An all-weather strategy for a tough macro environment
Global markets have faced a rough ride this year. How do investors navigate this choppy and uncertain environment? Ariel Bezalel and Harry Richards show how their strategy’s well-considered approach has historically delivered through some rough patches over the years.
Global markets have faced a rough ride this year. How do investors navigate this choppy and uncertain environment? Ariel Bezalel and Harry Richards show how their strategy’s well-considered approach has historically delivered through some rough patches over the years.
The Jupiter Dynamic Bond has a very good track record of riding out tough times because it takes decisions based on long-term macro views, combined with a deep analysis of issuer fundamentals. The investment managers of the fund typically look for their views to pan out over 12 to 18 months. The fund, launched in 2012, combines a top-down and bottom-up approach to fixed income investing. While the top-down perspective is formed on the back of intensive macro work, research by an extensive team of credit analysts underpins the bottom-up process.
The fund has navigated many important events and challenges over the past decade. Just weeks after the strategy was launched, European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi made his famous “whatever it takes” speech to defend the euro, which was followed by the US Federal Reserve’s “QE Infinity”.
Jupiter Dynamic Bond performance through the years
Past performance is no indication of current or future performance, doesn’t take into account commissions and costs incurred on the issue/redemption of shares. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations.
Source: Morningstar. NAV from 16.04.13 to 31.07.22 is for the D EUR Acc share class. From inception on 08.05.12 and until 15.04.13 is for the L EUR Q INC share class.
Read more >
The infographic below illustrates that the fund has managed to recover after each episode of drawdown. While the investment managers are cognisant of the twists and turns of the market over shorter horizons, their focus on forming a long-term view has proved fruitful time and again. Looking at the most recent period, the team has continued to show a contrarian and forward-looking approach. Since the beginning of the year, they’ve been highlighting the risk of a recession. This contrarian view has now become probably the base case for many market participants.
IMPORTANT PERIODS
Macro
Hard on the heels of Mario Draghi’s commitment to “do whatever it takes” to save the euro, the Fed unleashed “QE infinity” in September 2012, an open-ended quantitative easing (QE) programme which ultimately resulted in $85bn a month being injected into the US economy. A similar story emerged from Japan after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to power on a pledge to take steps to kick start the economy. “Abenomics” was born and in April the Bank of Japan announced that it would roughly double the country’s monetary base over two years through a ¥120tn-¥140tn quantitative easing programme.
The frothy conditions created by the wave of stimulus by major central banks proved to be short lived, with Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke making a surprise announcement that the central bank may consider tapering QE as soon as September. Yields for US Treasury bonds rose sharply and posed a threat to the pace of economic recovery in the US. Emerging market debt and currencies sold off sharply.
Navigating important events and challenges
Performance since inception to 31.07.2022. Past performance is no indication of current or future performance, doesn’t take into account commissions and costs incurred on the issue/redemption of shares. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations.
Source: Morningstar. NAV since 16.04.13 is for the D EUR Acc share class. From inception on 08.05.12 and until 15.04.13 is for the L EUR Q INC share class.
Positioning
We adopted a “risk-on” in 2013 on the view that central banks and policy makers would backstop markets. This was expressed through a large weighting in high yield bonds. As the year progressed, we took steps to help protect the fund from a potential change in Fed policy. A lot of our interest rate exposure was hedged by shorting short-dated US Treasuries, for example, and by the end of the period we had about a third of the fund invested in floating rate notes. European corporate bonds presented some of the best opportunities for the fund during the period.
Growth in the world economy remained lacklustre as the financial year began. Despite an unprecedented cycle of monetary easing by the world’s central banks since the financial crisis, inflation in many of the world’s major economies hovered close to zero. The first quarter of 2016 brought a sharp sell-off across financial markets on concerns over global growth and the plunging oil price. The shock Brexit vote in June roiled financial markets. The volatility proved short-lived, however, as the world’s central banks stepped in to steady markets after this latest shock.
