Fixed income

TwentyFour Asset Management’s Chris Bowie, takes a closer look at how he is thinking about duration within fixed income portfolios and shows how following conventional wisdom on duration might prove costly for some investors this year.

Quality investing in the fixed income sector is as much about making sure that we avoid the losers as it is about trying to pick the winners.

The first four months of this year have seen €11.6bn in gross Additional Tier 1 (AT1) issuance from European banks, across euros, dollars and sterling markets.

The end of rising interest rates in Europe and the US, attractive yields, and lower-than-expected default rates mean investors can get higher income without taking on as much risk as they had to in the past. In our view, less volatile, high quality fixed income products are poised for strong performance in 2024.

Over the last decade investors have been forced to broaden their horizons, but many investors continue to overlook Emerging Market Local Currency Debt. Our Fixed income team offers five reasons why you should think about giving emerging markets local currency a more permanent allocation in your investment portfolio.

Almost a year ago to the day, we were in the midst of banking sector turmoil, which started off with regional banks in the US and spilled over to Europe, eventually culminating in the forced merger between Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse.  

After some troubled years, bonds are back. In a big way. Our team explains the reasons why we believe bonds are poised to be one of the most attractive risk/reward propositions of the coming year.

What does the environment look like for Credit in 2024? And what are the fundamentals for emerging-market corporates this year? Wouter Van Overfelt and Mondher Bettaieb-Loriot discuss some of the hot topics for fixed income in emerging markets and developed markets, respectively.

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.

Yesterday was an eventful day for markets. We started off with inflation data in Europe, followed by an earnings release by New York Community Bank that showed large provisions in their commercial real estate loan book, before moving onto the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting

January is on track to be a standout month for EM debt issuance. Our Fixed Income boutique’s Sergey Goncharov reviews which sovereigns and corporates are issuing EM debt and takes the pulse of the current environment that they’re operating in.

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.

We’ve likely reached peak interest rates as disinflation paves the way for an economic slowdown. The 2024 outlook from our Fixed Income Boutique explains why.

After two years of grappling with an ailing property market that has weighed on growth in the world’s second-largest economy, China’s government has pledged stronger fiscal measures and signaled more flexible monetary policy. Will they move the needle?

After a horrible year for financial markets in 2022, the macro-outlook for 2023 had a lot of consensus views, with most predicting a much better year ahead, helped by supportive rate cuts from central banks and positive returns from both government bonds and credit.  

Nature is our source. Challenges to natural capital are prompting the world to rethink its relationship with nature and the value we place on it. This article provides a bird-eye view of why investors should care about the semantics and monetization and regulation of nature.

A healthy and robust economy and society depends on healthy biodiversity. But rapid development has resulted in the dramatic degradation of our ecosystems, which can impede further economic progress while posing an existential threat. How can we better value nature to turn this trend around?

While bonds are once again finding their feet, investors have found themselves sitting on cash balances of 30% to 50%. This capital preservation trade has made perfect sense, but does it still make sense as we reach terminal rates?

Consensus expectations are that we could be nearing the end of the rate-hiking cycle. What does this mean for fixed income investors and Global Investment Grade in particular, and how do these typically change at the inflection of rate cycles?

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

It is our view that without a doubt 2022 was a year to forget for the bond market. Whether you held government bonds, high end corporate credit or riskier high yield paper, you would have taken a knock as steep increases in interest rates across the globe sent bond prices tumbling. 

After what can only be described as a relatively dire year for fixed income in 2022, during which spiralling inflation led to one of the most aggressive rate hiking cycles on record, we believe the market for bonds is now looking much healthier.

Short-term government bonds have enjoyed heightened levels of attention this year, but what will give fixed income investors that extra performance boost as the finish line for 2023 draws closer? Our Fixed Income Boutique’s corporate bond team shares five reasons why switching to actively managed investment grade bond funds could deliver that extra edge.