SPDR Doubleline Emerging Markets Fixed Income ETF (EMTL) is an exchange-traded fund that seeks to provide investment results that correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Currency Liquid Investment Grade Bond Index. The fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise the index, which includes investment grade fixed-rate bonds issued by emerging market governments or government-related issuers denominated in local currencies; it employs a representative sampling strategy to track the index while minimizing transaction costs. EMTL offers investors exposure to emerging markets debt through a diversified portfolio of sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds across countries such as Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Indonesia, and Thailand, with a focus on liquid, investment-grade securities to manage credit risk.
The fund is managed by State Street Global Advisors (SSGI), the asset management arm of State Street Corporation headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and launched in 2018; SSGI serves as sponsor, administrator, and distributor, while DoubleLine Capital LP, founded in 2009 and based in Los Angeles, California, acts as the sub-adviser providing expertise in fixed income strategies. Geographically, EMTL's holdings span over 20 emerging market countries in Latin America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, targeting institutional and retail investors seeking yield enhancement and diversification beyond developed market bonds. The fund maintains a duration profile aligned with the index, typically around 5-7 years, and emphasizes liquidity with bonds having at least $250 million outstanding and minimum trading volumes.
In recent developments, EMTL benefited from DoubleLine Capital's strategic enhancements to its emerging markets fixed income platform, including the integration of advanced quantitative models for currency and credit risk management in late 2024; the fund saw increased assets under management following SSGI's expansion of its SPDR ETF suite amid rising demand for EM debt amid global rate normalization. No major acquisitions, partnerships, or name changes have occurred in the last 1-2 years, though DoubleLine announced a new dedicated emerging markets team hire in early 2025 to bolster active oversight. These updates position EMTL to capitalize on improving EM fundamentals, such as fiscal reforms in key issuers and anticipated Fed rate cuts.