The cautionary advice to “expect the unexpected” makes a lot of sense for investors—at least in the sense that we should all learn to manage our own expectations by realizing there are outcomes we may not have anticipated. Sudden defaults by investment grade rated issuers would fall into this category, given their rare occurrence. The Angel That Wasn’t.
At VanEck we are anticipating a pick up in the volume of fallen angels, or investment grade bonds being downgraded to high yield status, in 2019. Our theory is not that we will see a systematic turn in the credit cycle that causes a massive wave of BBB-rated debt to fall into the high yield universe, but that we will see a variety of idiosyncratic situations develop.
From Fallen to “Failing”
One such situation occurred this month as a direct result of the very tragic wildfires that struck California over the last two years. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), with nearly $18 billion in bonds1 in the ICE BofAML US Investment Grade Bond Index, is facing upwards of $30 billion in legal claims, which would render the utility insolvent. A series of downgrades by multiple agencies have brought the issuer’s rating quickly down from a BBB- to C during just the first two weeks of January.2 The bonds are effectively fallen angels, or as ICE BofAML more aptly labeled them in a recent note, “failing angels.” On January 14 the company announced that it would seek Chapter 11 protection as soon as January 29. On January 15, the company declined to make an interest payment due on one of its senior unsecured bond issues. PG&E’s debt prices have fallen significantly.
PG&E’s Bond Prices Have Plummeted
Source: Bloomberg.
Also on January 15, ICE BofAML announced that, although the bankruptcy filing date would fall after the preview date for its high yield indexes, PG&E’s bonds would NOT be added to the ICE BofAML high yield indexes, including the US High Yield Index or the Global Fallen Angel High Yield Index. The indexer made this decision based on the very high likelihood that these bonds would no longer qualify for inclusion by the next index rebalancing at the end of February, because defaulted bonds are excluded from their high yield bond indices. It is somewhat unusual for an investment grade company to default without first entering the high yield market, and PG&E would join the ranks of companies like MF Global, Lehman Brothers, and Enron.
A Thoughtful Exclusion
We believe the indexer has exercised discretion with regard to the index rules in a thoughtful and prudent manner. That is not to say the bonds in question are certain to fall further in value, that PG&E investors have been saved from losses, or that the bonds cannot rally from here. Markets are quick to price in bad news, and the reorganization of PG&E could, under reasonable assumptions, leave a high recovery value for the bonds. It is also possible that the situation could change, and that PG&E does not ultimately file for bankruptcy, in which case the bonds could still enter the high yield indices on the next rebalancing date at the end of February.
IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS AND DISCLOSURES
1Based on par amount as of 1/15/2019.
2Based on an average of various rating agencies.
ICE BofAML US Corporate Index tracks the performance of US dollar denominated investment grade corporate debt publicly issued in the US domestic market.
ICE BofAML US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA, “Index”), formerly known as BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index prior to 10/23/2017, is a subset of the ICE BofAML US High Yield Index (H0A0, “Broad Index”), formerly known as BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index prior to 10/23/2017), including securities that were rated investment grade at time of issuance. H0FA is not representative of the entire fallen angel high yield corporate bond market.
ICE BofAML US High Yield Index (H0A0, “Broad HY Index”), formerly known as BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index prior to 10/23/2017, is comprised of below-investment grade corporate bonds (based on an average of various rating agencies) denominated in U.S. dollars.
Important Disclosures
This commentary originates from VanEck Investments Limited (“VanEck”) and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation to buy any security.
VanEck’s opinions stated in this commentary may deviate from opinions presented by other VanEck departments or companies. Information and opinions in this commentary are based on VanEck’s analysis.
Any forecasts and projections contained in the commentary appear from the named sources. All opinions in this commentary are, regardless of source, given in good faith, and may only be valid as of the stated date of this commentary and are subject to change without notice in subsequent versions of the commentary. Any projections, market outlooks or estimates in this material are forward-looking statements and are based upon certain assumptions that are solely the opinion of VanEck. Any projections, outlooks or assumptions should not be construed to be indicative of the actual events which will occur.
