The Old Rules for Bonds No Longer Apply

VIDEO: PIMCO's Luke Spajic says bond investors must be more cautious because the world has been turned "upside down"

Alanna Petroff 23 May, 2012 | 10:39AM
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Video Transcript
Alanna Petroff: Morningstar recently wrapped up its 2012 Investment Conference and we heard from Luke Spajic, who is an executive at the PIMCO London office. He spoke in particular about the bond market and said right now the world has been turned upside down. I spoke with him one-on-one and he explained his reasoning behind the upside down comment.

Luke Spajic: Well, by upside down, I mean valuation. Once upon a time governments could borrow at spread levels well inside corporates. Now we're finding a lot of governments around the world, notably Italy and Spain for instance, their spreads relative to corporates or bank finance have exploded and they’re at record wides.

Petroff: So what does this mean for someone who is looking to invest in bonds then?

Spajic: Well, I think the first note is caution. In other words, don't just be mesmerized by high yields and high spreads and thinking that the old rules apply and all these companies or countries are really good.

I think the second point is, I think you need to do a lot more credit work and pick stocks very, very carefully. There are certain points in the cycle where it makes sense to invest in some of these sovereigns and other points it means you’ve got to walk away. But for credit investors or for investors in general, they should be looking at these spreads as opportunities across the board, especially for high quality corporates.

Petroff: So, then where are you seeing opportunities in particular?

Spajic: In investment grade credit, we're seeing opportunities in bank financing, we're seeing opportunities in emerging markets. And if we are going to lend to highly levered corporates or high-yield corporates, we would lend to them on a much much shorter term basis then we would otherwise.

Petroff: To make sure that there is not that long-term risk and uncertainty?

Spajic: Right. There is a lot more volatility the further out you lend.

Petroff: And where is PIMCO investing if you are investing in sovereigns? are you investing in any sovereigns at all?

Spajic: Well obviously US sovereign is one. Core Europe is another. There may be certain portfolios that have some exposure to peripheral Europe like Spain and Italy, but they are largely underweight positions. We do like Australian government debt and we think that Mexico and Brazil offer good opportunities in duration as well. Some bit of the UK market particularly might be of interest to some investors.

Petroff: That was Luke Spajic from PIMCO. For more information about the bond market, see the links below.

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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About Author

Alanna Petroff

Alanna Petroff  is a financial journalist with Morningstar UK.

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