Understanding High Yield Bonds | PIMCO (2024)

Past performance is not a guarantee or a reliable indicator of future results. All investments contain risk and may lose value. High yield, lower-rated securities involve greater risk than higher-rated securities; portfolios that invest in them may be subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk than portfolios that do not. Investing in the bond market is subject to risks, including market, interest rate, issuer, credit, inflation risk, and liquidity risk. The value of most bonds and bond strategies are impacted by changes in interest rates. Bonds and bond strategies with longer durations tend to be more sensitive and volatile than those with shorter durations; bond prices generally fall as interest rates rise, and the current low interest rate environment increases this risk. Current reductions in bond counterparty capacity may contribute to decreased market liquidity and increased price volatility. Bond investments may be worth more or less than the original cost when redeemed. The credit quality of a particular security or group of securities does not ensure the stability or safety of the overall portfolio. Investors should consult their investment professional prior to making an investment decision.

The correlation of various indexes or securities against one another or against inflation is based upon data over a certain time period. These correlations may vary substantially in the future or over different time periods that can result in greater volatility.

BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield, BB-B Rated, Constrained Index tracks the performance of BB-B Rated US Dollar-denominated corporate bonds publicly issued in the US domestic market. Qualifying bonds are capitalization-weighted provided the total allocation to an individual issuer (defined by Bloomberg tickers) does not exceed 2%. Issuers that exceed the limit are reduced to 2% and the face value of each of their bonds is adjusted on a pro-rata basis. Similarly, the face value of bonds of all other issuers that fall below the 2% cap are increased on a pro-rata basis. The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged market index generally considered representative of the stock market as a whole. The index focuses on the Large-Cap segment of the U.S. equities market. It is not possible to invest directly in an unmanaged index.

This material contains the opinions of the author but not necessarily those of PIMCO and such opinions are subject to change without notice. This material has been distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed.

PIMCO provides services only to qualified institutions and investors. This is not an offer to any person in any jurisdiction where unlawful or unauthorized. | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, 650 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660 is regulated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. | PIMCO Investments LLC, U.S. distributor, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019 is a company of PIMCO. | PIMCO Europe Ltd (Company No. 2604517), PIMCO Europe Ltd - Italy (Company No. 07533910969) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (25 The North Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HS) in the U.K. The Italy branch is additionally regulated by the AFM and CONSOB in accordance with Article 27 of the Italian Consolidated Financial Act, respectively. PIMCO Europe Ltd services and products are available only to professional clients as defined in the Financial Conduct Authority’s Handbook and are not available to individual investors, who should not rely on this communication. | PIMCO Deutschland GmbH (Company No. 192083, Seidlstr. 24-24a, 80335 Munich, Germany) and PIMCO Deutschland GmbH Swedish Branch (SCRO Reg. No. 516410-9190) are authorised and regulated by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) (Marie- Curie-Str. 24-28, 60439 Frankfurt am Main) in Germany in accordance with Section 32 of the German Banking Act (KWG). The Swedish Branch is additionally supervised by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) in accordance with Chapter 25 Sections 12-14 of the Swedish Securities Markets Act. he services provided by PIMCO Deutschland GmbH are available only to professional clients as defined in Section 31a para. 2 German Securities Trading Act (WpHG). They are not available to individual investors, who should not rely on this communication. | PIMCO (Schweiz) GmbH (registered in Switzerland, Company No. CH-020.4.038.582-2), Brandschenkestrasse 41, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland, Tel: + 41 44 512 49 10. The services and products provided by PIMCO Switzerland GmbH are not available to individual investors, who should not rely on this communication but contact their financial adviser. | PIMCO Asia Pte Ltd (8 Marina View, #30-01, Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960, Registration No. 199804652K) is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore as a holder of a capital markets services licence and an exempt financial adviser. The asset management services and investment products are not available to persons where provision of such services and products is unauthorised. PIMCO Asia Limited (Suite 2201, 22nd Floor, Two International Finance Centre, No. 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong) is licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission for Types 1, 4 and 9 regulated activities under the Securities and Futures Ordinance. The asset management services and investment products are not available to persons where provision of such services and products is unauthorised. | PIMCO Australia Pty Ltd ABN 54 084 280 508, AFSL 246862 (PIMCO Australia). This publication has been prepared without taking into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of investors. Before making an investment decision, investors should obtain professional advice and consider whether the information contained herein is appropriate having regard to their objectives, financial situation and needs. | PIMCO Japan Ltd (Toranomon Towers Office 18F, 4-1-28, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 105-0001) Financial Instruments Business Registration Number is Director of Kanto Local Finance Bureau (Financial Instruments Firm) No. 382. PIMCO Japan Ltd is a member of Japan Investment Advisers Association and The Investment Trusts Association, Japan. Investment management products and services offered by PIMCO Japan Ltd are offered only to persons within its respective jurisdiction, and are not available to persons where provision of such products or services is unauthorized. Valuations of assets will fluctuate based upon prices of securities and values of derivative transactions in the portfolio, market conditions, interest rates and credit risk, among others. Investments in foreign currency denominated assets will be affected by foreign exchange rates. There is no guarantee that the principal amount of the investment will be preserved, or that a certain return will be realized; the investment could suffer a loss. All profits and losses incur to the investor. The amounts, maximum amounts and calculation methodologies of each type of fee and expense and their total amounts will vary depending on the investment strategy, the status of investment performance, period of management and outstanding balance of assets and thus such fees and expenses cannot be set forth herein. | PIMCO Canada Corp. (199 Bay Street, Suite 2050, Commerce Court Station, P.O. 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Understanding High Yield Bonds | PIMCO (2024)

