Important information

The information contained in this website is intended strictly for sophisticated institutions.

The information contained in this website, does not constitute and should not be construed as an offer of, invitation or proposal to make an offer for, recommendation to apply for or an opinion or guidance on a financial product, service and/or strategy. Whilst great care has been taken to ensure  that  the  information  contained  in  this  website is  accurate,  no  responsibility  can  be accepted for any errors, mistakes or omissions or for any action taken in reliance thereon. You may only reproduce, circulate and use this website (or any part of it) with the consent of Capital International Management Company Sàrl (“CIMC”), 37A avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855 Luxembourg.

The information contained in this website is for information purposes only. It is not intended for and should not be distributed to, or relied upon by, members of the public.

The information contained in this website, may contain statements that are not purely historical in nature but are “forward-looking statements”. These include, amongst other things, projections, forecasts  or  estimates  of  income.  These  forward-looking  statements  are  based  upon  certain assumptions, some of which are described in other relevant documents or materials. If you do not understand the contents of this website, you should consult an authorised financial adviser.

Capital IdeasTM

Investment insights from Capital Group

Categories
Fixed Income
Can investment-grade credit provide resilience amid uncertainty
Karen Choi
Portfolio Manager
Scott Sykes
Portfolio Manager
Flavio Carpenzano
Investment Director
September 21, 2023
Download PDF

An uncertain economic outlook and high interest rates are generally not viewed as a positive backdrop for investment-grade (IG) corporate bonds (rated BBB/Baa and above). Yet, a confluence of supportive factors is underpinning this asset class. These include relatively good credit quality, high average starting yields above 5.5%, an overall duration of about seven years and stabilisation of the banking sector.


As a result, credit spreads above US Treasuries have tightened to slightly less than 120 basis points (bps), which is near their 10-year average of 124 basis points.


In our view, while investment-grade credit could come under selling pressure in an extreme risk-off environment - the duration profile of the sector, credit fundamentals that are better than in prior periods of economic stress, as well as sustained demand from investors - should provide a degree of support, limiting downside risk in most scenarios.


Overall, we believe investment grade provides a solid middle ground for portfolios. If the US Federal Reserve (Fed) executes a ”soft landing“ and avoids a recession, investment-grade credit should fare well. And if there’s a ”hard landing“, the drawdown in investment grade should be muted compared to what we would expect to see in equities.


This article discuses why investment-grade credit can provide a compelling long-term investment opportunity.


Karen Choi is a fixed income portfolio manager at Capital Group. She has 24 years of investment industry experience and has been with Capital Group for 15 years She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Wellesley College. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Karen is based in New York.

Scott Sykes is a fixed income portfolio manager at Capital Group. He has 22 years of investment industry experience and has been with Capital Group for 17 years. He holds an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in international economics from the University of Essex, and a bachelor’s degree in both commerce and German from Washington and Lee University. Scott is based in New York.

Flavio Carpenzano is an investment director at Capital Group. He has 18 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for two years. He holds a master's degree in finance and economics from Università Bocconi. Flavio is based in London. 

Learn more about
Fixed Income
Interest Rates
Bonds
United States

Our latest insights

RELATED INSIGHTS

Hear from our investment team.

Sign up now to get industry-leading insights and timely articles delivered to your inbox.

By providing your details you are agreeing to receive emails from Capital Group. All emails include an unsubscribe link and you may opt out at any time. For more information, please read the Capital Group Privacy Policy

Past results are not predictive of results in future periods. It is not possible to invest directly in an index, which is unmanaged. The value of investments and income from them can go down as well as up and you may lose some or all of your initial investment. This information is not intended to provide investment, tax or other advice, or to be a solicitation to buy or sell any securities.

Statements attributed to an individual represent the opinions of that individual as of the date published and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Capital Group or its affiliates. All information is as at the date indicated unless otherwise stated. Some information may have been obtained from third parties, and as such the reliability of that information is not guaranteed.

Capital Group manages equity assets through three investment groups. These groups make investment and proxy voting decisions independently. Fixed income investment professionals provide fixed income research and investment management across the Capital organization; however, for securities with equity characteristics, they act solely on behalf of one of the three equity investment groups.