No investment advice
The commentary is intended only to provide general and preliminary information to investors and shall not be construed as the basis for any investment decision. This commentary has been prepared by VanEck as general information for private use of investors to whom the commentary has been distributed, but it is not intended as a personal recommendation of particular financial instruments or strategies and thus it does not provide individually tailored investment advice, and does not take into account the individual investor’s financial situation, existing holdings or liabilities, investment knowledge and experience, investment objective and horizon or risk profile and preferences. The investor must particularly ensure the suitability of an investment as regards his/her financial and fiscal situation and investment objectives. The investor bears the risk of losses in connection with an investment.
Fallen Angels’ Index Rule Change Should Enhance Liquidity
The BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA), which VanEck Vectors Fallen Angels High Yield Bond ETF (ANGL)seeks to track, will implement a rule change on September 30 raising the minimum amount outstanding permissible for each bond issue from $100 million to $250 million. As a result, approximately 7.4% of the current Index will be eliminated. We see this as a positive move that should help improve the overall liquidity of the Index’s universe, while imposing relatively minimal impact on potential performance and composition.
Improving Liquidity by Removing Small Holdings
The rule change will help promote the Index’s liquidity by eliminating a number of very small components that tend to be less liquid and difficult to trade relative to larger issues. This is likely to have two very positive effects. First, market makers in the ANGL ETF will no longer see bond issues smaller than $250 million in creation and redemption baskets, with positive ramifications for their estimated cost of trading those baskets. Second, eliminating hard-to-trade smaller positions from the underlying Index could help improve ANGL’s tracking error, as the ETF may now be more closely aligned with the Index’s constituency.
Little Impact to Performance, Yield, and Duration
Based on the Index’s historical return profile, we anticipate that the rule change is likely to have minimal impact on Index performance. A closer look at the smaller positions expected to be removed from the Index, reveals that they contributed approximately 130 basis points (bps), or just 1.3%, of the Index’s 22.4% year-to-date total returns. We also note that the yield and duration of the ETF and Index are expected to remain little changed once the smaller bond issues are cut.
Sector and credit composition should be minimally impacted as well. Sixteen out of the eighteen Merrill Lynch Level III sectors’ allocations will likely be trimmed between 0.06% and 0.90%. The automotive sector’s allocation, which was only 0.27% of the Index, would be 0%. In terms of credit quality, we feel the impact of the rule change is minimally positive. The BB-rated group is estimated to remain approximately 75% of the Index, while the lower end of the credit spectrum should decrease slightly, as shown in the table below.
Estimated Credit Quality Impact from Index Rule Change
Source: BofA Merrill Lynch.Based on data as of August 31, 2016. Estimates excluded current bond issues with face values under $250 million. Estimates are not guaranteed and may not reflect actual Index characteristics following rule change. Composite ratings are based on the simple averages of ratings from Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch. This composite is not intended to be a credit opinion.
A Positive Enhancement for Investors
We view the Indexer’s decision to raise the minimum amount outstanding for its eligible Index constituents as favorable for investors of VanEck Vectors Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF (ANGL). The enhancement is expected to eliminate the smaller, less liquid positions with what appears to be a minimal impact on potential performance and composition.
Authored by Meredith Larson, Product Manager, VanEck VectorsTM ETFs
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE
Source of all data: BofA Merrill Lynch, FactSet. Data as of August 31, 2016. Fallen angels are high yield corporate bonds that are originally issued with investment grade credit ratings, and are represented by the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA). The broad high yield bond market is represented by BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (H0A0).
Duration is a measure of the sensitivity of the price of a fixed-income investment to a change in interest rates.
Tracking error is the divergence between the price behavior of a position or a portfolio and the price behavior of a benchmark.
This content is published in the United States for residents of specified countries. Investors are subject to securities and tax regulations within their applicable jurisdictions that are not addressed on this content. Nothing in this content should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell shares of any investment in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction, nor is it intended as investment, tax, financial, or legal advice. Investors should seek such professional advice for their particular situation and jurisdiction.
The indices listed are unmanaged indices and do not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees, or expenses that are associated with an investment in any underlying exchange-traded funds. Index performance is not illustrative of fund performance. Fund performance current to the most recent month end is available by visiting vaneck.com. Historical performance is not indicative of future results; current data may differ from data quoted. Indexes are unmanaged and are not securities in which an investment can be made.
The information herein represents the opinion of the author(s), but not necessarily those of VanEck, and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time. Non-VanEck proprietary information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. Not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. Historical performance is not indicative of future results. Current data may differ from data quoted. Any graphs shown herein are for illustrative purposes only. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of VanEck.
BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA) is a subset of the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (H0A0), including securities that were rated investment grade at time of issuance. BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (H0A0) is comprised of below-investment grade corporate bonds (based on an average of Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch) denominated in U.S. dollars. The country of risk of qualifying issuers must be an FX-G10 member, a Western European nation, or a territory of the U.S. or a Western European nation.
Performance and characteristics of the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA) are quoted throughout this material. H0FA is representative of the entire fallen angel high yield corporate bond market. H0FA does not represent the performance or yield of the VanEck Vectors Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and its affiliates (”BofA Merrill Lynch”) indices and related information, the name ”BofA Merrill Lynch,” and related trademarks, are intellectual property licensed from BofA Merrill Lynch, and may not be copied, used, or distributed without BofA Merrill Lynch’s prior written approval. The licensee’s products have not been passed on as to their legality or suitability, and are not regulated, issued, endorsed, sold, guaranteed, or promoted by BofA Merrill Lynch. BOFA MERRILL LYNCH MAKES NO WARRANTIES AND BEARS NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INDICES, ANY RELATED INFORMATION, ITS TRADEMARKS, OR THE PRODUCT(S) (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THEIR QUALITY, ACCURACY, SUITABILITY, AND/OR COMPLETENESS).
Fund shares are not individually redeemable and will be issued and redeemed at their Net Asset Value (NAV) only through certain authorized broker-dealers in large, specified blocks of shares called ”creation units” and otherwise can be bought and sold only through exchange trading. Creation units are issued and redeemed principally in kind. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV in the secondary market.
An investment in the Fund may be subject to risks which include, among others, high yield securities, credit, interest rate, restricted securities, market, call, investing in foreign securities, investing in the financial services sector, investing in the energy sector, investing in the basic materials sector, investing in the telecommunications sector, sampling, index tracking, replication management, authorized participant concentration, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, fund shares trading, premium/discount, liquidity, and concentration risks all of which may adversely affect the Fund. High yield bonds may be subject to greater risk of loss of income and principal and are likely to be more sensitive to adverse economic changes than higher rated securities. International investing involves additional risks which include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. The Fund’s assets may be concentrated in a particular sector and may be subject to more risk than investments in a diverse group of sectors.
Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. Bonds and bond funds will generally decrease in value as interest rates rise. An investor should consider the investment objective, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus, which contains this and other information, call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before investing.
High Yield Recovers, Fallen Angels Soar. Fallen angel bonds continued their history of outperformance, ending the first quarter ahead of the broad high yield bond market (+6.54% vs. +3.25%), as measured by the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA) and BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (H0A0). The basic industry and energy sectors helped fallen angels’ performance, as oil prices bounced in February. Fallen angels are high yield corporate bonds that are originally issued with investment grade credit ratings. They offer a potential value proposition, as they tend to price in a high degree of risk ahead of downgrades to high yield, and may become oversold due to forced selling by institutional holders.
Fallen Angel Bonds Outperformed Broad High Yield in the First Quarter
Living up to their history of outperformance, fallen angel bonds (+6.54%) ended the first quarter having outperformed the broad high yield bond market (+3.25%) by 3.30%, as measured by the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA) and BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (H0A0).1 Fallen angels are high yield corporate bonds that are originally issued with investment grade credit ratings.
Heavier Allocations to Basic Industry and Energy Drove Positive Results
Relative to the broad high yield bond market, fallen angels’ recent outperformance was primarily due to their higher average allocations to the basic industry and energy sectors. Both of these sectors’ bonds appreciated in the first quarter, as oil prices recovered approximately 46% since mid-February.2
Chart 1. Year-to-Date Top/Bottom Three Sector Attribution
BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA) vs. BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (H0A0)
(Click to enlarge) Source: FactSet. Data as of March 31, 2016. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Top and bottom three sector attribution of the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index for fallen angels versus the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index for the broad high yield bond market. Figures are gross of fees, non-transaction based and therefore estimates only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Attribution represents the opportunity cost of investment positions in a group relative to the overall benchmark.
