Active Fixed Income Perspectives Q2 2024: Data dependent (2024)

Active fixed income research team

Active fixed income at Vanguard

Note:Data as of March 31, 2024.

Vanguard perspectives series

For more expert insights, check out:

  • Market perspectives: Turn to Vanguard’s senior economists each month for projected returns and monthly economic highlights on inflation, growth, and expected Fed actions.
  • Portfolio perspectives: Address evolving issues that may affect your clients’ portfolios with monthly updates from our Portfolio Solutions team.
  • ETF perspectives:Quarterly insights from our ETF experts on market perspectives and thought leadership on ETF industry trends.

For more information about Vanguard funds or Vanguard ETFs, visit advisors.vanguard.com or call 800-997-2798 to obtain a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are contained in the prospectus; read and consider it carefully before investing.

Vanguard ETF Shares are not redeemable with the issuing Fund other than in very large aggregations worth millions of dollars. Instead, investors must buy and sell Vanguard ETF Shares in the secondary market and hold those shares in a brokerage account. In doing so, the investor may incur brokerage commissions and may pay more than net asset value when buying and receive less than net asset value when selling.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investing is subject to risk, including possible loss of principal. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.

Bonds of companies based in emerging markets are subject to national and regional political and economic risks and to the risk of currency fluctuations. These risks are especially high in emerging markets.

High-yield bonds generally have medium- and lower-range credit-quality ratings and are therefore subject to a higher level of credit risk than bonds with higher credit-quality ratings.

Bond funds are subject to interest rate risk, which is the chance bond prices overall will decline because of rising interest rates, and credit risk, which is the chance a bond issuer will fail to pay interest and principal in a timely manner or that negative perceptions of the issuer’s ability to make such payments will cause the price of that bond to decline.

U.S. government backing of Treasury or agency securities applies only to the underlying securities and does not prevent share-price fluctuations. Unlike stocks and bonds, U.S. Treasury bills are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest.

Investments in bonds issued by non-U.S. companies are subject to risks including country/regional risk and currency risk.

Although the income from a municipal bond fund is exempt from federal tax, you may owe taxes on any capital gains realized through the fund’s trading or through your own redemption of shares. For some investors, a portion of the fund’s income may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as to the federal Alternative Minimum Tax.

Be aware that fluctuations in the financial markets and other factors may cause declines in the value of your account. There is no guarantee that any particular asset allocation or mix of funds will meet your investment objectives or provide you with a given level of income.

IMPORTANT: The projections and other information generated by the Vanguard Capital Markets Model (VCMM) regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of future results. VCMM results will vary with each use and over time.

The VCMM projections are based on a statistical analysis of historical data. Future returns may behave differently from the historical patterns captured in the VCMM. More important, the VCMM may be underestimating extreme negative scenarios unobserved in the historical period on which the model estimation is based.

The Vanguard Capital Markets Model® is a proprietary financial simulation tool developed and maintained by Vanguard’s primary investment research and advice teams. The model forecasts distributions of future returns for a wide array of broad asset classes. Those asset classes include U.S. and international equity markets, several maturities of the U.S. Treasury and corporate fixed income markets, international fixed income markets, U.S. money markets, commodities, and certain alternative investment strategies. The theoretical and empirical foundation for the Vanguard Capital Markets Model is that the returns of various asset classes reflect the compensation investors require for bearing different types of systematic risk (beta). At the core of the model are estimates of the dynamic statistical relationship between risk factors and asset returns, obtained from statistical analysis based on available monthly financial and economic data from as early as 1960. Using a system of estimated equations, the model then applies a Monte Carlo simulation method to project the estimated interrelationships among risk factors and asset classes as well as uncertainty and randomness over time. The model generates a large set of simulated outcomes for each asset class over several time horizons. Forecasts are obtained by computing measures of central tendency in these simulations. Results produced by the tool will vary with each use and over time.

CFA® is a registered trademark owned by CFA Institute.

Active Fixed Income Perspectives Q2 2024: Data dependent (2024)

FAQs

Which Vanguard bonds to invest in? ›

  • Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND)
  • Vanguard Total International Bond ETF (BNDX)
  • Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW)
  • Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF (VUSB)
  • Vanguard High-Yield Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VWAHX)
  • Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Fund Investor Shares (VCPIX)
May 15, 2024

Should you buy bonds when interest rates are high? ›

Should I only buy bonds when interest rates are high? There are advantages to purchasing bonds after interest rates have risen. Along with generating a larger income stream, such bonds may be subject to less interest rate risk, as there may be a reduced chance of rates moving significantly higher from current levels.

What are the best bond ETFs? ›

9 of the Best Bond ETFs to Buy Now
Bond ETFExpense RatioYield to maturity
iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV)0.07%5.4%
iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (QLTA)0.15%5.3%
SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF (JNK)0.40%7.9%
Pimco Active Bond ETF (BOND)0.55%5.8%
5 more rows
May 7, 2024

What happens to bond funds when interest rates fall? ›

Why interest rates affect bonds. Bond prices have an inverse relationship with interest rates. This means that when interest rates go up, bond prices go down and when interest rates go down, bond prices go up.

