Tag Archives: PowerShares Senior Loan ETF

Chasing Yield Chapter 3: High-Yld Corporate Bond ETFs v. Bank Loan ETFs

etfcomlogoBelow extract courtesy of  ETF.com and reporter Cinthia Murphy

When it comes to capturing yield in the corporate debt space, ETF investors are showing a preference this year for senior bank loans over high-yield corporate bonds. That preference, some argue, is largely due to what looks like an overvalued junk corporate bond segment, but it is a choice that has its trade-offs.

In a recent webcast discussing his views on the market, DoubleLine’s Jeff Gundlach pointed out that in 2014, he has opted for bank loans over high-yield corporates for that very reason: overvaluation in the high-yield segment. But as one advisor recently asked, “Is there any asset today that isn’t overvalued?”

The S&P 500 is up 200 percent from its March 2009 lows without serious signs of economic expansion; long-dated Treasurys are at multi-month highs, rallying in tandem with the stock market this year; and riskier fare such as emerging markets are in back in vogue. “Overvalued” could be a relative term these days.

Consider two ETFs as proxy for these separate segments: Continue reading