PWM gathered leading figures from the fixed income world to debate the future of the asset class and the role bonds may play in investors’ portfolios

With yields higher than they have been in years, bonds are once again an interesting option for income-seeking investors, but there are fears what rising rates and an end to QE might mean for the asset class

BlackRock’s global fixed income CIO Rick Rieder talks Turkey, ESG, liquidity and big data

A strengthening dollar led to outflows across emerging market asset classes in recent weeks, with Turkey and Argentina hardest hit. Are they the first in a line of dominos, or are fundamentals strong enough to ride out this turbulence?

With all eyes on the direction of central banks’ monetary policies, investors continue to be frustrated by government bond yields, though there are attractive returns to be found in other areas of the market

Investors have been deprived of the benefits of diversification since the financial crisis as equity and bond returns have mostly been moving in tandem. But the correlation between asset classes has started to fall away, just as it has within equity markets themselves

Given the low yield environment, fixed income investing is less able to play its traditional role. But rather than taking on more risk to hunt for yield, should bonds be used in a more defensive manner to diversify portfolios? 

Greater flexibility in asset allocation, looking across the whole spectrum of equities and fixed income, is something investors should consider