A Changing Fixed Income Playbook

Portfolio Manager Richard Piccirillo reflects on a decade of market change and outlines what fixed income investors need to navigate the years ahead.

 

The fixed income environment has changed significantly over the past decade. The unusually stable period of low rates and subdued volatility that preceded 2020 has given way to higher inflation, more volatile interest rates and a less predictable relationship between bonds and equities. For investors, many of the assumptions that shaped portfolio construction during the previous market regime may no longer hold.

In this video, Portfolio Manager Richard Piccirillo explains how the PGIM Multi-Sector Credit Fund’s approach has evolved in response. Rather than positioning the portfolio around a single expected path, the team increasingly considers a range of economic scenarios and the different market outcomes they could produce. A flexible multi-sector mandate allows the portfolio to adjust its exposure across rates, corporate credit, emerging markets and securitised assets as risks and opportunities evolve.

With credit spreads tight across many sectors, broad market exposure and sector rotation may offer less scope for differentiation. Bottom-up security selection could therefore play a greater role, from identifying improving emerging-market sovereigns to evaluating individual corporate issuers and differentiated opportunities within securitised credit.

Watch the video to discover the lessons from the Fund’s first decade and what investors need to navigate the next decade in fixed income.

PGIM Multi-Sector Credit Fund

Pursue opportunities across various fixed income sectors to emphasise alpha, enhance diversification, mitigate risk and adjust to changing market conditions.​

References to specific securities and their issuers are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities. The securities referenced may or may not be held in the portfolio at the time of publication and, if such securities are held, no representation is being made that such securities will continue to be held.

The views expressed herein are those of PGIM investment professionals at the time the comments were made, may not be reflective of their current opinions, and are subject to change without notice. Neither the information contained herein nor any opinion expressed shall be construed to constitute investment advice or an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities mentioned herein. Neither PFI, its affiliates, nor their licensed sales professionals render tax or legal advice. Clients should consult with their attorney, accountant, and/or tax professional for advice concerning their particular situation. Certain information in this commentary has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable as of the date presented; however, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of such information, assure its completeness, or warrant such information will not be changed. The information contained herein is current as of the date of issuance (or such earlier date as referenced herein) and is subject to change without notice. The manager has no obligation to update any or all such information; nor do we make any express or implied warranties or representations as to the completeness or accuracy.

Any projections or forecasts presented herein are subject to change without notice. Actual data will vary and may not be reflected here. Projections and forecasts are subject to high levels of uncertainty. Accordingly, any projections or forecasts should be viewed as merely representative of a broad range of possible outcomes. Projections or forecasts are estimated based on assumptions, subject to significant revision, and may change materially as economic and market conditions change.

RISKS: An investment in the Fund involves a high degree of risk, including the risk that the entire amount invested may be lost. The Fund is primarily designed to purchase certain investments, which will introduce significant risk to the Fund, including asset performance, price volatility, administrative and counterparty risk. The return may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations. Also, the use of financial derivative instruments may result in increased gains or losses within the Fund. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Prospective and existing investors should carefully consider the risks involved in an investment in the Fund. In addition to reading this document, prospective and existing investors should read the Company’s Prospectus, Supplement and Key Investor Information Document (the “KIID”) or Key Information Document (the “KID”) (collectively the "Fund Documents") and consult their own legal, tax and financial advisors about the risks of investing in the Fund. Investments are not guaranteed by PGIM, its affiliates, or any governmental agency.

Bank Loans Risk: The Fund's ability to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loans (whether through participations, assignments or otherwise) will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. The failure by the Fund to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan because of a default, bankruptcy or any other reason may adversely affect the income of the Fund and reduce the value of its assets. Call Risk: If an issuer exercises its right to redeem a security prior to its maturity (a call), the Fund may not recoup the full amount of its initial investment and may be forced to re-invest in lower-yielding securities, securities with greater credit risks or with other less favourable features.  Counterparty Risk: Risk of material investment exposure through contracts with a third party.  Credit Risk: The value of debt securities may be adversely impacted by the erosion in the ability of the issuer to pay the amounts of interest and principal owed as they become due.  
Emerging Market Risk: The Fund invests in emerging markets, which may experience political, market, social, regulatory, and/or economic instabilities. These instabilities may reduce the value of the Fund's investments. 

Securitised Product Risk: Securitised products may be less liquid than other debt securities, may be prone to substantial price volatility and are subject to issuer repayment, counterparty and credit risk. Securitised products carry certain additional risks which may adversely impact the return on the securities, including: the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; and the possibility that the securitised products are subordinate to other classes.  Socially Responsible Investment Risk: The Fund may achieve lower returns than an equivalent fund which does not pursue a socially responsible mandate. Sovereign Debt Risk: Sovereign debt risk is the risk that the governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt, due to factors related to its cash flow, its foreign reserves and political constraints, among others. If a governmental entity defaults, there may be few or no effective legal remedies for collecting on such debt. 

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