Enhancing DC Plan Menus with Multi-Sector Fixed Income | PIMCO Income Fund
Text on screen: PIMCO
Text on screen: Prerna Gupta, SVP, FIXED INCOME PRODUCT STRATEGY
Gupta: In today's environment of heightened macro volatility, retirement plan investors can face a challenging investment landscape. This has led more plan sponsors and consultants to reassess the fixed income options available on DC plan menus today, with a goal of increasing fixed income diversification and taking advantage of a broader fixed income opportunity set beyond the Bloomberg Aggregate. Here at PIMCO we also believe it makes sense to reassess your fixed income options, as today’s market backdrop is one of the most attractive entry points for fixed income investments in recent history.
TITLE: 10-year government bond yields. Image on screen: A bar chart measures 10-year government bond yields from December 31, 2019, through September 28, 2024. From left to right it shows: U.S. government yields, in 2019 the yield was 1.9% and in 2024 the yield was 3.8%; Germany government yields, in 2019 the yield was 2.1% and in 2024 the yield was 3.6%; UK yields, in 2019 the yield was 2.1% and in 2024 the yield was 3.6%; Canada government yields, in 2019 the yield was 1.8% and in 2024 the yield was 3.9%; Australia government yields, in 2019 the yield was 2.2% and in 2024 the yield was 4.3%; Brazil government yields, in 2019 the yield was 5.1% and in 2024 the yield was 7.4%; Mexico government yields, in 2019 the yield was 1.5% and in 2024 the yield was 3.7%; Indonesia government yields, in 2019 the yield was 4.3% and in 2024 the yield was 5.1%; Hungary government yields, in 2019 the yield was 3.8% and in 2024 the yield was 5.0%;
As we have seen a repricing of interest rates, yields across global fixed income markets are elevated.
TITLE: Yield vs. 5 year forward return. Image on screen: The line chart plots two lines the BBG US Aggregate Bond Index Yield in blue and the BBG US Aggregate Bond Index Yield 5 Year Return in green from 1976 to 2024. It shows that over the 40-year period, the two indexes have been fairly tightly correlated, moving closely together with a few periods with slightly lower correlations; those include the early 1980s, 1988 and more recently in 2016. All in all the correlation between the two indexes is 94% as stated in green box inside the chart. There is also blue box that reads Current yield US Agg: 4.2%, and text in burgundy that reads Average yield since 2010: 2.7%.
This is critical as the starting yield profile of fixed income investments is highly correlated with forward looking returns.
We believe multi-sector fixed income’s ability to navigate the many market cycles a retirement investor will face makes it an attractive option to consider DC plans today. Furthermore, expanding to a broader opportunity set may help to further advance retirement plan participants' investment objectives of, one income generation and two portfolio diversification.
Why do we think multi-sector fixed income solutions like the PIMCO Income Fund are so popular in DC today.
One, It’s the ability to seek to provide reliable income for decumulation without sacrificing growth for accumulation.
For the spenders of the plan: Based on PIMCO’s internal behavioral research, retirees today prefer to preserve principal and primarily spend income to balance longevity risk.
Text on screen: PIMCO INCOME Strategy: Balanced Multisector Approach to Providing Consistent Income. On the left-hand-side, there are four bullets. The first bullet reads: Balanced Approach: allocate across high quality and higher yielding in seeking to provide consistent and diversified sources of return. The second bullet reads Flexibility: Benchmark-agnostic allowing for a flexible, actively managed approach to invest across the $136 trillion bond market. The third bullet reads Experienced PM Team: Led by Group CIO Dan Ivascyn, Alfred Murata and Johs Anderson. The fourth bullet reads PIMCO’s Fixed Income Expertise: Leverages PIMCO’s robust top down and bottom up analytics across sectors along with scale and relationships across global fixed income markets. A Blue bar at the bottom reads The Income Fund has provided investors with consistent income and attractive returns for 17+ years. On the right side of the image, there is a scale equally balancing the words Generate Yield and Capital Preservation.