Navigating important events and challenges
Performance since inception to 31.07.22. Past performance is no indication of current or future performance, doesn’t take into account commissions and costs incurred on the issue/redemption of shares. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations.
Source: Morningstar. NAV since 16.04.13 is for the D EUR Acc share class. From inception on 08.05.12 and until 15.04.13 is for the L EUR Q INC share class.
Positioning
The positions in the fund which were designed to mitigate downside risk – such as US Treasuries, Australian government bonds and gold-related convertible bonds performed well at times of negative market sentiment, such as the sharp sell-offs at the start of 2016 and following the UK referendum result in June. This enabled the fund to perform competitively in a volatile period for risk assets. Our cautious approach when selecting corporate bonds also assisted performance.
Navigating important events and challenges
Performance since inception to 31.07.22. Past performance is no indication of current or future performance, doesn’t take into account commissions and costs incurred on the issue/redemption of shares. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations.
Source: Morningstar. NAV since 16.04.13 is for the D EUR Acc share class. From inception on 08.05.12 and until 15.04.13 is for the L EUR Q INC share class.
Read more >
Read more >
The fund faced some headwinds due to a toxic combination of high inflation and slowing growth. We had expected inflation to rollover quickly in 2022 but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed up energy and commodities costs, clouding the picture. Yields rose as policy makers began to withdraw the extraordinary monetary and fiscal accommodation introduced to prop up the Covid-19 battered global economy. Global central banks also started to aggressively increase interest rates to cool inflation. But there are some encouraging signs for fixed income investors. Prices of commodities, including metals and agricultural products, have started to decline from mid-2022. A number of data points in the US and Europe show signs of slowing growth. We expect the Fed to review its hawkish bias later this year, which could trigger a rally in government bonds.
Navigating important events and challenges
Performance since inception to 31.07.2022. Past performance is no indication of current or future performance, doesn’t take into account commissions and costs incurred on the issue/redemption of shares. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations.
Source: Morningstar. NAV since 16.04.13 is for the D EUR Acc share class. From inception on 08.05.12 and until 15.04.13 is for the L EUR Q INC share class.
Positioning
As of end July the portfolio ran a duration (sensitivity to changes in interest rates) of 7.5 years at the highest end of the historical range. The team sees heightened risk of recession that should halt, at a certain point, the capability of central banks to tighten materially more from here. As such current yields offered by government bonds in US, Australia, South Korea and New Zeeland look extremely compelling.
Over 50% of the portfolio comprises of high yield bonds. But we have tried to minimise risks by selecting short-dated papers and debt issued by companies in defensive sectors such as telecoms, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and hospital operators.
This barbell approach should help us to navigate any short-term turbulence in a recessionary environment, while still allowing to source compelling yields from the market.
Read more >
Asset allocation decisions are made by analysing macroeconomic fundamentals, for which the team relies on a combination of external and internal research. Risk positioning is determined agnostically, and the team is not constrained by a house view or by a specific benchmark.
Credit selection is the result of high conviction fundamental analysis of issuers and issues across industries and geographies. The fund taps opportunities across investment grade, high yield and typically seeks to invest in the debt of companies with deleveraging potential, overtime growing earnings or paying down debt from free cash flow.
Read more >
The ‘go anywhere’ strategy aims to achieve high income with prospect of capital growth and has a flexible duration approach. The fund’s approach to duration is both tactical and strategic. For instance, the fund’s duration was just two years in 2014 (which means a relatively low sensitivity to changes in interest rates) amid a backdrop of tightening Fed policy. At the end of July 2022, the duration reached 7.5 years, the highest level since inception.
Another example of tactical approach was the decision to cut duration to five years from six years in December 2021, as the flatness of the yield curve had reached extreme levels. The decision also partly reflected some of concerns that Chinese reflation and subsiding concerns around Covid would cause an uptick in yields. The approach was vindicated in December as curves steepened and yields rose.
