invest in a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities, and alternatives, in a range of countries or regions outside the U.S. Depending on the fund in question and its investment mandate, it may have exposure to countries such as Kenya, Botswana, Cyprus, Lithuania, and Sri Lanka, among others. Additionally, these funds can be further classified based on management style (active or passive) and asset class (single or multi-asset). The fixed-income portion of these funds may invest in debt securities varying by type (government or corporate), credit quality (investment-grade or junk), duration (short or long), and strategy (inflation-protected or sector-diversified). The equity portion of these funds may invest in common equities, and these can vary by market capitalization (small or large), dividend income (total income or high income), and strategy (sector-based or factor-based), among others. The alternatives portion of these funds may invest in strategies including real estate, currency trading, commodities, derivatives or other techniques relying on volatility, hedge fund, or quantitative strategies. A frontier market is seen as less developed than an emerging markets, but more developed than what are known as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Frontier market mutual funds and ETFs are usually considered riskier investments than their counterparts investing in emerging or developed markets. As a result, governments and private companies in frontier markets usually have to borrow at higher interest rates than their counterparts in emerging and developed markets, as they are seen as less likely to make interest and principal payments on time. Conservative-minded investors will often shy away from owning these funds. However, because frontier market securities are considered to be risky investments, the potential return is higher. Aggressive investors with higher risk appetite and positive opinion on these markets can seek to gain exposure in these funds. Last Updated: 11/27/2024 View more View less