The international business of Federated Hermes has launched the Federated Hermes Emerging Market Debt Fund. The UCITS Fund is the second US-managed product to be made available to non-US clients since Federated Investors Inc and Hermes Investment Management joined forces in 2018 to form Federated Hermes.
Mohammed Elmi and Jason DeVito will be Lead Portfolio Managers on the Fund working alongside Ihab Salib as Portfolio Manager. Mohammed is based in London, Jason and Ihab are based in the Federated Hermes’ US headquarters in Pittsburgh.
The Fund aims to deliver capital growth and a high level of income by investing across the EMD asset class in sovereign, corporate and quasi-sovereign securities. This flexible approach is delivered through rigorous top-down and bottom-up analysis to assess the global macro environment, country and security selection.
To track the unique ESG risks that exist in the market, the team has developed a proprietary EM-focused ESG scoring methodology to help assess and select the most compelling long-term opportunities in the region, while identifying and responding early to risks as they arise.
Mohammed Elmi, CFA, Lead Portfolio Manager on the Fund at Federated Hermes, says: “Given the impact of global macro themes and idiosyncratic factors on EM, it has never been more important for investors to have the flexibility to invest across differing EM asset classes. We draw on our experience, dedicated analytical capabilities, a focus on the fundamentals and constant dialogue with issuers to deliver clients with consistency and essential diversification.”
Harriet Steel, Head of Business Development at the international business of Federated Hermes, says: “As a large global asset manager, we have the benefit of being able to leverage our combined capabilities as we grow our global distribution footprint. Adding this Fund to our platform of products represents a deepened collaboration across the firm as well as further alignment to our clients’ needs. Mohammed, Jason and Ihab bring a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of markets, proved by their track record of consistent, low volatility, since 2009.”
