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Fixed Income Insights
The Shape of Credit
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In this Q&A, Portfolio Managers Jason England, Nick Maroutsos and Dan Siluk discuss the factors shaping credit markets, from central bank support to potential resilience from financials.
Key Takeaways
- Corporate earnings and cash flows are under strain, but while defaults are likely to increase, they should continue to be largely contained to sub-investment-grade issuers.
- Massive and proactive central bank support measures have injected confidence into markets, but this does not preclude sporadic bouts of future volatility and warrants a selective approach.
- We believe more resilient opportunities are likely to be found in higher-quality, shorter-dated investment-grade issues and continue to favor financial sector bonds and corporates with defensive attributes.
Fixed Income Insights
Building Bond Portfolios on a Strong Housing Market
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Conventional wisdom would suggest that rising unemployment would have discouraged consumers from making large contractual obligations like buying a new home, but the pandemic has affected the way many Americans think about housing. Portfolio Managers John Kerschner and Nick Childs discuss why this is happening and what it could mean for bond investors.
Portfolio Construction Insights
Portfolio Diagnostics Report: Shifting Gears
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For traditional fixed income investors, much of the last 40 years have been a relatively enjoyable ride; the 1980s began with double-digit interest rates that have steadily fallen, creating large amounts of bond return and income as well as crisis management along the way. Instead of investors paying a premium for portfolio crisis management, traditional fixed income paid investors that premium.
Fixed Income Insights
A Mostly Benign Outlook for U.S. Inflation
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The stabilization of U.S. economic growth amid unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus has raised questions about the likelihood of inflation returning. Global Head of Fixed Income Jim Cielinski explains why he does not see significant risk of sustained higher inflation materializing in the next few years – but cautions that short-term spikes are possible and that investors should evaluate the diversification that their fixed income portfolios provide.
Fixed Income Insights
The Dire Outlook for Bonds in the Wake of COVID-19
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Over the coming decade or two, bonds are unlikely to fulfill their dual role of income and capital preservation. Bond investors will be forced to choose between income or capital preservation, and there is a good chance they could end up with neither.
Fixed Income Insights
The Dangers in High Yield Bonds & CLOs
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Worth the Risk? Investors in this space have always emphasized higher levels of income or growth rather than capital preservation. While these investments are often termed “speculative,” are investors truly aware of the amount of risk in these asset classes?
Fixed Income Insights
Chasing Yield
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The Dangers and Pitfalls of Fixed Income in a Low-Yield World
Portfolio Construction Insights
Thinking Outside the Mailbox
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Redefining Income in a Low Yield World: Historically, investors in or near retirement have relied primarily on bonds for “mailbox money” necessary to fund their golden years. Going forward, investors and advisors will need to redefine their concept of “income” and reconsider how they fill their “mailbox”.
Fixed Income Insights
The Dire Outlook for Bonds in the Wake of COVID-19
This piece is approved to use with clients.
Over the coming decade or two, bonds are unlikely to fulfill their dual role of income and capital preservation. Bond investors will be forced to choose between income or capital preservation, and there is a good chance they could end up with neither.