Funds

Global

Ideas

Fullerton USD Income Fund (SGD-H)

Minimise single issuer risk with a diversified bond fund

2nd Quarter 2019

Past Performance

1Y
-1.34%
3Y
N.A.
5Y
N.A.

Recent defaults in the Singapore-Dollar bond market shines a harsh spotlight on potential default risks when investing in fixed income.

These risks are further amplified if an investor has concentrated exposure to a few bonds in their portfolio. Ideally, as a rule of thumb, investors who wish to buy bonds directly should have a portfolio of at least 30 securities spread across a spectrum of maturities, each bond with a reasonable issue size to ensure sufficient liquidity.

That said, to effectively construct a diversified bond portfolio can be extremely expensive both financially and otherwise. A diversified bond fund helps investors get around this problem.

First, it minimises single issuer risks. Second, depending on the fund’s mandate and an investor’s risk appetite, the fund can provide exposure to higher quality assets such as investment grade fixed income securities and/or higher yielding instruments with lower credit rating.

In view of the potentially rocky market terrain ahead, we believe investors should actively seek to improve the stability of their investment portfolio by seeking exposure to high quality bonds in a diversified manner to mitigate potential volatility on the equity side of their portfolio.

Why We Like the Fund

  • The fund’s investment strategy requires at least 70% of the portfolio to be invested in investment grade fixed income securities.
  • These bonds should hold a minimum longterm credit rating of BBB- by Fitch, Baa3 by Moody’s or BBB- by Standard & Poor’s (or their respective equivalents).
  • In addition, the fund manager has the flexibility to opportunistically invest up to 30% of the portfolio in noninvestment grade high yield securities to enhance portfolio returns.
  • The manager aims to invest at least 50% the fund in US Dollar denominated bonds whilst also aiming to provide regular quarterly income to investors with lower volatility relative to other asset cases.
  • With this fund, investors will be able to access a highly diversified portfolio of high quality fixed income assets that is robustly constructed and actively managed.
  • However, investors should note that sharp deterioration of market conditions could adversely affect the fund’s overall performance.

About the Fund

NAV as at 12 April 2019
S$0.99
Fund Inception Date
15 April 2016
Fund Size
S$595.33 mil
Annual Management Fee
0.80% p.a.
Subscription Modes
Cash/ SRS

Top 5 Holdings

 
%
Parkway Pantai 4.25% PERP
1.8
Listrindo Capital Bv 4.95% Sep 2026
1.5
Woori Bank 4.75% Apr 2024
1.5
Malayan Banking Bhd 3.905% Oct 2026
1.5
ABJA Investment Co 5.95% Jul 2024
1.3

NAV Movement

Source: NAV chart based on Bloomberg data as at 12 April 2019

Country Allocation (%)

Source: Fund information extracted from the fund’s factsheet provided by Fullerton Fund Management was as at 28 February 2019

Note: Performance as at 28 February 2019, for Class A-SGD Hedged Share Class, calculated on an offer-to-bid basis with all dividends and distributions reinvested, net of all charges payable upon reinvestment, if any. Performance figures exceeding 1 year, if any, were stated on an average annual compounded basis.

The information below solely constitutes the views of OCBC Bank and does not consider the specific investment objectives, financial situation or needs of anyone. The Bank is therefore not responsible for any loss or damage arising from this information. Investment involves risks. If you wish to make an investment, you should first speak to your OCBC Relationship Manager or a Personal Financial Consultant.
FULLERTON USD INCOME FUND A SGD-H

Suitable for Balanced/ Growth

1-year performance

+ 2.65 %