Sukuk Snap Five-Month Rally on European Debt: Islamic Finance

Islamic bonds slumped in November, snapping a five-month rally, as concern Europe’s debt crisis will spread reduced demand for higher-yielding assets in emerging markets.

Average yields on sukuk climbed 19 basis points, or 0.19 percentage point, in November to 5.04 percent, the highest level in two months, according to the HSBC/NASDAQ Dubai US Dollar Sukuk Index. Yields had dropped 194 basis points from May 31 until the end of October. The extra yield investors demand to hold non-Islamic emerging-market debt instead of U.S. Treasuries rose 22 basis points in the month to 267, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s EMBI+ Index.