The PIMCO Income Fund, being a multi-sector strategy that focuses on seeking high-and-consistent-income generation, can be an attractive solution for retirees looking to maximize income in a risk managed framework.
For those looking to diversify and grow their balances: From a risk-return perspective, a multi-sector fixed income strategy can be a higher-yielding complement to Core Bonds with low correlations.
Text on screen: Adjusting Exposures dynamically while balancing yield with capital preservation objectives. Sub copy: Income Fund’s balanced multisector approach: bullet one – PIMCO Income’s process can include allocating across higher yielding and higher quality assets; bullet two – We empathize risk management and a “bend but don’t break” credit philosophy to withstand market volatility. The chart that follows shows how PIMCO Income Funds allocations by market value have changed across the following asset classes and sectors: Cash, Government Related, Agency Mortgage-backed Securities (MBS), Non-U.S. Developed Markets, Asset-backed Securities, Commercial Mortgage-backed Securities (CMBS), Non US Residential Mortgage-backed Securities (RMBS), Investment Grade Credit, Non-Agency MBS, Emerging Markets, Bank Loans and other high yield securities from the fund’s inception on March 30, 2007, through 3Q 2024. The chart demonstrates how the fund has been able to dial up and down its exposure to these different asset classes. For example, in 2007, the fund had a much higher allocation to Agency AMBS than it did in 2015 and 2016, when that allocation was at its lowest. In 2024, the fund’s allocations by market value remained relatively steady throughout the year; in order from highest to lowest these allocations are as follows: Agency MBS, Non-Agency MBS, Government Related, ABS, IG Credit, Non-US RMBS, High Yield, CMBS, Emerging Markets, Bank Loans, Cash, other.
The PIMCO Income Fund utilizes a global and diversified approach, spanning both higher quality and higher yielding securities, and aims to capture the best ideas across the fixed income market. Pairing such a strategy with core bonds may help participants further diversify risk exposures without compromising on yields.
Two, the ability to provide fixed income diversification in a single solution. Today's market environment also demands a fixed-income option that can nimbly and dynamically manage duration and credit risks. This is incredibly hard for a retirement investor to manage. Absent benchmark constraints, the PIMCO Income Fund can flexibly pivot to where we believe the market's best opportunities lie, helping retirement investors navigate the many markets they will face over their lifetime.
Text on screen: Built with resiliency in mind. There are three different colored circles with text underneath them; from left to right they are: Blue circle with dollar sign in the middle, text reads: Seek consistent income; Green circle with three arrows rising up in different directions, text reads: Be global and flexible; Burgundy circle with exclamation mark in the middle, text reads: Focus on downside risk.
In summary, multi-sector fixed income solutions like the PIMCO Income Fund offer a compelling option for retirement plan investors today. By focusing on income generation, capital appreciation, and portfolio diversification, the strategy can help participants navigate today's volatile market environment as they seek to achieve their investment objectives.
Text on screen: For more insights and information visit pimco.com
Text on screen: PIMCO
Disclosure
Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the funds carefully before investing. This and other information are contained in the fund’s prospectus and summary prospectus, if available, which may be obtained by contacting your investment professional or PIMCO representative or by visiting www.pimco.com. Please read them carefully before you invest or send money.
Investments made by a Fund and the results achieved by a Fund are not expected to be the same as those made by any other PIMCO-advised Fund, including those with a similar name, investment objective or policies. A new or smaller Fund’s performance may not represent how the Fund is expected to or may perform in the long-term. New Funds have limited operating histories for investors to evaluate and new and smaller Funds may not attract sufficient assets to achieve investment and trading efficiencies. A Fund may be forced to sell a comparatively large portion of its portfolio to meet significant shareholder redemptions for cash, or hold a comparatively large portion of its portfolio in cash due to significant share purchases for cash, in each case when the Fund otherwise would not seek to do so, which may adversely affect performance.