FAQs

How does a high-yield bond work? ›

A high-yield corporate bond is a type of corporate bond that offers a higher rate of interest because of its higher risk of default. When companies with a greater estimated default risk issue bonds, they may be unable to obtain an investment-grade bond credit rating.

Is it worth investing in high-yield bonds? ›

Just because a bond issuer is currently rated at lower than investment-grade, that doesn't mean the bond will fail. In fact, in many, many cases, high-yield corporate bonds do not fail at all and pay back much higher returns than their investment-grade counterparts.

Is it good to buy bonds when yields 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.

Are high-yield bonds riskier than stocks? ›

High-yield bonds face higher default rates and more volatility than investment-grade bonds, and they have more interest rate risk than stocks. Emerging market debt and convertible bonds are the main alternatives to high-yield bonds in the high-risk debt category.

What happens to high-yield bonds when interest rates rise? ›

When the Fed increases the federal funds rate, the price of existing fixed-rate bonds decreases and the yields on new fixed-rate bonds increases. The opposite happens when interest rates go down: existing fixed-rate bond prices go up and new fixed-rate bond yields decline.

What are the disadvantages of bonds? ›

Cons
  • Historically, bonds have provided lower long-term returns than stocks.
  • Bond prices fall when interest rates go up. Long-term bonds, especially, suffer from price fluctuations as interest rates rise and fall.

Is there a catch with high-yield savings? ›

Pros and cons of a high-yield savings account

A high-yield savings account offers a higher rate of return on your money compared to standard savings accounts. But some of these accounts charge fees, have minimum balances requirements, and offer variable interest rates that can go up and down over time.

What happens to high-yield bonds in a recession? ›

High yield bonds: High yield or junk bonds usually pay a higher yield and carry a higher credit risk because they are issued by municipalities or companies with a greater risk of defaulting. So during a recession, the price of high yield or junk bonds generally falls.

What percentage of a portfolio should be in high-yield bonds? ›

Meketa Investment Group recommends that most diversified long-term pools consider allocating to high yield bonds, and if they do so, between five and ten percent of total assets in favorable markets, and maintaining a toehold investment even in adverse environments to permit rapid re-allocation should valuations shift.

Can you lose money on bonds if held to maturity? ›

After bonds are initially issued, their worth will fluctuate like a stock's would. If you're holding the bond to maturity, the fluctuations won't matter—your interest payments and face value won't change.

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

Do you lose money when bond yields rise? ›

Rising interest rates affect bond prices because they often raise yields. In turn, rising yields can trigger a short-term drop in the value of your existing bonds. That's because investors will want to buy the bonds that offer a higher yield.

Why not to invest in high-yield bonds? ›

What are the risks? Compared to investment grade corporate and sovereign bonds, high yield bonds are more volatile with higher default risk among underlying issuers. In times of economic stress, defaults may spike, making the asset class more sensitive to the economic outlook than other sectors of the bond market.

Which bond gives the highest return? ›

High yield bonds have the potential to offer higher returns than investment-grade bonds due to their higher interest rates.

When to buy high-yield bonds? ›

High-yield bonds tend to perform best when growth trends are favorable, investors are confident, defaults are low or falling, and yield spreads provide room for added appreciation.

Do high-yield bonds pay dividends? ›

The interest and dividends from high-yield bonds is taxed in the same manner as any other type of taxable interest or dividend that is paid from corporate bonds. There may be OID issues in some cases, and capital gains and losses may be realized for those who trade these securities in the secondary market.

How to take advantage of high bond yields? ›

You can capitalize on higher rates by purchasing real estate and selling off unneeded assets. Short-term and floating-rate bonds are also suitable investments during rising rates as they reduce portfolio volatility. Hedge your bets by investing in inflation-proof investments and instruments with credit-based yields.

How does high-yield interest work? ›

With a high-yield savings account, the interest you're earning on the principal is increased, as is the interest you earn on that interest. How often your interest is compounded depends on the account. Some compound daily, others monthly. The more frequently your interest compounds, the greater your return.

Why would anyone invest in a junk bond? ›

Junk bonds are a high-risk investment, but they offer the potential for higher returns than investment-grade bonds. Junk bonds, also known as high-yield bonds, are best suited for investors who are willing to take on more risk in order to achieve higher returns.

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