Bonds issued by some of the world’s poorest countries have been the best performers in sovereign debt markets this year, shrugging off the impact of high US borrowing costs, which often spook investors in riskier economies. Emerging market sovereign bonds denominated in foreign currencies — mainly the dollar — and holding a triple B “junk” rating or lower have delivered a 4.9 per cent total return for investors this year. That compares with a loss of 3.
Meanwhile, dollar bonds in Sri Lanka, Ghana and Zambia have all delivered double-digit returns this year as they enter the final phase of the restructuring process. “The most fragile countries in EM are becoming less fragile,” said Paul Greer, an emerging markets debt portfolio manager at Fidelity International. “A lot of that is because of . . . domestic policy reforms and changes.