Funds

Global

Ideas

BlackRock Dynamic High Income Fund

Search for unconventional instruments to reduce cross-asset correlations

3rd Quarter 2019

Past Performance

1Y
-3.66%
3Y
N.A.
5Y
N.A.

The constructive outcome of the G-20 meetings with US and China resuming trade discussions and further tariffs put on hold, coupled with rising prospects of monetary easing in the second half of the year, create a more positive set-up for risk assets.

Nevertheless, with no breakthroughs on key issues, we caution that there is still a credible risk of the final round of US tariffs being implemented should this ceasefire end, which would inevitably hurt risk sentiments. Trade issues with India and Europe remain unresolved as well.

It is therefore essential that investors safeguard against potential downside risks that could come from unpredictable turns in trade policy and the broader geo-political environment.

Ensuring adequate portfolio diversification is the first step in this direction. This means increasing exposure to financial assets that are ideally uncorrelated with other existing investments in the portfolio. Non-traditional and sophisticated financial instruments such as equity covered call writing, preferred stock and mortgage backed securities may complement other traditional asset classes which are usually heavily represented in a typical portfolio.

Accessing these instruments on a retail level may not be easy due to high barriers of entry and it might also be prohibitively costly.

For this, a fund whose mandate it is to invest in these non-traditional asset classes could be a cost-effective solution for retail investors.

Why We Like the Fund

  • The fund invests around 70% of its holdings into non-traditional sources of income such as global REITs, commercial mortgage-backed securities, covered call writing, institutional preferred stock, collateralised loan obligations, floating rate loans and non-agency mortgages.
  • By investing in these complementary asset classes, the fund is able to reduce the overall correlation of assets in a traditional equity and bond portfolio whilst maintaining a comparable level of regular income paid out to investors.
  • The fund maintains flexibility to adjust asset class weights according to changing market conditions and leverages on BlackRock’s extensive risk management capabilities.
  • Nevertheless, potential investors must be aware that adverse market conditions may still affect the fund’s performance negatively.

About the Fund

NAV as at 8 July 2019
S$9.50
Fund Inception Date
6 February 2018
Fund Size
US$2,816.17 mil
Annual Management Fee
1.50% p.a.
Subscription Modes
Cash

Top 5 Holdings

 
%
BGF USD HIGH YIELD BD X6 USD
1.98
ISH EM DIV ETF $ DIST
1.33
TRANSCANADA TRUST 5.875 08/15/2076
0.66
UBS GROUP FUNDING SWITZERLAND AG RegS 6.875 12/31/2049
0.65
ENBRIDGE INC 6.25 03/01/2078
0.53

NAV Movement

Source: NAV chart based on Bloomberg data as at 5 July 2019

Asset Class Allocation (%)

Source: All fund information extracted from the fund’s factsheet provided by BlackRock Global Funds was as at 31 May 2019

Note: Performance as at 31 May 2019, for the A6 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.
BGF- DYNAMIC HIGH INCOME FUND A2 SGD-H

Suitable for Growth/ Aggressive

1-year performance

+ 9.58 %

BGF- DYNAMIC HIGH INCOME FUND A6 SGD-H

Suitable for Growth/ Aggressive

1-year performance

+ 9.58 %