Investment managers hear Neuberger Berman’s bull, bear and base case scenarios and the outlook for credit markets.
The best path for some fixed-income investors amid the uncertainty created by the pandemic may be to follow the lead of the Federal Reserve and buy assets that the US central bank is buying to keep credit markets liquid. That was among the key takeaways about asset allocation at a NeuGroup virtual meeting of treasury investment managers in late April sponsored by Neuberger Berman.
Bull, bear or base case. Neuberger Berman shared with members its investment playbook, which lays out three scenarios for economic recovery:
- Base case: “U-shaped” recovery
- Bull case: “V-shaped” recovery
- Bear case: “L-shaped” recovery
Medical, not economic. One of the Neuberger Berman presenters called the bull case somewhat “implausible,” while another said that investors betting on the bear case should definitely “follow the Fed.” The scenario that ultimately plays out, he said, will be determined more by “medical” facts than traditional economic forces. He added that watching what happens in countries farther along the coronavirus curve than the US will indicate whether the recovery is W-shaped, following second waves of infections.
Update: differentiation. In mid-May, Neuberger Berman’s asset allocation committee (ACC) wrote in a report that “after ‘following the Fed’ in the wake of the central bank’s interventions in credit markets, investors appear to have moved quickly to differentiate the strong from the vulnerable, reminding us of the importance of robust fundamental research in the current environment.”
What to do now. Following the meeting, one of the presenters said the following when asked for advice for corporate treasurers looking to add yield:
- Extending maturities modestly makes sense as we think the Fed will be on hold for a significant period.
- Although they have tightened off the [widest spreads], things like AAA-rated ABS, CMBS, and mortgage product make sense.
- Although riskier, we like AAA-rated CLOs and short duration investment grade corporate securities as well.
Retracement but value. At the meeting, the presenters said that although spreads had tightened significantly on high-quality corporate debt, valuations remained attractive, a point reiterated by Neuberger Berman’s fixed income strategy committee in a subsequent report. It stated that weak economic growth will create challenges for pockets of credit markets—amid strong central bank support.
- “The combination of these two ideas leaves us focused on high-quality fixed income investments, which in our view have substantial upside even after the recent retracement in markets. A world of zero yields will ultimately drive investors toward quality investments that are supported by global central banks,” the committee wrote.
Pretty bullish. In a follow-up discussion, one of the presenters said Neuberger Berman thinks “this can be an environment where credit spreads and risk assets reach pretty bullish outcomes.”