It is important to note that differences exist between the fund’s daily internal accounting records, the fund’s financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and recordkeeping practices under income tax regulations. It is possible that the fund may not issue a Section 19 Notice in situations where the fund’s financial statements prepared later and in accordance with U.S. GAAP and/or the final tax character of those distributions might later report that the sources of those distributions included capital gains and/or a return of capital. Please see the fund’s most recent shareholder report for more details.
Although the Fund may seek to maintain stable distributions, the Fund’s distribution rates may be affected by numerous factors, including but not limited to changes in realized and projected market returns, fluctuations in market interest rates, Fund performance, and other factors. There can be no assurance that a change in market conditions or other factors will not result in a change in the Fund’s distribution rate or that the rate will be sustainable in the future.
For instance, during periods of low or declining interest rates, the Fund’s distributable income and dividend levels may decline for many reasons. For example, the Fund may have to deploy uninvested assets (whether from purchases of Fund shares, proceeds from matured, traded or called debt obligations or other sources) in new, lower yielding instruments. Additionally, payments from certain instruments that may be held by the Fund (such as variable and floating rate securities) may be negatively impacted by declining interest rates, which may also lead to a decline in the Fund’s distributable income and dividend levels.
A word about risk: Investing in the bond market is subject to risks, including market, interest rate, issuer, credit, inflation risk, and liquidity risk. The value of most bonds and bond strategies are impacted by changes in interest rates. Bonds and bond strategies with longer durations tend to be more sensitive and volatile than those with shorter durations; bond prices generally fall as interest rates rise, and low interest rate environments increase this risk. Reductions in bond counterparty capacity may contribute to decreased market liquidity and increased price volatility. Bond investments may be worth more or less than the original cost when redeemed. Investing in foreign denominated and/or domiciled securities may involve heightened risk due to currency fluctuations, and economic and political risks, which may be enhanced in emerging markets. Mortgage and asset-backed securities may be sensitive to changes in interest rates, subject to early repayment risk, and their value may fluctuate in response to the market’s perception of issuer creditworthiness; while generally supported by some form of government or private guarantee there is no assurance that private guarantors will meet their obligations. High-yield, lower-rated, securities involve greater risk than higher-rated securities; portfolios that invest in them may be subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk than portfolios that do not. Equities may decline in value due to both real and perceived general market, economic, and industry conditions. Derivatives may involve certain costs and risks such as liquidity, interest rate, market, credit, management and the risk that a position could not be closed when most advantageous. Investing in derivatives could lose more than the amount invested. Diversification does not ensure against loss.
Statements concerning financial market trends or portfolio strategies are based on current market conditions, which will fluctuate. There is no guarantee that these investment strategies will work under all market conditions or are appropriate for all investors and each investor should evaluate their ability to invest for the long term, especially during periods of downturn in the market. Investors should consult their investment professional prior to making an investment decision. Outlook and strategies are subject to change without notice.
Correlation is a statistical measure of how two securities move in relation to each other. The correlation of various indexes or securities against one another or against inflation is based upon data over a certain time period. These correlations may vary substantially in the future or over different time periods that can result in greater volatility.
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Index represents securities that are SEC-registered, taxable, and dollar denominated. The index covers the U.S. investment grade fixed rate bond market, with index components for government and corporate securities, mortgage pass-through securities, and asset-backed securities. These major sectors are subdivided into more specific indices that are calculated and reported on a regular basis. It is not possible to invest directly in an unmanaged index.
PIMCO as a general matter provides services to qualified institutions, financial intermediaries and institutional investors. Individual investors should contact their own financial professional to determine the most appropriate investment options for their financial situation. This material contains the opinions of the manager and such opinions are subject to change without notice. This material has been distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission. PIMCO is a trademark of Allianz Asset Management of America LLC in the United States and throughout the world. ©2024, PIMCO.
PIMCO Investments LLC, distributor, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, is a company of PIMCO.
CMR2024-0927-3889046