This episode discusses why high yield bonds, often labeled as ‘junk bonds,’ can be an attractive investment and how today's market is different from previous decades. Jack Holmes, co-manager of the Artemis Global High Yield Bond fund, shares their strategy of focusing on European and UK markets and prioritising higher quality bonds, like BB and B ratings, while avoiding riskier CCCs. Additionally, learn why shorter-dated bonds are favoured in the current yield environment and how inefficiencies in the high yield space create opportunities for active management.

What’s covered in this episode: 

• What is high yield? 
• Setting the scene for the high yield market
• Europe over US exposure
• Why CCC isn’t appealing 
• The inefficiencies of the high yield market
• What active management adds for investors
• How the fund uses currency in the portfolio
• What does it mean when a high yield bond is ‘called’?
• Adding value through market mispricing
• What does rate cutting mean for high yield?
• Why this manager is optimistic about next year
• Backing cyclical or non-cyclical for 2025?

More about the fund: The Artemis Global High Yield Bond fund is a high-conviction fixed income portfolio investing in 60-100 high yield issuers across the globe. Managers David Ennett and Jack Holmes look to increase the value of shareholder investments through a combination of both income and capital growth. To do this they focus on the under-researched, inefficiently-priced opportunities further down the high yield spectrum, while their global approach looks to unlock opportunities and insights that regionally-focused peers may miss.

Learn more on fundcalibre.com

Please remember, we’ve been discussing individual companies to bring investing to life for you. It’s not a recommendation to buy or sell. The fund may or may not still hold these companies at the time of listening. Elite Ratings are based on FundCalibre’s research methodology and are the opinion of FundCalibre’s research team only.