Market Update

The current US economic expansion is now the longest in modern history, and investors globally will be seriously contemplating the end of the credit cycle. This late-cycle period could prove particularly challenging. Mark Holman, chief executive of TwentyFour Asset Management presents five tactics for fixed income investing late in the credit cycle.

Fixed income investors globally face a daunting environment in 2019, with a deteriorating credit cycle, heightened political volatility and increased uncertainty around global monetary tightening.

Despite boasting some of the lowest default rates across the global fixed income market, as well as higher yields and greater investor protections than vanilla corporate bonds of the same rating, Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) remains an under-utilised market for many pension funds. TwentyFour partner Ben Hayward outlines five things every investor should keep in mind when looking at this compelling asset class.

Fixed income investors globally face a huge challenge defending returns against rising rates and resurgent volatility. The Federal Reserve’s famous ‘dot plots’ are projecting two more quarter-point rate hikes in 2018 and a further four in 2019, which if carried out would take the upper bound of the Fed Funds rate to 3.5%. Other central banks may be lagging on the path to policy normalisation, but the direction is set and in all likelihood the low yields of this cycle are now behind us.

For the first time in a decade, fixed income investors face a rising rates environment.