HSBC GIF Euro High Yield Bond BC (GBP) |
by Jeana Marie Doubell
HSBC Euro High Yield Bond’s veteran lead manager Philippe Igigabel follows a proven and disciplined investment approach. The strategy retails its High People and Process pillar ratings. Igigabel has been a hallmark of stability here for more than 20 years. His keen focus on risk and valuations requires a sufficiently attractive risk premium before he commits to raising the portfolio’s level of credit risk. This disciplined philosophy, combined with strong security selection, is key to the strategy’s appeal (the fund has only had one exposure to a default since its inception in 2003). The firm's global credit team is among the larger and more experienced in the industry, numbering 45 analysts with an average of 17 years of experience. Given the large number of European issuers in the fund’s universe, there is a heavier reliance on the 14-strong European credit analyst team, which has also been very stable over time. The strategy’s opportunity set spans the full credit-rating spectrum, allowing the manager to exploit opportunities beyond the sole high-yield universe of its benchmark. For example, the fund’s 61% stake in investment-grade debt at the end of 2019, driven largely by a stake in BBB rated subordinated financial bonds (a favorite hunting ground for the manager, alongside hybrid bonds), helped to cushion the blow of the coronavirus crisis in 2020’s first quarter. Given its valuation-conscious nature, it’s not surprising to see the fund lag in momentum-driven high-yield market rallies or periods of low dispersion in the credit markets, as it did in 2021. But on the other hand, the manager’s risk-aware approach stood the strategy in good stead in 2022’s bear market. In 2023, the fund struggled amidst March’s volatility in the financials sector as an overweighting in Additional Tier 1 debt stung. However, that sector recovered in the fourth quarter and rallied into 2024, which boosted returns for the year through May. Overall, driven by a consistent and disciplined approach, this strategy has repeatedly proven its worth; beating 90% of peers over Igigabel’s two-decade tenure through May 2024. |
Morningstar Pillars | |
People | High |
Parent | Average |
Process | High |
Morningstar reserve its rights to charge for access to these Ratings and/or Rating report. |
Permissions/Reprints E-mail Morningstar |