Strategic asset allocation over time
The fund manager has the power to use derivatives for efficient portfolio management only, not for investment purposes. Source: Jupiter, as of 31.07.22. DM includes all Western European countries.
* Includes interest rate futures. Asset allocation includes credit derivatives exposure.
Read more >
2022 has been a challenging year for the flexible bond category given the simultaneous sell-off in government bonds and credit spreads. Nevertheless, we think that this change in correlations should ultimately revert, re-establishing the diversifying power of high-quality bonds.
Performance since launch*
Sharpe Ratio**
Volatility**
Past performance is no indication of current or future performance, doesn’t take into account commissions and costs incurred on the issue/redemption of shares. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations.
Source: Morningstar, NAV to NAV, gross income reinvested, net of fees, in EUR, to 31.07.22. Performance since 16.04.13 is for the D EUR Acc share class. Performance since 08.05.12 and until 15.04.13 is for the L EUR Q INC share class. *Based on daily returns since fund launch on 08.05.12. **The volatility and Sharpe ratios are based on annualised figures for monthly returns from 01.06.12. Risk free rate of Euribor 3 Month. Fund SRRI is 3 as per the most up to date KIID.
Read more >
Read more >
The fund’s thesis remains that the global economy is just at the start of a sharp slowdown, which will eventually put a lid on inflation and force central banks to relent on their tightening spree. That should lead to lower yields and recovery in fixed income assets. A similar situation existed just before the global financial crisis. In the middle of 2008, inflation was running at nearly 6%, yet by July of 2009 deflation had duly arrived. History repeats itself.
For now, we expect the Fed to be hawkish as inflation is still high and the labour market is tight. Political pressure ahead of the mid-term elections is another reason the Fed may stay the course.
As we move through the rest of this year and into 2023, we expect the slowdown to accelerate, and inflation to roll over. We see this as a remarkable opportunity to invest in fixed income.
Given this backdrop, our preference is for the long end of the curve which is likely to continue to invert as the Fed’s tightening may pressure short end rates higher While we look for opportunities in the high-yield market, we are cautious as recession concerns may induce further volatility. Outside defensive areas of the market we prefer shorter duration instruments, idiosyncratic trades, or stories with clear positive catalysts for outperformance. At these wider spread levels, we are also seeing greater value in parts of the investment grade market, for example in real estate.
Fund performance
Cumulative performance (%)
1 month | 3 months | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since inception | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jupiter Dynamic Bond D EUR Acc | 3.9 | -3.0 | -11.6 | -3.6 | 0.0 | 30.4 | 34.2 |
Morningstar Global Flexible Bond – EUR Hedged | 2.2 | -2.2 | -9.5 | -5.2 | -4.0 | 8.9 | 10.5 |
12-month rolling performance (%)
01 Aug ’12 31 Jul ’13 | 01 Aug ’13 to 31 Jul ’14 | 01 Aug ’14 to 31 Jul ’15 | 01 Aug ’15 to 31 Jul ’16 | 01 Aug ’16 to 31 Jul ’17 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jupiter Dynamic Bond D EUR Acc | 6.3 | 10.7 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.6 |
Morningstar Global Flexible Bond – EUR Hedged | 3.3 | 5.1 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 2.7 |
01 Aug ’17 31 Jul ’18 | 01 Aug ’18 to 31 Jul ’19 | 01 Aug ’19 to 31 Jul ’20 | 01 Aug ’20 to 31 Jul ’21 | 01 Aug ’21 to 31 Jul ’22 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jupiter Dynamic Bond D EUR Acc | -2.0 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 3.3 | -11.6 |
Morningstar Global Flexible Bond – EUR Hedged | -1.5 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 4.0 | -9.5 |
Past performance is no indication of current or future performance, and does not take into account commissions and costs incurred on the issue/redemption of shares. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations.
- Investment risk – Market and exchange rate movements can cause the value of an investment to fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than originally invested, even if the share class is hedged against the main currency of the Fund.
