Emerging Markets No Longer a Contrarian Play? If So, 3X Your Exposure

A post-pandemic rally followed by an extended decline has been putting investors off emerging markets (EM) assets, but the tide could be turning in their favor. If so, traders may want to add leverage to their bullish bets with products from Direxion Investments.

The anticipation in the capital markets is mounting for lower interest rates, which typically favors EM assets. In turn, this is pushing the dollar down, while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index continues to rise. It’s an uptrend that got its early start at the beginning of 2024, but lost steam mid-year. The “Liberation Day” sell-off momentarily stifled hopes for a rally in 2025, but the MSCI index has been surging since.

“EM equities are likely to outperform as they enjoy the tailwinds of easing local monetary policy across most markets boosting domestic lending and consumption but also a weaker dollar,” said Fidelity fund manager George Efstathopoulos. “It’s also important to remember that the Fed as the most significant central bank will most likely be resuming easing in coming quarters.”

When placing the MSCI EM index next to the performance of the MSCI World index that also includes developed markets, the performance disparity is apparent. The world index began the year stronger, but the divergence began just before the April tariff sell-offs, and has continued since.

Traders looking for potential opportunities in EM can look at individual stocks to capitalize on the strength, but that exposes them to the concentration risk of trading one company. They can diversify away the unsystematic risk associated with individual EM stocks or sectors by trading the whole MSCI EM index using a pair of products from Direxion.

3X EM Exposure

If bullish EM traders are locked in with their conviction, they can amplify their bets using the Direxion Daily MSCI Emerging Markets Bull 3X Shares (EDC). The fund adds 300% exposure to the aforementioned MSCI EM index.

The index tracks the performance of large- and midcap securities across 24 emerging market countries. If the current rally loses its mojo, traders can always take the other side, using the Direxion Daily MSCI Emerging Markets Bear 3X ETF (EDZ). Having both EDC and EDZ allows traders to maintain their flexibility in the market, allowing for profitable opportunities regardless if the MSCI EM index heads higher or lower.

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