Credit Suisse has launched the Suisse Emerging Market Corporate Bond Index (CS-EMCI), a performance benchmark exclusively devoted to US dollar denominated fixed income issues from Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. The new Index currently includes the US denominated corporate bonds of 366 issuers with a market value of nearly $275 billion. Complementing the Bank's CS-LACI (Latin America Corporate Index) and CS-ABI (Asian Bond Index), the CS-EMCI is designed to meet the increasing demand among institutional investors globally for emerging market corporate bonds as long-term credit quality and trading performance have continued to strengthen. The CS-EMCI provides an accurate reflection of market volatility, industry trends and risk perception, according to the bank. Prices are updated daily based on current transactions and market-making activities. The Index's technology platform allows users to compare the performance of different asset classes, maturity buckets and corporate sectors. Investors can also customize benchmark portfolios and construct various sub-indices by industry sector, region and rating. Bond rating categories include High Grade, High Yield, and Distressed asset classes. Bonds with an investment grade rating from one or more agencies are categorized High Grade. Bonds designated as High Yield are based on an average of ratings above CCC and below BBB-. Bonds with an average rating of CCC and below are considered Distressed. About 79 per cent of the securities in the index are classified as pure "corporate." Others from companies that are majority owned, or implicitly backed, by their government are classified as "quasi-sovereign."