Quiz!
Would you expect emerging markets investments to go up or down when interest rates go up in the US?
- Up.
- Down.
Do Rising U.S. Interest Rates Hurt Emerging Markets?
There is a widely held belief that when the US Fed (Federal Reserve) raises interest rates, emerging markets investments should decline.
Why do people expect emerging markets to get hurt when US rates go up?
- Stronger dollar: When US rates go up relative to rates in other countries, people can earn a higher rate on savings in the US. This would lead to money flowing from other countries to the US, which would strengthen the dollar.
- Higher borrowing costs for emerging markets: Many emerging markets companies borrow in dollars. If a Chinese company earns money in yuans and borrows in dollars, a stronger dollar would make the loan more expensive in yuans, hurting the company.
Reality is the opposite!
While the logic seems sound, reality in the past 20 years has been the opposite. The table below tracks the returns of ET (Extended-Term Component), a portfolio focused on emerging markets, in periods of rising and declining rates in the US:
|
Period Start |
Period End |
Change in US rates |
ET Returns |
|
12/31/1998 |
5/16/2000 |
+1.75% |
+58% |
|
5/16/2000 |
6/25/2003 |
-5.50% |
-11% |
|
6/25/2003 |
6/29/2006 |
+4.25% |
+169% |
|
6/29/2006 |
12/15/2015 |
-5.25% |
+20% |
|
12/15/2015 |
9/28/2018 |
+2.00% |
+50% |
Observations & notes:
- In all rising-rate periods, ET gained substantially.
- In declining-rate periods, ET had much worse results, with negative to low-positive returns.
- Market tops and bottoms didn’t coincide perfectly with the borders between the periods. Measured from the turning points in the portfolio, the results are substantially stronger.
Why do emerging markets go up when US interest rates go up, and vice versa?
The Fed reacts to the world economies when setting the interest rates. It focuses on the US, but considers the rest of the world as well. Specifically:
- When the economy shows signs of weakness after a period of expansion, the Fed lowers rates, to support the economy.
- When the economy turns around after a period of contraction, the Fed raises rates to moderate the expansion.
While I wouldn’t count on emerging markets to go up perfectly whenever US rates go up, the data is useful in avoiding expecting the opposite.
Quiz Answer:
Would you expect emerging markets investments to go up or down when interest rates go up in the US?
- Up. [The Correct Answer]
- Down.
Explanations: Read this month’s article for an explanation.
Disclosures Including Backtested Performance Data