Credit/Fixed Income

A Brief Guide to 130-30 Funds

“130/30” has become the most common shorthand for describing an investment strategy that relaxes the long-only constraint of traditional equity portfolios and incorporates both long and short equity positions, while maintaining a 100% net equity exposure to the market. The report analyzes what is behind the recent surge of 130/30 products and how to potentially…

Emerging Markets Debt

An overview of emerging debt including correlations with other asset classes, risks (volatility, default, interest rate, currency), investment vehicles, and benchmarks. Exhibits cover market capitalization, credit quality, country debt ratios, Brady bond yields, benchmark returns, and fees and performance data on representative emerging debt managers.

Japanese Distressed Investing

An assessment of the investment opportunities resulting from a debilitating combination of successive recessions in Japan and the reluctance of government officials to enact and enforce financial sector reforms. Key topics include market risks, supply of distressed assets, strategies to capitalize on the opportunity, and investment vehicles and fund structures.

Fixed Income Investing for Endowments and Foundations – Policy and Practice

A discussion of the role of bonds in policy portfolios and issues related to the implementation of a fixed income allocation, including sector allocation, duration targets, active versus passive management, and selection of an appropriate benchmark. Exhibits cover data on returns for various bond sectors, correlations with other asset classes, and Treasury yield curve shifts…

High-Yield Bonds

This report examines the nature of high-yield bond returns, the role of high-yield bonds in a diversified portfolio, and the implementation of an allocation. Exhibits include data on issuance, default and transition rates, and spreads relative to treasury bonds. Also included are performance data on representative high-yield managers and descriptions of benchmarks.