Tag Archives: black

Why To Stay The Course In This New Age Of Volatility

Stocks tumbled again last week, as investors digested further evidence of slowing growth in China and numerous, somewhat conflicting, statements from various Federal Reserve (Fed) officials. Investors today find themselves in a bind of sorts, caught between two somewhat contradictory risks: an emerging market-induced slowdown in the global economy and the prospect of an upcoming interest rate hike by the Fed. So, it’s understandable that many are tempted to head for the doors and abandon stocks and other risky assets. But rather than exit the markets, investors should consider staying the course and seek potential opportunities along the way as we enter the Fall season, while recognizing that more volatility could be ahead. As I write in my new commentary, ” Time to Take Stock – and Advantage of Pockets of Value ,” at BlackRock, we still favor a portfolio tilted toward equities, select credit, tax-exempt bonds and inflation protection through Treasury Inflation Protected Securities ( OTC:TIPS ) rather than physical commodities. In addition, we view the recent sell-off as an opportunity to take advantage of some pockets of value that have emerged , as well as assets that may be well positioned for today’s “Fed hike, but still low-growth environment.” Here’s a look at some of these market segments: Market Segments to Consider 1. Stocks in International Developed Markets, Particularly in Europe European stocks remain attractively priced and the eurozone economy is improving, as demonstrated by data accessible via Bloomberg. Last week, such data revealed that euro area unemployment fell to the lowest level in three years. In addition, given stubbornly low inflation and investor concerns over global growth, there’s also the prospect for an extension of Europe’s current quantitative easing program, as many in the media speculated last week. 2. Large-Cap, Cyclical Stocks in the U.S. In the U.S., I believe large-cap, cyclical-oriented companies look to be in a good position to withstand the start of the Fed’s tightening cycle. The U.S. economic outlook is less than ideal, but U.S. economic data in recent weeks still suggest a decent second half to the year . 3. Credit Within Fixed Income Despite recent equity market volatility, high yield has stabilized over the past week and yields remain attractive, according to data accessible via Bloomberg. Investment-grade credit is also looking cheap, the data show, although investors may want to hold off until later this Fall, given pending supply. 4. Tax-Exempt Bonds Finally, tax-exempt bonds are offering compelling yields relative to taxable instruments of the same maturity, based on my analysis of the Bloomberg data. Despite the recent rise in volatility, municipals have held up relatively well. To be sure, there are areas of the market that I remain cautious of, including U.S. Treasuries and commodities. On the former, with inflation expectations still near recent lows, investors may want to get duration through TIPS rather than through traditional Treasuries. Commodities, meanwhile, have struggled all year and should continue to be pressured by sluggish growth, oversupply and the potential for a Fed-induced strengthening of the dollar. Investors also should prepare for more bumps in the road. Though the recent correction has returned some value to the markets , I expect volatility to remain elevated until either global growth stabilizes and/or investors get some clarity from the Fed. This post originally appeared on the BlackRock Blog.

Inside Vanguard’s New Muni Bond ETF

Vanguard Group, known for its low-cost offerings, has been making great strides in recent times in launching products on varied themes. At present, it is offering around 70 U.S. listed ETFs, and has managed to secure the second position (with about $457.1 billion market cap) among the top 10 fund sponsors list, following BlackRock (NYSE: BLK ). Most recently, the issuer stepped into the muni bond market. The fund trades under the name of Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (NYSEARCA: VTEB ). Let’s look into the fund. The Proposed Fund in Focus As per the prospectus , the fund looks to track the performance of the investment-grade U.S. municipal bond market. The goal will be achieved by tracking the S&P’s National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index. The basket is long-duration in nature. The fund charges 12 bps in fees, and the expense ratio is 86% less than the average expense ratio charged by funds with similar constituents. How Does it Fit in a Portfolio? Municipal bonds are great picks for investors seeking a steady stream of tax-free income. Usually, the interest income from munis is exempt from federal tax, and sometimes even state taxes, making these especially attractive to investors in the high tax bracket looking to reduce their tax liability. The proposed fund also looks to follow munis that have their interests excused by U.S. federal income taxes and the federal Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). However, investors should note that tax-free bonds have lower yields than taxable bonds. With the increase in the U.S. taxes, the demand for municipal bonds has grown by leaps and bounds among high earners. The best part of the fund is that it includes high-quality muni bonds. Recently, the sentiment about the creditworthiness of some munis like Puerto Rico soured. Also, a gradually improving U.S. economy will provide relief to investors, as the credit quality of the municipal bonds could improve, thereby reducing default rates. Though yields will likely rise in the coming days, as the Fed is set to hike rates sometime in 2015, the tax benefit will look more promising with rising yields. For example, a 10% yield translates into 18% (for high tax payers) after considering the tax exemption as noted by Bloomberg . Probably this is why Vanguard has endorsed the idea of tax exemption the most. ETF Competition The fund has managed to amass about $50 million in assets within just 10 days of launch, which can be considered as a benchmark of its success. After all, Vanguard is known as a low-cost producer. VTEB is the lowest-cost product in the muni bond ETF space (see all muni bond ETFs here ). Still, this new fund has big competition in the form of the iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF (NYSEARCA: MUB ). MUB is the highest-grossing muni ETF, with about $5.2 billion assets. Plus, this fund also tracks the same index, i.e. the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index, to provide exposure to a basket of 2,782 investment-grade securities. The average maturity for MUB stands at 5.54 years, while the duration is 4.74 years. The fund has a 30-day SEC yield of 1.73% and charges 25 basis points as expenses per year. In a nutshell, though Vanguard made a late entry to this thriving space, it is off to a strong start. Going forward, it should not face hurdles in garnering investors’ money, despite iShares’ presence with an ultra-popular product. Original Post