Emerging Markets
Emerging markets encompass regions with significantly diverging fundamentals and a broad range of credit challenges—from persistent inflation and tightening financing conditions to sluggish domestic demand and geopolitical tensions.
How We Rate Emerging And Frontier Markets
Emerging and frontier markets are strategically positioned to drive global economic growth through the expansion of their domestic markets.
Emerging and frontier markets will play a crucial role in shaping the global economy and driving growth, contributing approximately 65% of global economic growth by 2035. Frontier markets will play a prominent role in this growth due to their favorable demographics—but face significant challenges from persistently high inflation and political uncertainty.
Monthly Highlights
Broad Economic Stability Amid Political Crosswinds
We expect emerging markets' (EM) growth to remain broadly stable in 2026, following stronger-than-expected performance in 2025. AI- and tech-related exports should continue to outperform, particularly in EM Asia, while higher U.S. tariffs may weigh on non-AI exports. We assume financing conditions to remain benign, supported by the Federal Reserve's rate cuts and a weaker U.S. dollar, though fewer-than-expected cuts pose a downside risk.
Spillovers to EMs from the U.S. intervention in Venezuela have so far been limited. While energy prices and risk sentiment remain key transmission channels, oil prices have stayed broadly stable and financial conditions benign. However, elevated geopolitical uncertainty could challenge this outlook in the coming quarters.
Four Latin American (LatAm) sovereigns will hold national elections in 2026. We expect broad economic policy continuity in Brazil and Costa Rica, while Colombia faces greater uncertainty, particularly over the next government’s ability to rein in fiscal deficits and rising debt. In Peru, the key risk is whether new leadership can deliver more stable and effective governance.
EM benchmark yields closed the year on an upward trend from a monthly perspective, yet 100 basis points (bps) lower than in January 2025. EM corporate spreads remained extremely tight and lower than U.S. ones regardless of rating quality. EM corporate bond issuance notched another record year, with LatAm outpacing EM Asia's market activity.
Latin America
Credit Trends
November 26, 2025
Emerging Market Risky Credits: Eyes On Latin America
The number of emerging market issuers rated 'CCC+' and lower decreased to eight as of October 2025 from 10 in April. The percentage of issuers with a negative outlook or on CreditWatch negative increased to 50% from 25% over the same period.
Brazilian issuers accounted for nearly all defaults in the risky credit cohort year to date, with the total default count decreasing to seven from eight over the same period last year.
No company in the risky credit cohort issued debt over the past three months because of rising borrowing costs and the manageable maturity wall.
The maturity wall will peak in 2028, with most upcoming debt located in Latin America and concentrated in the telecommunications and chemicals, packaging and environmental services (CP&ES) sectors.
EM EMEA
24 September 2025
Islamic Finance Outlook, 2026 Edition
Strong banking and sukuk industry performance led to 10.6% growth for the global Islamic finance industry in 2024, with total sukuk outstanding surpassing $1 trillion for the first time.
In 2025, amid increased uncertainty, we expect continued positive growth in the industry, but the sukuk market’s regulatory landscape is still evolving with the possible adoption of Sharia Standard 62.
We expect $10 billion-$12 billion in sustainable issuance in 2025 and continue to think it could drive future growth, although short-term performance might be lower than our initial expectations.
EM Asia-Pacific
Emerging Markets
7 May 2025
Vietnam And India Are Key Markets To Watch Outside Of China
Smartphones and PCs are the most exposed to U.S. tariff risk among tech companies that produce in Asia.
Frontier Markets
Sovereigns
21 January 2026
Frontier Markets Quarterly Highlights: Growth And Financing Conditions Should Remain Resilient In 2026
The August increase in U.S. tariffs has significantly raised the effective tariff rates for most frontier markets (FMs), with some exceeding 25%. Cambodia and Nicaragua are particularly vulnerable due to their high export shares to the U.S.
That said, many FM economies are driven by household consumption, at more than 70% of GDP in most cases, as opposed to ongoing global trade developments. We expect real GDP growth of about 4.4% for FMs in 2026, compared with 4.3% in 2025. Risks to our outlook include worsening security conditions, lower commodity prices, and a slowdown in global growth.
Favorable financing conditions for FMs continue, with FM index yields falling to 9.0% and risk premiums hitting alltime lows. Nonetheless, the risk-on market has downside potential if geoeconomic uncertainties intensify. Cumulative government-related bond maturities are set to reach $90 billion by the second quarter.
FM rating actions showed positive momentum in the past quarter. We took positive rating actions on Ghana, Zambia, and Uzbekistan, while we downgraded Senegal due to its debt position. Our upgrade of Uzbekistan led to rating actions among nonsovereigns, with 71% of our ratings in the region showing stable outlooks.