Yield Hunters

If we could sum up 2020 with one word, it would easily be “Coronavirus”. It has roiled financial markets and resulted in lower for longer interest rates, but it’s also given rise to a new type of bonds – Coronavirus Bonds. 

What exactly do these bonds do, and who can issue them? With the internet offering only a vague explanation, we speak to Jackson Chan, Fixed Income Analyst, from the Bondsupermart Team at iFAST Hong Kong to find out more.

Hard Underwriting, NDRC Quota for Chinese issuers; have you heard of these terms that are important to the Bond Origination process? 

Investors typically see the end product which is the bond itself, but what goes on behind the scenes before the bond is issued? 

With 30 years of experience in this field, Ling Peng Meng, previously Head of Fixed Income at DBS Greater China brings you backstage to find out more.

In the second part of our special debate on Bonds vs Bond Funds, we take a closer look at these two fixed income approaches. Does one product really trump the other? Which strategy will deliver more value for investors? 

In the bond universe where you can customise your portfolio with individual bonds or invest in diversified bond funds, which do you choose? In the first of a special 2-part mini-debate, Shawn Teow, Senior Unit Trust Analyst from iFAST Singapore and Tan Chu Ren, Fixed Income Analyst from the Bondsupermart team share their perspectives on Bonds vs Bond Funds - starting with factors like diversification and accessibility.

As interest rates continue to remain low, investors may find themselves stretching for yields. In this episode with Colin Low, Senior Macro Analyst from iFAST Singapore, we discuss the opportunities that investors can consider in this terribly low yield environment - and the easiest way to assess them.

Some are enthusiastic about the prospects of green financing, whereas many remain skeptical. With the rise of it in Asia, we ask Lynda Lin, Fixed Income Analyst from the Bondsupermart team at iFAST Singapore some tough questions about what green bonds can offer, whether they’re better than regular bonds, and if she would invest in them.

We’re used to borrowing money from banks – but have you ever lent money to one? Banks issue countless bonds to finance their operations and meet capital requirements, but why should you lend them money and how do you decide if the bank is credit worthy? Dexter Tan from the Bondsupermart team at iFAST Singapore lays out the must-knows in this episode. Now it’s your turn to credit-rate your bank.

The best way to overcome a fear of bond defaults is by understanding what they are, and how they happen. Ang Chung Yuh, Fixed Income Manager from iFAST Singapore, guides us through the basics surrounding bond defaults and the processes that take place after the announcement of one.

The issuance of sukuks are growing globally, and not just in traditionally Islamic countries. Ganageaswaran Arumugam, Fixed Income Analyst from iFAST Malaysia demystifies sukuk for us, and answers the ever so popular question: do their yields differ from conventional bonds?

Municipal bonds are often associated with government bonds for the safety that they provide. However in China, there’s a distinct difference. In this episode conducted in Mandarin, Dwight Luo, Fixed Income Analyst from the Bondsupermart team at iFAST Hong Kong tells us about the fundamental difference between the two and why they exist.