Displaying items by tag: activeETFs

We are seeing a flurry of active fixed income ETF launches over the past few months. While it’s nearly settled that with equities, passive tends to outperform active strategies, active fixed income strategies have performed better than passive fixed income especially in recent years. 

Further, there is considerable uncertainty around the economy regarding rates, inflation, and a potential recession which could lead to more opportunities for active managers. Additionally, active managers have more latitude in terms of duration and credit quality.

Therefore, money is flowing into active fixed income ETFs from mutual funds and passive bond funds. For Barron’s, Lauren Foster discusses whether these inflows into active fixed ETFs will continue or is it just a short-term fad. 

Money is likely to also flow into active fixed income ETFs from active fixed income mutual funds given that the ETFs offer several benefits such as lower fees, more transparency, and intraday liquidity. The younger generation of investors also tend to favor ETFs rather than mutual funds due to higher comfort levels and an understanding of how high fees can impact long-term performance. 

However, the ultimate factor is whether these ETFs will continue to deliver strong returns relative to passive fixed income ETFs and active fixed income mutual funds. So far, they seem to be offering the best of both worlds to investors. 

Finsum: A major theme in 2023 has been the rise of active fixed income ETFs. But, there is considerable doubt whether these will gain traction and are better than passive fixed income ETFs or active fixed income mutual funds.

In an article for Citywire, David Stevenson discusses whether active fixed income or equity ETFs will displace mutual funds. Already, passive equity funds have replaced mutual funds as the preferred vehicle for investors and institutions given lower costs, more transparency, and better returns over long time periods. 

On the fixed income side, it’s a bit more challenging given that active funds have a track record of outperforming passive funds. In large part, this is because active funds have more latitude in terms of duration and credit quality that are not available to passive funds. 

However, Stevenson is skeptical that active ETFs will be able to completely replace mutual funds. He sees many active ETFs as being mutual funds in an ‘ETF package’ with a slightly lower fee. He is also skeptical that active fixed income will continue to outperform over the long-term. 

As evidence, he cites the lack of inflows into active ETFs despite a spate of launches over the past year. So far, active funds only account for 5.8% of assets under management, while passive makes up the rest. Of this, active fixed income ETFs have seen 9% of total bond flows, totaling only $8.5 billion, while passive fixed fixed income ETFs have seen $75 billion of inflows. 

Finsum: Active fixed income funds have performed well YTD but still are not seeing significant inflows despite a number of new issues in the past year. 

Elana Margulies-Snyderman of EisnerAmper conducted an interview with Liridon Gila, the Co-CIO of Sawgrass Asset Management, to get his thoughts on active equity and fixed income. 

Gila starts with a broad view by trying to identify where we are in the economic cycle, and how monetary and fiscal policy will move in reaction which causes its own ripple effects for markets and the economy.

Currently, he sees a challenging environment for risk assets as the odds of a recession continue to rise. Despite this, the Federal Reserve is maintaining its hawkish posture and pulling liquidity from the market. Fiscal policy has been a major driver of the economy over the last couple of years, but this is unlikely to continue to be a tailwind given a divided Congress.

While he is wary of equities, he is more optimistic about fixed income. This is primarily because he expects that inflation has already peaked which would be a healthy tailwind for bonds. Additionally, he sees a normalization of inflation and rates over the next couple of years which means that current yields are quite attractive and unlikely to remain at these lofty levels. 

Finsum: Active fixed income is a great strategy for the current market given rising odds of a recession, peaking inflation, and very attractive yields.

In an article for Vettafi, Todd Rosenblum covers the growth of active equity and fixed income funds, and how they are taking an increasing share of the ETF market. 

The category has seen 50% growth in assets over the last 3 years and now comprises 6% of the total ETF market. In response to this demand, there has been an increase in the issuance of active ETFs. 

It’s particularly relevant for fixed income as active funds can take advantage of opportunities unavailable to passive funds. One example is the Blackrock Flexible Income ETF which is designed to give investors opportunities for yield in more obscure markets. 

Blackrock is a major presence in the active ETF market and also recently launched the BlackRock Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF and the BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF. Overall, Blackrock is looking to create a comprehensive ‘active ETF platform that complements its existing lineup of passive ETFs and active mutual funds. It gives advisors and investors access to its investment resources and management while retaining the benefits of an ETF. 

Finsum: Active ETFs are booming, and Blackrock is looking to capitalize with several recent offerings in the space.

In an article for IFAMagazine, Meg Brantley discusses how active fixed income ETFs staged a turnaround in early March. The asset class was moving lower as it seemed that the economy would continue growing at a rapid clip, adding further fuel to inflation.  However, there was a negative shock to the economy as Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse had to be rescued. In turn, risks to the financial system climbed, and there was a stunning turnaround for fixed income. The 2-year Treasury note dropped 119 basis points in three days which was the largest drop since 1987. 

For financial markets, it was a major sea-change, and it seems to have marked the bottom in bonds which have been steadily trending higher. Odds of a recession and rate cuts in the first half of 2024 also climbed higher which further contributed to strength in fixed income. 

These events have contributed to volatility but also led to opportunity for active fixed-income managers. The forces of a hawkish Fed and raging inflation which dominated 2022 created a negative backdrop for fixed income. Now, the macro backdrop for fixed income has gotten more constructive especially with inflation and rates trending in the right direction. 

Finsum: In March, the landscape for active fixed income shifted dramatically. Looking forward, the asset class is offering some compelling opportunities.