- High Yield bond risk – The fund can invest a significant portion of the portfolio in high yield bonds and bonds which are not rated by a credit rating agency. While such bonds may offer a higher income, the interest paid on them and their capital value is at greater risk of not being repaid, particularly during periods of changing market conditions.
- Interest rate risk – Bonds are very sensitive to interest rate changes and it is possible that issuers of bonds will not pay interest or return the capital promised. Bonds may also be downgraded by rating agencies. These events can reduce the value of bonds and have a negative impact on performance.
- Liquidity risk – In difficult market conditions, reduced liquidity in bond markets may make it harder for the manager to sell assets at the quoted price. This could have a negative impact on the value of your investment. In extreme market conditions, certain assets may become hard to sell in a timely manner or at a fair price. This could affect the Fund’s ability to meet investors’ redemption requests upon demand.
- Derivative risk – The Fund has the ability to use derivatives for efficient portfolio management purposes. Investments in financial derivative instruments used for efficient portfolio management can introduce leverage risks and negatively impact performance.
- Short Selling risk – There is a risk that any company providing services such as safe keeping of assets or acting as counterparty to derivatives may become insolvent, which may cause losses to the Fund.
- Capital Erosion risk – All the share class charges are taken from income. Should there not be sufficient income charges will be taken from capital.
The fund may be subject to other risk factors, please see the Prospectus for further information.
An investment constitutes the acquisition of shares in the fund, not in the fund’s underlying assets. Please refer to the latest sales prospectus of the fund and to the Key Investor Information Document (KIID), particularly to the fund’s investment objective and characteristics including those related to ESG (if applicable), before making any final investment decisions. These are available from the Document Library. We recommend you discuss any investment decisions with a financial adviser, particularly if you are unsure whether an investment is suitable. Jupiter is unable to provide investment advice.
The Prospectus and Key Investor Information Document (KIID) are available in English and other languages required by the local applicable law free of charge in the document library. A summary of investor rights in English can be found here or in the document library. The Management Company may terminate marketing arrangements.
The value of active minds: independent thinking
A key feature of Jupiter’s investment approach is that we eschew the adoption of a house view, instead preferring to allow our specialist fund managers to formulate their own opinions on their asset class. As a result, it should be noted that any views expressed – including on matters relating to environmental, social and governance considerations – are those of the author(s), and may differ from views held by other Jupiter investment professionals.
Important information
This document is intended for investment professionals* and is not for the use or benefit of other persons, including retail investors, except in Hong Kong. This document is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Market and exchange rate movements can cause the value of an investment to fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than originally invested. The views expressed are those of the individuals mentioned at the time of writing, are not necessarily those of Jupiter as a whole, and may be subject to change. This is particularly true during periods of rapidly changing market circumstances. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information, but no assurance or warranties are given. Holding examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not a recommendation to buy or sell. Issued in the UK by Jupiter Asset Management Limited (JAM), registered address: The Zig Zag Building, 70 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6SQ is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Issued in the EU by Jupiter Asset Management International S.A. (JAMI), registered address: 5, Rue Heienhaff, Senningerberg L-1736, Luxembourg which is authorised and regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. For investors in Hong Kong: Issued by Jupiter Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited (JAM HK) and has not been reviewed by the Securities and Futures Commission. No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner without the prior permission of JAM/JAMI/JAM HK.
*In Hong Kong, investment professionals refer to Professional Investors as defined under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong).and in Singapore, Institutional Investors as defined under Section 304 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore.
Jupiter Dynamic Bond fund has not been registered under the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, nor the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. None of the shares may be offered or sold, directly or indirectly in the United States or to any US Person, unless the securities are registered under the Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Act is available. A US Person is defined as (a) any individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States for federal income tax purposes; (b) a corporation, partnership or other entity created or organized under the laws of or existing in the United States; (c) an estate or trust the income of which is subject to United States federal income tax regardless of whether such income is effectively connected with a United States trade or business.
