BondBloxx Investment Management has announced the launch of the BondBloxx JP Morgan USD Emerging Markets 1-10 Year Bond ETF (XEMD) on CBOE.
The fund tracks the J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Diversified Liquid 1-10 Year Maturity Index and includes US-denominated fixed-rate and floating-rate instruments with at least USD1 billion in outstanding debt issued by sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities in index-eligible countries.
“As a truly novel product with a compelling risk / return profile, we believe XEMD is a valuable addition to the marketplace because it enables emerging market exposure while simultaneously addressing creeping duration risk1,” says Paul Van Gilder, Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) of Michigan. “As rates continue to rise, we think these kinds of tools will become even more critical.”
XEMD is BondBloxx’s eleventh listing since February 2022, adding to seven sector-specific high yield funds and three ratings-specific funds listed in May. The company has also filed a prospectus for a series of eight duration-specific Treasuries ETFs. BondBloxx was founded in October of last year with a sole focus on developing specialised fixed income products designed for modern markets.
“Today’s volatile markets present more challenges than ever for fixed income investors,” says BondBloxx co-founder Tony Kelly. “At BondBloxx, we’re working for, and with, investors to develop new products that address these challenges – like providing more control over duration risk.”
The firm writes that in a landscape where less than one quarter of the ETF products available in the US provide fixed income exposure, despite similar market capitalisations in bond and equity markets, the company aims to provide better tools for investors through specialized, targeted fixed income products.
“As a forward-thinking asset owner, we are always looking for the best tools available to provide our members a secure retirement,” says Jeb Burns, CIO, Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) of Michigan. “A wide array of new, sophisticated ETFs has given us many more tools to choose from, and BondBloxx’s precision fixed income ETFs are another big step in that evolution.”
