One of the most talked-about and intriguing categories of ETFs is the actively managed ETF. Active ETFs still represent only a small subset of the ETF universe, but a number of high-profile, traditional active managers have considered entering the space with non-transparent strategies.
WisdomTree, a pioneer in active ETFs and a leading active ETF provider since entering this category in 2008, strongly believes that transparency is a major virtue of the ETF structure, especially in the fixed income category.
In fixed income, we see potential benefits to tapping experienced investment managers to better navigate the credit cycle. This may be particularly true in environments where liquidity has become compromised and the low-hanging fruit of early credit cycles is gone.
Under the guidance of Western Asset Management Company (Western Asset)1, the WisdomTree Strategic Corporate Bond Fund (CRDT) has developed an impressive track record since its inception on January 31, 2013.
Since its inception, CRDT has outperformed 94% of all corporate bond mutual funds and ETFs on a risk-adjusted basis (Sharpe Ratio) and 87% of all world bond funds on a similar basis.
Looking at just the corporate bond ETF category, CRDT had the second-best Sharpe ratio (risk-adjusted returns) among 21 funds, ranking it in the top 95% of corporate bond ETFs since its inception and giving it the fifth-best absolute return.
CRDT Performance
CRDT Average Annual Total Returns
Western Asset incorporates both top-down and disciplined bottom-up analysis in uncovering corporate bond opportunities in the United States and around the world. By taking a global view of credit, the team at Western is able to think strategically about what risks are ultimately worth taking.
Window into Western Asset’s Current Views
A primary benefit of the daily transparency of the ETF structure is full knowledge of how a portfolio is positioned every day. An investor can get a window into Western’s worldview based on allocations to CRDT.
Right now, the team managing CRDT is cautiously constructive at current spreads but remains vigilant in monitoring idiosyncratic risks.
Ultimately, effective bond managers are only as good as their investment processes. As we have outlined in this piece, we believe that Western Asset’s approach to fixed income can be a valuable resource to investors seeking to navigate the evolution of global credit markets.
Western Asset is one of premiere value-focused fixed income managers, and CRDT is showing how active ETFs can provide differentiated and meaningfully strong performance—all while providing full transparency.
1Western Asset sub-advises five WisdomTree Funds, as of 3/31/15.
