Specialist in Asia Pacific, Japan, China, India and South East Asia and Global Emerging Market equities.
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Specialists in equity portfolios in Asia Pacific, emerging markets, global and sustainable investment strategies
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This is a financial promotion for The First Sentier Asian Fixed Income Strategy. This information is for professional clients only in the EEA and elsewhere where lawful. Investing involves certain risks including:
- The value of investments and any income from them may go down as well as up and are not guaranteed. Investors may get back significantly less than the original amount invested.
- Credit risk: The issuers of bonds or similar investments may not pay income or repay capital when due.
- Charges to capital risk: The fees and expenses may be charged against the capital property. Deducting expenses from capital reduces the potential for capital growth.
- Single country / specific region risk: investing in a single country or specific region may be riskier than investing in a number of different countries or regions. Investing in a larger number of countries or regions helps spread risk.
- Below investment grade risk: Below investment grade debt securities are speculative and involve a greater risk of default and price changes than investment grade debt securities due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness. In periods of general economic difficulty, the market prices may fluctuate and decline significantly.
- Interest rate risk: bond prices have an inverse relationship with interest rates such that when interest rates rise, bonds may fall in value. Rising interest rates may cause the value of your investment to fall.
- Emerging market risk: Emerging markets tend to be more sensitive to economic and political conditions than developed markets. Other factors include greater liquidity risk, restrictions on investment or transfer of assets, failed/delayed settlement and difficulties valuing securities.
For details of the firms issuing this information and any funds referred to, please see Terms and Conditions and Important Information.
For a full description of the terms of investment and the risks please see the Prospectus and Key Investor Information Document for each Fund.
If you are in any doubt as to the suitability of our funds for your investment needs, please seek investment advice.
Opportunity within fast growing and diverse economies
Having witnessed an unrivalled transformation and expansion over the last decade, we believe Asian markets are set to become the economic engine of the world.
Investors have the opportunity to benefit from this increasingly diversified asset class, with ample liquidity and volatility akin to that of developed markets.
PK Founder Group – steering clear of a default
China-based diversified conglomerate PK Founder Group operates across IT, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, bulk commodities trading, education and training.
PK Founder Group did not have an external rating by international rating agencies, which is quite common among domestic companies in China. When the issuer first came to the international bond market in 2017 unrated, we assigned an ‘investment grade’ rating, with a view that there would be a high probability of support from the Government of China, despite the company’s relatively weak standalone financials. The bond issue was also attractively valued relative to other state-owned Chinese university issuers at the time.
After several interactions with the management, we concluded that the USD bond proceeds were being pledged against the company’s onshore borrowing facilities. This alarmed us as management was not transparent with regards to the structural subordination for offshore investors. The group quickly became a commercialised conglomerate, expanding into non-strategic mandates such as property. In our view, this severely weakened the likelihood of future government support.
The group’s total debt surged by >USD20 billion by end-FY18, (+31% year-on-year increase), and five additional USD bonds (totalling US$1 billion) were issued during the first six months of 2019. Concern were raised after meeting with management, and analysing the latest financials. Positions in our credit portfolios were trimmed and subsequently sold completely. The internal credit rating was subsequently downgraded into the ‘high yield’ category. Following the disposal, the bonds depreciated sharply. In December 2019, the group missed a bond repayment. This ‘default’ resulted in a very sharp deterioration in the value of the bonds.
Source/I FSI as at 31 August 2020.
Meet the team
Jamie Grant
Nigel Foo
Nicole Hsieh
Adrian Au
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