Investors Underweight High Yield 1st Time Since 2008: BofAML
Alert: HALISTER1
Source: BFW (Bloomberg First Word)
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UUID: 7947283
(Bloomberg) -- High yield investors have turned bearish, with 85% finding spreads overvalued compared to 67% in January, causing them to shift to a net underweight position for the first time since 2008, BofAML Credit Investor Survey shows.
- Investors with overweight positioning in high yield fell to 12% from 24% in January, the lowest reading since December 2008
- Bearish sentiment took hold amid plunging oil prices, imminent Fed rate hike and significant outflows from retail funds, led by high yield ETFs
- While high yield issuance set a new record last week with volume of $17.5b, retail funds reported the biggest outflow since November, causing anxiety over valuations
- However, as yields have backed up from multi-year lows, BofAML expects investors to take advantage of the benign default rate and improving fundamentals as reflected in U.S. economic data and add risk to their portfolios in the next couple of months
- Investors would reach for yield and begin an indiscriminate beta compression
Alert: HALISTER1
Source: BFW (Bloomberg First Word)
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To modify this alert, click here
UUID: 7947283