Is EMD a Friend, Question Mark or Foe?

EMD is classified a Friend under the Income Quality Score framework, based on long-duration distribution and total-return history. This is a research classification, not investment advice.

How safe is the EMD distribution?

A Friend is an income asset whose long-term economic total return has historically covered its distributions and whose distribution has been stable over the available history. It describes a track record of durable, well-covered income.

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Public snapshot

EMD Income Quality Score

Name: EMD Income Quality Score
Creator: Income Quality Score
Keywords: EMD income quality, EMD dividend quality, EMD dividend safety, EMD distribution history, EMD dividend score, EMD analysis, Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc. dividend

Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc. (EMD) has an Income Quality Score of 67/100, classified as a Friend with high confidence, based on a 10-year income and total-return history.

Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc. (EMD) is a closed-end fund and is part of the IQ Score universe.

July 2026 snapshotAs of July 7, 2026Lookback: 10-year

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Long-term focused10-year income and total-return analysis

Data-drivenObjective scoring across 5 quality, distribution and risk signals

Clear classificationFriends to own. Foes to avoid.

IQ Score

67/100

FriendHigh confidence

Asset Type

CEF

Exchange

NYSE

Trailing Yield (TTM)

—

Rank in CEF Universe

74 of 263

Lookback

10-year

Data as of

July 7, 2026

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About this snapshot
This is the public July 2026 snapshot. Public snapshots are delayed and frozen: once released, a month's scores do not change, and current data is reserved for members. The July 2026 snapshot is published as the public launch snapshot.

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IQ Signal Scores

5 quality, distribution and risk signals combined into the overall IQ Score.

Economic Payout Coverage

33/100

Working Capital Preservation

66/100

Distribution Cut Score

100/100

Distribution Trend

59/100

NAV CAGR

98/100

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IQ Score History

IQ Score trajectory since 2023

EMD's IQ Score has 70 recorded points from 2023-05-31 to 2026-07-07, most recently 67, ranging between 40 and 69 over the period. Over that window EMD recorded 7 classification changes. The chart above plots the score against the methodology's Friend and Foe thresholds and overlays a base-100 normalised price line for capital-preservation context.

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EMD distribution history & safety

Across 12 years of distribution data (2015–2026), EMD recorded 4 annual increases and no distribution cuts. Distribution stability is a core IQ Score signal — a long record free of cuts supports a stronger classification, while repeated cuts weaken it. Per-year figures are shown in the panel above.

Annual increases

2015–2026

Distribution cuts

2015–2026

Years of data

2015–2026

—

Trailing yield (TTM)

As of snapshot

Stable

Distribution trend

Over available history

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IQ Score is a long-duration quality and distribution-safety classification for income assets. It is research based on historical data, not personal investment advice, and it does not tell you what to buy or sell. Figures reflect a delayed public snapshot and may differ from current data.