On October 15, 2026, emerging markets drew increased research and investor attention, including toward funds investing in these economies. Interest followed strong returns over the past two years, as emerging markets rebounded from a period of underperformance compared with developed markets.
At the same time, markets faced significant turbulence. South Korea’s stock market, a major component of most emerging-market indexes, fell sharply. By midday, the Kospi was down nearly 8%.
The sell-off triggered a temporary suspension of program trading, a circuit breaker designed to curb computer-driven selling. Hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data exacerbated the decline.