Definition: Also known as high yield, junk bonds are bonds that have credit quality ratings below investment grade (a rating below BBB by Standard &Poor's or below Baa by Moody's credit rating agencies. AAA is highest). A bond can receive a lower credit rating because of the risk of default on the part of the entity issuing the bond. Therefore, because of this higher relative risk, the entities issuing these bonds will pay higher interest rates to compensate the investors for taking the risk of buying the bonds, thus the name high yield.
Think of a personal credit score. Individuals with poor credit history, or those whose financial positions are weak, will be given lower credit scores and will therefore be charged higher interest rates for borrowing. The same rationale is followed by the agencies giving credit quality ratings to the bond-issuing entities, such as corporations, governments and municipalities: Poor credit history or weak financial position equals higher interest rates for borrowers. In the case of bonds, the issuing entity is the borrower and the bond investor is the lender.
Conversely the high credit quality bonds are above investment grade. Entities with high ratings will be rewarded by paying lower interest rates for borrowing.
Investment Strategy, Timing & Risks of Junk Bond Mutual Funds
The fundamental rationale for investing in securities with higher relative risk is simple to understand -- higher relative risk can translate into higher relative returns. However, the world of fixed income is a complex one; the market risks of investing in junk bonds and high yield bond mutual funds are widely misunderstood.
Bond funds prices are related to interest rates and inflation and bond prices move in opposite direction as bond yields. Through actions of the Federal Reserve, interest rates can be increased or decreased, to slow down an overheated economy or to stimulate a weak one, respectively, whichever is appropriate in The Fed's judgment of prevailing economic conditions. Interest rates are generally rising during periods of strong economic growth and are generally declining in recessionary environments.
Investors and the capital markets also affect bond prices and yields. Investors are not as willing to pay as much in price for a high-risk bond but they are willing to pay more for low-risk bonds. Think of recessionary periods where the investor herd is moving away from perceived risk and toward perceived safety. As more and more investors demand "safety," the demand pushes prices higher and yields lower for the safest investments with the highest credit ratings, such as US Treasuries. When economies begin to look healthy again, investors increasingly move out of perceived safety and into higher risk areas. This pushes the higher risk (i.e. junk bond) prices higher and the opposite occurs for the "safe" bonds--interest rates (yields) move higher as prices decline due to lower demand by the investor herd.
Therefore, a loose and big picture view for investment strategy is to be one step ahead of the herd (and the Federal Reserve). Prior to and during recession, the high credit quality, low risk bond funds (those investing in US Treasuries and above investment grade corporate bonds) can be a smart move. Toward the end of recession, an investor could begin shifting into the low credit quality, high risk junk (high yield) bond funds and ride prices higher as the economy improves. In summary, the best time to invest in junk bonds is in the latter stages of recession, precisely at the time when no one else wants them.
Mutual Fund Tips and Cautions
Due to the complexities of bond investing and the risk of market timing, most investors will do well investing in a bond fund with experienced management. This way, you can leave the navigation of this complex credit world to those who understand it -- the best bond fund managers.
If your investment objective is intermediate to long-term (at least 3 years or more) and you want to gain exposure to high relative risk, you might consider a fund such as Loomis Sayles Bond (LSBRX), which has a management team with dozens of years of experience, including Dan Fuss, who has managed bond portfolios for more than 50 years. LSBRX is a "multi-sector" bond fund, which means it can invest in almost any type of bond, including junk bonds, foreign bonds and emerging markets bonds.
Of course, even the best bond fund managers can make mistakes. Therefore, you may want to look closer into some reasons why to use bond index funds.
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided for discussion purposes only, and should not be misconstrued as investment advice. Under no circumstances does this information represent a recommendation to buy or sell securities.