Fixed Income

We remain cautiously optimistic about Fixed Income returns. Tail risks are elevated, which dampens our confidence in “risk on” markets. But alpha opportunities still await risk-aware, active investors. Those who try to predict the next major macro shift may find themselves echoing Luke Skywalker’s words, “your overconfidence is your weakness.”

This latest article from Fixed Income explores the potential of Emerging Markets (EM) in the current economic landscape, despite significant outflows and perceived risks. Despite outflows and perceived risks, EMs offer promising opportunities for fixed income investors.

Over time the definition of quality has broadened and become subject to a variety of interpretations, with sometimes significant divergence in the performance of quality strategies depending on market conditions.

Many overlook ESG criteria in the Emerging Markets sector, but this is missing a key opportunity it can offer: by reducing volatility, its application may make EM debt more attractive to those interested in the space but avoid it nonetheless due to political and other risks.

2023 proved to be a second year where European ABS gave investors the strongest returns in fixed income with the benefit of very low volatility. As risk-free rates grew to what we expect to be the peak, income was maximised whilst the various market pivots on rates came and went in the rear view mirror.

Luc D’hooge and Wouter Van Overfelt review the developments of the Emerging Markets Debt and Emerging Markets Corporate Bond strategies they manage.

After a difficult 2022, bonds may be poised for unusually high returns compared to historic averages. And not just in the US -- we see opportunities in European CLOs and RMBS. They offer double digit yields for short-dated debt and look very attractive on a relative value basis compared to domestic credit.

Luc D’hooge and Wouter Van Overfelt review the developments of the Vontobel Fund – Emerging Markets Debt and Vontobel Fund – Emerging Markets Corporate Bond and share their forecast for the remainder of 2023.

Wouter Van Overfelt, Head of Emerging Market Corporates and Luc D’hooge, Head of Emerging Markets Bonds, provide a review on the developments in the first quarter, the current positioning of the strategies as well as an outlook for the remainder of 2023.

Luc D’hooge, Head of Emerging Markets Bonds and Wouter Van Overfelt, Head of Emerging Market Corporates, provide a review on the developments in 2022, the current positioning of the strategies as well as an outlook for 2023.

Global bond markets have moved sharply in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as investors have tried to assess the impact of an unprecedented raft of financial and economic sanctions.

For our Q1 fixed income event, Mark Holman, portfolio manager at Vontobel boutique TwentyFour Asset Management, provided an update on the firm’s flagship, global unconstrained strategy, the Vontobel Fund – TwentyFour Strategic Income Fund.