Legal Notice for Residents in the Republic of Argentina: This document includes a private invitation to invest in securities. It is addressed only to you on an individual, exclusive, and confidential basis, and its unauthorised copying, disclosure, or transfer by any means whatsoever is absolutely and strictly forbidden. Jupiter Asset Management will not provide copies of this prospectus, or provide any kind of advice or clarification, or accept any offer or commitment to purchase the securities herein referred to from persons other than the intended recipient. The offer herein contained is not a public offering, and as such it is not and will not be registered with, or authorised by, the applicable enforcement authority. The information contained herein has been compiled by Jupiter Asset Management, who assumes the sole responsibility for the accuracy of the data herein disclosed.
Legal Notice for Residents in Brazil: The Fund may not be offered or sold to the public in Brazil. Accordingly, the Fund has not been and will not be registered with the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários, the “CVM”), nor has been submitted to the foregoing agency for approval. Documents relating to the Funds, as well as the information contained therein, may not be supplied to the public in Brazil, as the offering is not a public offering of funds in Brazil, nor used in connection with any offer for subscription or sale of funds to the public in Brazil.
Aviso Legal para Residentes en Chile: Esta oferta privada se inicia el día según lo establecido en el título y se acoge a las disposiciones de la norma de carácter general nº 336 de la Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros. Esta oferta versa sobre valores no inscritos en el registro de valores o en el registro de valores extranjeros que lleva la Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros, por lo que tales valores no están sujetos a la fiscalización de ésta. Por tratar de valores no inscritos no existe la obligación por parte del emisor de entregar en Chile información pública respecto de los valores sobre los que versa esta oferta. Estos valores no podrán ser objeto de oferta pública mientras no sean inscritos en el Registro de Valores correspondiente.
This private offer commences on the date as stated in the title and it avails itself of the General Regulation No. 336 of the Superintendence of Securities and Insurance. This offer relates to securities not registered with the Securities Registry or the Registry of Foreign Securities of the Superintendence of Securities and Insurance, and therefore such shares are not subject to oversight by the latter. Being unregistered securities, there is no obligation on the issuer to provide public information in Chile regarding such securities. These securities may not be subject to a public offer until they are registered in the corresponding Securities Registry.
Legal Notice for Residents of Mexico: The securities have not been and will not be registered with the National Registry of Securities, maintained by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission and, as a result, may not be offered or sold publicly in Mexico. The fund and any underwriter or purchaser may offer and sell the securities in Mexico on a private placement basis to Institutional and Accredited Investors pursuant to Article 8 of the Mexican Securities Market Law.
Legal Notice for Residents of Paraguay: The Shares have not been registered with the Comisión Nacional de Valores of Paraguay (CNV), neither with the Stock Exchange of Asuncion (BVPASA) and are being placed by means of a private offer. CNV nor BVPASA has not reviewed the information provided to the investor. This document is only for the exclusive use of specific investor in Paraguay and is not for public distribution.
Legal Notice for Residents of Peru: The funds have not been registered before the Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores (SMV) and are being placed by means of a private offer. SMV has not reviewed the information provided to the investor. This document is only for the exclusive use of institutional investors in Peru and is not for public distribution.
Legal Notice for Residents of Uruguay: The sale of the securities qualifies as a private placement pursuant to section 2 of Uruguayan law 18,627. The securities must not be offered or sold to the public in Uruguay, except in circumstances which do not constitute a public offering or distribution under Uruguayan laws and regulations. The securities are not and will not be registered with the Financial Services Superintendency of the Central Bank of Uruguay. The securities correspond to investment funds that are not investment funds regulated by Uruguayan law 16,774 dated September 27, 1996, as amended.
Issued by The Jupiter Global Fund and, in some instances, Jupiter Asset Management Jupiter Asset Management International S.A. (JAMI, the Management Company), registered address 5, Rue Heienhaff, Senningerberg L-1736, Luxembourg which is authorised and regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner without the prior permission of the Company or JAMI.29392