PEMX: Putnam Emerging Markets ex-China ETF
What this ETF is trying to do
The Putnam Emerging Markets ex-China ETF (PEMX) invests in companies located in emerging markets, but it specifically excludes companies from China. This allows investors to get exposure to growing economies in other parts of the world.
Based on the Top Holdings data from October 7, 2026, the fund is heavily invested in technology and finance. Its largest holdings include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (20.71%) and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (11.65%).
What the numbers show
As of October 5, 2026, the share price was $89.14. The fund has seen significant growth recently:
• Year-to-Date (YTD): The price return is 38.68%.
• One Year: The price return is 38.74%.
• Three Year: The price return is 118.29%.
It is important to distinguish between price return (how much the share price changed) and total return (which includes the share price change plus distributions). For the past year, the total return was 48.75%, which is higher than the price return alone.
To put this in perspective, the estimated price from roughly one year ago was $64.25. If you had invested $10,000 based on that estimated price, the price-only growth would have increased that amount by approximately 38.74%.
Income and distribution explanation
This ETF pays out cash distributions to investors. Its distribution yield is 5.05%. However, these payments are "irregular" or less frequent, with only one payout recorded in the last 12 months.
Beginners should remember that a high distribution yield alone can be misleading. It tells you how much cash was paid relative to the price, but it does not guarantee that the overall investment is growing or that your original principal is safe.
NAV erosion explanation
"NAV erosion" happens when the actual value of the fund's underlying assets drops over time. StockValueFinder uses an erosion-risk score to track this.
PEMX has an erosion score of 100 and an erosion severity labeled as "good." The severe erosion-risk flag is false, meaning no significant price deterioration was detected by the screening rules.
Pros
• Strong Growth: The fund has shown high price and total returns over the last one and three years.
• Low Erosion Risk: The erosion-risk score indicates no price erosion was detected.
• Diversification: It provides a way to invest in emerging markets without including China.
Cons
• Irregular Income: Distributions are not paid on a steady, frequent schedule.
• Concentration: A large portion of the fund is tied to just a few companies, like Taiwan Semiconductor and Samsung.
Beginner takeaway
PEMX is an ETF for those who want to invest in emerging markets outside of China. While it has shown strong price growth and a healthy erosion-risk score, its income payments are irregular. Always look at total return rather than just the distribution yield to understand how an investment is performing.
Top Holdings
Structured portfolio holdings supplied by the ETF data provider. These figures are not generated by the AI article.
| # | Holding | Ticker | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD | n/a | 20.71% |
| 2 | SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | n/a | 11.65% |
| 3 | SK HYNIX INC | n/a | 4.32% |
| 4 | ICICI BANK LTD | n/a | 3.09% |
| 5 | KB FINANCIAL GROUP INC | n/a | 2.79% |
| 6 | DELTA ELECTRONICS INC | n/a | 2.70% |
| 7 | SK SQUARE | n/a | 2.44% |
| 8 | ELITE MATERIAL CO LTD | n/a | 2.15% |
| 9 | BHARTI AIRTEL LTD | n/a | 2.14% |
| 10 | MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LTD | n/a | 2.11% |