WisdomTree launches True Emerging Markets UCITS ETF

WisdomTree, a global financial innovator, has announced the launch of the WisdomTree True Emerging Markets UCITS ETF (WEM). WEM seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree True Emerging Markets UCITS Index (the “Index”) and has a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.25%. WEM listed today on Börse Xetra, Borsa Italiana, Euronext Paris and SIX Swiss Exchange, and will list on the London Stock Exchange on 16 April 2026.

The proprietary Index is designed to provide diversified exposure to countries that remain genuinely emerging in terms of economic development and capital market maturity, offering investors a more intentional way to access long-term emerging market (EM) growth.

Unlike traditional emerging market benchmarks, which can be dominated by a small number of large and increasingly mature markets, the Index uses a systematic, multi-metric framework to identify economies that continue to exhibit development-led growth characteristics. As such, the ETF avoids allocating to China, Korea and Taiwan, which are present in most broad EM strategies.

Traditional emerging market indices have evolved over time and can now be dominated by a small number of large markets and mega-cap companies. As a result, broad EM exposure can increasingly behave like a concentrated country or stock allocation, rather than a diversified investment in development-led growth. The WisdomTree True Emerging Markets UCITS ETF is designed to address this challenge by redefining the emerging markets universe around development and market maturity, rather than legacy classifications alone.

Pierre Debru, Head of Research, Europe, WisdomTree, said: “Emerging markets investing is fundamentally about capturing the growth potential that arises as economies transition from lower to middle-income status. This development process is typically supported by rising productivity, expanding domestic demand, improving institutions, and deepening capital markets. This innovative strategy is designed to restore that original intent by focusing on countries where rising incomes, structural change and capital market deepening are still powerful drivers of long-term returns.”

In contrast to traditional emerging market benchmarks, which depend on outdated country classifications and are often heavily weighted toward a few large, more mature economies, WEM uses a proprietary multi-metric framework to identify countries that qualify as True Emerging Markets. This framework reviews each country’s macro economy data, including IMF World Economic Outlook country classification, GDP per capita, UN Human Development Index, sovereign credit rating, and GDP growth momentum, as well as local stock market accessibility and tradability. WEM provides focused exposure to high-growth, under-owned emerging market countries such as India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam, economies where demographic tailwinds, digital advancement, and capital market under-penetration continue to offer meaningful long-term growth potential.

Alexis Marinof, CEO, Europe, WisdomTree, added: “When launching new products, our intention is to deliver investment solutions that solve real portfolio challenges. This launch offers investors a more deliberate way to access emerging market growth, one that aligns more closely with the original rationale for EM investing and complements broader global equity allocations in a disciplined and transparent way.”

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