A bomb-proof bond portfolio for 2013

http://www.eurekareport.com.au/print/17771

Published on Eureka Report (http://www.eurekareport.com.au)

A bomb-proof bond portfolio for 2013

ELIZABETH MORAN 4 FEBRUARY 2013 Summary: As well as insuring against ination, the returns offered by ination-linked bonds over the Consumer Price Index may meet your broader investment criteria. Residential mortgage-backed securities also are trading at good relative values. Key take-out: Many ination-linked bonds are trading at a discount to their face values, which means you are paying less than the bonds current value. Key beneciaries: General investors. Category: Portfolio management. In my last column The top bond picks [1] I outlined the excellent returns made in the bond market last year. Its unlikely well see those very high returns this year, but any hiccups in the global growth story could well see a return to a risk-off market away from high-risk equities and back towards capital stable, lower-risk and lower volatility bonds. High returns are always attractive, but bonds (even in a low interest rate environment) should have a permanent place in any portfolio. Whatever the scenario, Im a rm believer that there are always opportunities in any asset class, whatever the economic environment. In this note, I want to focus on what your goals are for your portfolio. Do you remember the goals you set out when you established your self-managed superannuation fund? In many cases I know investors often seek to beat a benchmark, and one of the more common benchmarks is ination. The reason ination is used is because it can erode the purchasing power of your savings. Globally, governments have committed to stimulate their economies by keeping interest rates low. Domestic interest rates are at a low point and some commentators think they will move lower. Adam Carr in his article Is the ination genie stirring? [2] expressed his concerns regarding rising ination. I agree with his sentiment that ination shouldnt be discounted; low interest rate stimulus is creating the perfect stage for an ination outbreak. My question to you then is, have you got enough protection should ination spike? Also, whats your target return over ination? My Eureka model portfolio holds two ination-linked bonds; the Sydney Airport 2020

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A bomb-proof bond portfolio for 2013

http://www.eurekareport.com.au/print/17771

and Envestra 2025. Combined they account for roughly 14% of the portfolio. Depending on your ination view and your dependency on your investments to live, Id recommend you hold anywhere between 10% and 30% of ination-linked bonds (ILBs) in your portfolio. The lower xed rates fall, the greater your allocation to ination-linked bonds should be. As Ive mentioned in other articles, you should also be starting to add oating-rate notes (FRNs). In other words, plan for an inationary/rising interest rate environment. ILBs are an investment that will give you certainty in regard to beating ination. That is because income is linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and if the CPI increases so do your income payments and, in the case of capital-indexed bonds, the amount the issuer must repay you at maturity. These are excellent investments for investors approaching retirement and wanting to make sure their investments keep pace with ination (see previous articles A bond thats licensed to kill, ination [3] and Getting the ination drift [4] for more information). Table 1 below shows a range of capital-indexed ination-linked bonds.

[5] There is a good range of risk and returns in this table. All the bonds are senior debt, so sit high in the capital structure. The face value amount shown is the value of the investment you are buying and if maturity was the same day, the amount the company must repay you. If the capital value is less, then the bonds are trading at a discount, providing a capital gain if you hold to maturity. The coupon is the interest payment over and above ination, set out at rst issue. However if you look at the running yield this is the interest margin based on the current price of the bond and does not include any ination assumption. Running yield will increase as the capital value grows. The yield to maturity returns are based on an ination assumption of 2.5% (the RBA target mid-point). For investors with large amounts to invest, the Commonwealth Bank 2020 ILB with an estimated yield to maturity of 4.85% looks attractive, especially given very low and xed term deposit rates and the exibility of the bond given interest payments will grow with ination, coupled with very high liquidity.

Ination-linked bonds for retirees

If you are already in pension mode, the capital-indexed bonds mentioned above may
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A bomb-proof bond portfolio for 2013

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not be the best option for you. Waiting until maturity for the return of the majority of your funds may not suit. Another type of ination-linked bond called the indexed annuity bond (IAB) might be more appropriate. Investors outlay a lump sum when they buy the bonds, then the issuer returns the capital plus interest (which is the part linked to ination via the CPI) over the life of the bond. Table 2 shows a range of IAB issues. The (renance) risk with these bonds declines over the life of the bond as you are being repaid principal. The most attractive IAB here is from Australian National University; essentially you are buying a bond, the majority of whose revenue comes from the Federal government, and are being paid an estimated 5.48% return. If youre a retail investor the Praeco IAB is attractive in that Praeco has no other debt repayment due before 2020, so it is highly likely this bond will be repaid on time and in full.

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Why buy ination-linked bonds?

The sceptics in the audience will be asking, why buy these bonds when ination is low? There are a couple of good reasons: 1. Buying any investment counter-cyclically is a key investment strategy. Waiting until the market signals increasing ination will mean you miss the full benet and could mean you purchase at the top of the market, perhaps over-paying for the investment. 2. Many ination-linked bonds are trading at a discount to their face values, which means you are paying less than the bonds current value. 3. In a low interest rate environment the margin you can earn over the CPI in itself can be very attractive. In some cases this is approaching 4%. Remember, if CPI is at or below zero returns on all of your other investments are likely to be very, very low or negative.

Residential mortgage-backed securities good relative value

Residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) are a very good investment if you can source them. They are typically very low risk and highly rated (in the AAA or AA range) as they are secured by a pool of residential mortgages. The higher-risk properties often have mortgage insurance and a growing equity base. From time to time we see sellers

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A bomb-proof bond portfolio for 2013

http://www.eurekareport.com.au/print/17771

in the secondary market and the margins can be very attractive. Just a few weeks ago a parcel of ME Bank RMBS came onto the market with a yield to maturity of over 7%. The securities didnt last long but if you think these types of investments might interest you, talk to your broker and get them to register you as an interested buyer when the next securities become available.

Take prot on higher-risk securities

Those big returns on bonds last year mean most existing bond investors had a very good year. Like any investment, if you think its had its run, take some prot and invest in something else; like the ination-linked bonds mentioned above. All prices and yields are accurate as at 31 January 2013 and are a guide only, subject to market availability. FIIG does not make a market in these securities. Elizabeth Moran is director of education and xed income research at FIIG Securities [7]. Source URL: http://www.eurekareport.com.au/article/2013/2/4/investmentbonds/bomb-proof-bond-portfolio-2013 Links [1] http://www.eurekareport.com.au/article/2013/1/21/xed-interest/top-bond-picks [2] http://www.eurekareport.com.au/contributor/adam-carr [3] http://www.eurekareport.com.au/article/2012/7/2/investment-bonds/bond-thatslicensed-kill-ination [4] http://www.eurekareport.com.au/article/2012/11/19/investment-bonds/gettingination-drift [5] http://1.static.australianindependentbusinessmedia.com.au/sites/default/les/styles /graph_colorbox/public/130204 Moran 1.png [6] http://1.static.australianindependentbusinessmedia.com.au/sites/default/les/styles /graph_colorbox/public/130204 Moran 2_0.png [7] http://www.ig.com.au/

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