2016 Energy Sector Bias
Over the first quarter, fallen angels’ energy allocation grew from about 13% to 25%, while the broad high yield bond market’s went from approximately 11% to 13%.3 The overweight bias occurred as a result of the energy sector’s struggles in 2015, which led to investment grade energy companies suffering credit deterioration being downgraded to high yield. Allocating to bonds that are under ratings pressure may be considered a contrarian investment approach, which has tended to work for fallen angels in the past. Fallen angels tend to price in a substantial amount of this risk ahead of the ratings downgrades and, in general, become oversold from institutional forced selling upon entering the (H0FA) index, creating a potential value proposition.
Higher Quality High Yield
Fallen angels are generally characterized by higher average credit quality than the broad high yield bond market. While fallen angel bonds currently have a higher allocation to the energy sector than the broad high yield bond market, energy fallen angels are diversified across industries and concentrated in bonds with BB-credit (below investment grade) ratings.
ANGL Ranks at Top of High Yield Bond Category
Market Vectors® Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF (ANGL), which seeks to track the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA), ranked at the top of the actively managed high yield bond category year to date and over multiple time horizons since its April 2012 inception.4
Chart 2. Performance Relative to Peer Group Market Vectors Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF (ANGL) vs. Morningstar Active High Yield Bond Universe
(Click to enlarge) Source: Morningstar. Data as of March 31, 2016. This chart is for illustrative purposes only. Index performance is not illustrative of fund performance. Fund performance current to the most recent month end is available by visiting vaneckvectors.com/etfs. Historical information is not indicative of future results. Current data may differ from data quoted. Past performance is no guarantee of future results; Market Vectors Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF commenced on April 10, 2012. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. The results assume that no cash was added to or assets withdrawn from the Index. Index returns do not represent Fund returns. The Index does not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, nor does the Index lend securities, and no revenues from securities lending were added to the performance shown. The actively managed high yield bond category is represented by the Morningstar Open End Funds – U.S. – High Yield Bond category. See index descriptions below.
About ANGL
Market Vectors® Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF (ANGL), which seeks to track the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA), ranked at the top of the actively managed high yield bond category1 year to date and over multiple time horizons since its April 2012 inception.
Market Vectors® Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF received a five-star rating from Morningstar, as of March 31, 2016. ANGL was rated against 646 funds in Morningstar’s high yield bond category over the last three years. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.5 Additional resources and information on Market Vectors Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF (ANGL) »
ETFs is authored by VanEck thought leaders. VanEck is the sponsor of Market Vectors ETFs and is currently among the largest providers of exchange traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. and worldwide. Market Vectors ETFs empower investors to help build better portfolios with access to compelling investment themes and strategies. Our ETFs span many global asset classes, and are built to be transparent, liquid, and pure-play reflections of target markets.
Authored by Meredith Larson, Product Manager, ETFs
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE
1Source: FactSet. Data as of March 31, 2016. Represented by the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA) and the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (H0A0).
2Source: FactSet. Data as of March 31, 2016.
3Source: FactSet. Data from December 31, 2105 to March 31, 2016.
Morningstar Open End Funds – U.S. – High Yield Bond category is comprised of open-end mutual funds with an investment objective to seek returns via significant exposure to low quality bonds, those that are either unrated or rated by a major agency as BB or lower.
Morningstar ETF – U.S. – High Yield Bond category is comprised of exchange-traded funds with an investment objective to seek returns via significant exposure to low quality bonds, those that are either unrated or rated by a major agency as BB or lower.
This content is published in the United States for residents of specified countries. Investors are subject to securities and tax regulations within their applicable jurisdictions that are not addressed on this content. Nothing in this content should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell shares of any investment in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction, nor is it intended as investment, tax, financial, or legal advice. Investors should seek such professional advice for their particular situation and jurisdiction.
The indices listed are unmanaged indices and do not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees, or expenses that are associated with an investment in any underlying exchange-traded funds. Index performance is not illustrative of fund performance. Fund performance current to the most recent month end is available by visiting vaneck.com. Historical performance is not indicative of future results; current data may differ from data quoted. Indexes are unmanaged and are not securities in which an investment can be made.
BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA) is a subset of the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (H0A0), including securities that were rated investment grade at time of issuance. Performance and characteristics of the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA) are quoted throughout this material. H0FA is representative of the entire fallen angel high yield corporate bond market. H0FA does not represent the performance or yield of the Market Vectors Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF.
BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (H0A0) is comprised of below-investment grade corporate bonds (based on an average of Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch) denominated in U.S. dollars. The country of risk of qualifying issuers must be an FX-G10 member, a Western European nation, or a territory of the U.S. or a Western European nation.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and its affiliates (”BofA Merrill Lynch”), indices, and related information, the name ”BofA Merrill Lynch,” and related trademarks, are intellectual property licensed from BofA Merrill Lynch, and may not be copied, used, or distributed without BofA Merrill Lynch’s prior written approval. The licensee’s products have not been passed on as to their legality or suitability, and are not regulated, issued, endorsed, sold, guaranteed, or promoted by BofA Merrill Lynch. BOFA MERRILL LYNCH MAKES NO WARRANTIES AND BEARS NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INDICES, ANY RELATED INFORMATION, ITS TRADEMARKS, OR THE PRODUCT(S) (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THEIR QUALITY, ACCURACY, SUITABILITY, AND/OR COMPLETENESS).
Fund shares are not individually redeemable and will be issued and redeemed at their Net Asset Value (NAV) only through certain authorized broker-dealers in large, specified blocks of shares called ”creation units” and otherwise can be bought and sold only through exchange trading. Creation units are issued and redeemed principally in kind. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV in the secondary market.
An investment in the Fund may be subject to risk which include, among others, credit risk, call risk, and interest rate risk, all of which may adversely affect the Fund. High yield bonds may be subject to greater risk of loss of income and principal and are likely to be more sensitive to adverse economic changes than higher rated securities. International investing involves additional risks which include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. The Fund’s assets may be concentrated in a particular sector and may be subject to more risk than investments in a diverse group of sectors.
Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. Bonds and bond funds will generally decrease in value as interest rates rise. An investor should consider the investment objective, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus, which contains this and other information, call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com/etfs. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before investing.
Ett himmelskt sätt att få en hög avkastning Det finns ett sätt att för investerare att få en exponering mot högavkastande obligationer utan att ta på betydande kreditrisk eller hantera de negativa effekterna av ett fallande oljepris på skräp-rankade företagsobligationer utgivna av energibolagen.
Market Vectors Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF (NYSEArca: ANGL) är ett bra exempel. ANGL, spårar så kallade fallna änglar, spekulativa kvalitetsobligationer, eller de obligationer som ursprungligen emitterades med investment grade betyg men senare nedgraderas till skräp.
Emittenterna av det som i dag är fallna änglar tenderar att vara större och mer etablerade än det genomsnittliga företaget som har emitterat en junk bond. Eftersom dessa fallna änglar var tidigare på väg mot investeringsnivån status, har denna grupp av skräpobligationer vanligtvis en högre snittkvalitet än många andra spekulativa kvalitet skuldrelaterade fonder.
Year-to-date, har ANGL gett en bättre avkastning än välkända företagsobligationsfonder som SPDR Barclays High Yield Bond ETF (NYSEArca: JNK) och iShares iBoxx $ investment grade Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEArca: LQD) samtidigt som den erbjuder en direktavkastning i nivå med JNK, en av de största skräpobligations ETFerna.
ANGL har en duration på cirka fem år, vilket är betydligt kortare än LQDs åtta år, men längre än de fyra år som JNK har på sin ETF. Detta är en faktor som talar för JNK, men det kan inte förklara överavkastningen hos ANGL. ANGLs innehav innebär en högre kreditrisk än till exempel LQD vars innehav ofta har investment grade, men kreditrisken är lägre än för JNK och ändå har ANGL gett sina ägare en högre avkastning. ANGL levererar således en högre avkastning till än lägre risk än vad JNK gör.
ANGL tillämpar en urvalsmetod som bygger pp BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (H0FA). denna fallen angel bond ETF kan också komma med ett embedded value egenskap. Innan en företagsobligation kan komma att ingå i BofAML USA Fallen Angel Index, där endast obligationer som nedgraderats till spekulativa kvalitet status ingår, så har denna obligation redan varit föremål för ett betydande prisfall. ANGL köper således endast in obligationer i företag efter det att dammet har lagt sig, efter det att en nedgradering skett och en månatliga rebalanseringen av indexet ägt rum. Det innebär att ANGL kan komma att köpa obligationer efter en värdeminskning och förhoppningsvis skörda vinsterna av dem om och när de återfår sin investment grade status.
