EMCB Emerging Markets Corporate Plus Index, Spread-Govt

ICE BofA Emerging Markets Corporate Plus Index tracks the performance of U.S. dollar and euro denominated emerging markets non-sovereign debt publicly issued in the major domestic and eurobond markets. In order to qualify for inclusion in the Index an issuer must have risk exposure to countries other than members of the FX G10, all Western European countries, and territories of the U.S. and Western European countries. The FX-G10 includes all Euro members, the US, Japan, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden. Individual securities of qualifying issuers must be denominated in U.S. dollars or euro, must have at least one year remaining term to final maturity, at least 18 months to final maturity at point of issuance, and a fixed coupon. In addition, bonds of qualifying issuers must have at least 250 million (EUR or USD) in outstanding face value. The index includes corporate and quasi-government debt of qualifying countries, but excludes sovereign and supranational debt. Original issue zero coupon bonds, "global" securities (debt issued simultaneously in the eurobond and US domestic bond markets), 144a securities and pay-in-kind securities, including toggle notes, qualify for inclusion in the Index. Contingent capital securities (“cocos”) are excluded, but capital securities where conversion can be mandated by a regulatory authority, but which have no specified trigger, are included. Other hybrid capital securities, such as those issues that potentially convert into preference shares, those with both cumulative and non-cumulative coupon deferral provisions, and those with alternative coupon satisfaction mechanisms, are also included in the index. Callable perpetual securities qualify provided they are at least one year from the first call date. Fixed-to-floating rate securities also qualify provided they are callable within the fixed rate period and are at least one year from the last call prior to the date the bond transitions from a fixed to a floating rate security. Central bank issued, equity-linked and legally defaulted securities are excluded from the index. Index constituents are market capitalization weighted. Accrued interest is calculated assuming next-day settlement. Cash flows from bond payments that are received during the month are retained in the index until the end of the month and then are removed as part of the rebalancing. Cash does not earn any reinvestment income while it is held in the index. The index is rebalanced on the last calendar day of the month, based on information available up to and including the third business day before the last business day of the month. New issues must settle on or before the calendar month end rebalancing date in order to qualify for the coming month. No changes are made to constituent holdings other than on month end rebalancing dates.