Emerging Markets Outlook: Has the Asset Class Finally Turned a Corner?

For much of the past 15 years, emerging markets (EM) equities have been a difficult place to invest, marked by significant risk and limited returns relative to U.S. equities. But last year, EM outperformed U.S. equities by its largest margin in years. In the latest episode of The Wealth Enterprise Briefing, Managing Partner Michael Zeuner and Global Head of Macro Sam Sudame examine whether that shift signals something more durable.While the conflict with Iran continues to cloud short-term decision-making, they step back to focus on what may be changing structurally in EM and what investors should watch going forward. They discuss:Why emerging markets struggled for much of the past 15 years, and what's changed more recently, from weak global growth and China's slowdown to stronger balance sheets, improved profitability and better earnings momentumHow the EM story is evolving beyond a China-led market to a broader mix of economies, particularly across Asia, including India, South Korea and Taiwan, which now make up the majority of the indexWhat's driving earnings growth today, including the role of AI and the positioning of countries like South Korea and Taiwan in the global hardware supply chainWhy valuations remain attractive, especially relative to U.S. equities, and what that could mean for forward-looking returnsHow the Iran conflict is affecting countries differently in the near term—and why the longer-term opportunity may still be intact despite short-term energy disruptionsOur team is continuously monitoring these developments and will share further updates as they become available. We encourage you to contact us directly to discuss how these considerations may apply to your portfolio.Important Information: The Wealth Enterprise Briefing contains our current opinions and commentary, which are subject to change without notice. The Briefing is distributed for informational and educational purposes only and does not consider the specific investment objective, financial situation or particular needs of any recipient. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, but we do not guarantee its completeness or accuracy. The information in the Briefing is not a recommendation of any security, and should not be relied upon as investment, legal or tax advice. Please consult with your investment, legal and tax advisors regarding any implications of the information presented in this presentation.