What bonds to buy for 2024? ›

Our picks at a glance
FundYieldMinimum investment
American Funds American High-Income Trust Class A (AHITX)6.8%$250
American Century High Income Fund Investor Class (AHIVX)6.9%$2,500
Fidelity Capital & Income Fund (fa*gIX)6.1%$0
BrandywineGLOBAL – High Yield Fund Class A (BGHAX)6.8%$1,000
5 more rows

Which Vanguard fund has the highest return? ›

Top performing investment funds owned by Vanguard worldwide 2024, by one-year return. As of May 2024, the Vanguard Communication Services Index Fund provided the highest one-year return rate. The Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index ranked second having a one-year return rate of 37.4 percent.

Is it a good time to buy bonds in 2024? ›

Starting yields, potential rate cuts and a return to contrasting performance for stocks and bonds could mean an attractive environment for fixed income in 2024.

How much is a $100 savings bond worth after 30 years? ›

How to get the most value from your savings bonds
Face ValuePurchase Amount30-Year Value (Purchased May 1990)
$50 Bond$100$207.36
$100 Bond$200$414.72
$500 Bond$400$1,036.80
$1,000 Bond$800$2,073.60
May 7, 2024

Is it better to buy bonds when inflation is high? ›

While bond returns are typically poor during periods of high inflation, they can provide valuable income when inflation and prices fall. Shares tend to behave differently. Inflation can act as a natural drag on the value of returns investors receive.

Should I buy bond ETFs in 2024? ›

Bond ETFs can offer several potential advantages for investors in 2024, as many analysts expect the economy to slow or enter a recession, which could lead to price appreciation. Bond ETFs also offer other benefits, such as income generation and diversification.

What is the best investment in 2024? ›

Overview: Best investments in 2024
  1. High-yield savings accounts. Overview: A high-yield online savings account pays you interest on your cash balance. ...
  2. Long-term certificates of deposit. ...
  3. Long-term corporate bond funds. ...
  4. Dividend stock funds. ...
  5. Value stock funds. ...
  6. Small-cap stock funds. ...
  7. REIT index funds.

Should I buy bonds directly or through an ETF? ›

For many investors, investing in the right bond funds can be a better option than holding a portfolio of individual bonds. Bond ETFs can provide better diversification — often for a lower cost — can offer higher liquidity, and can be easier to implement.

What is the bond forecast for 2024? ›

In line with the outlook from other investment providers, the firm is forecasting a 5.7% gain in 2024 for U.S. investment-grade bonds, versus 4.9% last year and 2.3% in 2022. (All figures are nominal.) Schwab's 10-year return expectations are well below each asset class' returns from 1970 through October 2023.

Is it good to buy bonds when interest rates are falling? ›

Key Takeaways. Most bonds pay a fixed interest rate that becomes more attractive if interest rates fall, driving up demand and the price of the bond. Conversely, if interest rates rise, investors will no longer prefer the lower fixed interest rate paid by a bond, resulting in a decline in its price.

Are interest rates going down in 2024? ›

But until the Fed sees evidence of slowing economic growth, interest rates will stay higher for longer. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate is expected to fall to the mid-6% range through the end of 2024, potentially dipping into high-5% territory by the end of 2025.

Are bonds a good investment Vanguard? ›

Bonds spread out your portfolio's risk and help reduce the overall chance of loss. Higher bond yields can offer a softer cushion on the downside and a stronger base to grow on the upside. Bond yields tend to hold up better than cash yields when interest rates start declining given their longer time to maturity.

Which type of bond is best to invest in? ›

U.S. government and agency bonds and securities carry the "full faith and credit" guarantee of the U.S. government and are considered one of the safest investments.

What are the best bonds to invest in? ›

  • Top bonds.
  • 10-year Treasury Note.
  • I Savings Bonds.
  • iShares TIPS Bond ETF.
  • Nuveen High-Yield Municipal Bond Fund.
  • Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund.
  • Guggenheim Total Return Bond Fund.
  • Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund.

Does Vanguard have a high-yield bond fund? ›

Vanguard High-Yield Corporate Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of medium- and lower-quality corporate bonds, often referred to as “junk bonds.” Created in 1978, this fund seeks to purchase what the advisor considers higher-rated junk bonds.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Errol Quitzon

Last Updated:

Views: 6157

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Errol Quitzon

Birthday: 1993-04-02

Address: 70604 Haley Lane, Port Weldonside, TN 99233-0942

Phone: +9665282866296

Job: Product Retail Agent

Hobby: Computer programming, Horseback riding, Hooping, Dance, Ice skating, Backpacking, Rafting

Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.