Fallen Angels Retain Their Halos in 2015

Fallen Angels Retain Their Halos in 2015 ETFs is authored by VanEck thought leaders. VanEck is the sponsor of Market Vectors ETFs and is currently among the largest providers of exchange traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. and worldwide. Market Vectors ETFs empower investors to help build better portfolios with access to compelling investment themes and strategies. Our ETFs span many global asset classes, and are built to be transparent, liquid, and pure-play reflections of target markets.

Authored by Meredith Larson, Product Manager, ETFs

Performance Helped by Higher Credit Quality and Lower Energy Exposure

Fallen angels, corporate high yield bonds that were originally issued with investment grade credit ratings, proved more resilient than the broad high yield bond market in 2015.

Generally characterized by higher average credit quality than the broad high yield bond market, fallen angels outperformed by approximately 1.40%, as measured by the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index (-3.24%) versus the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index (-4.64%). Higher average credit quality, lower average exposure to the energy sector, and higher average credit quality within the energy sector were main factors that helped fallen angels end the year ahead of the broad high yield bond market.

Less Weight in Exploration & Production

While the energy sector allocation among fallen angels increased in 2015 (from 4.3% to 13.3%) as the broad high yield bond market’s decreased (from 13.3% to 10.9%), it was fallen angels’ significantly lower yearend industry weight in exploration and production (E&P) that primarily contributed to outperformance. At 0.48%, fallen angels were less exposed to E&P than the broad high yield bond market, which ended 2015 with 4.89% in E&P, arguably one of the energy sector’s more vulnerable industries to the oil price collapse.

Declining oil and commodity prices had a greater relative impact on fallen angels’ 4Q 2015 performance, as fallen angels underperformed the broad high yield bond market by 74 basis points. While the energy sector grew from fallen angel entrants throughout 2015, none were E&P bonds. Furthermore, the fallen angel universe maintained its higher average credit quality, ending 2015 with 81.6% in BB-rated (below investment grade) bonds versus the broad high yield bond market’s 48.4%.

Sector Biases Drove Fallen Angel Performance in 2015

The main drivers of fallen angels’ performance relative to the broad high yield bond market remained consistent throughout 4Q and 2015. Based on average sector weights:

• Positive Influences
• Energy (underweight)
• Banking (overweight)
• Financial Services (overweight)

• Negative Influences
• Basic Industry (overweight)
• Healthcare (underweight)
• Media (underweight)

Sector Return Attribution (%):
Fallen Angels Relative to the Broad High Yield Bond Market

(Click to enlarge) Source: FactSet. Data as of December 31, 2015. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Top and bottom five sector attribution of the BofA Merrill Lynch US Fallen Angel High Yield Index for fallen angels versus the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Index for the broad high yield bond market. Figures are gross of fees, non-transaction based and therefore estimates only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Attribution represents the opportunity cost of investment positions in a group relative to the overall benchmark.

While fallen angels had lower average energy exposure in 2015, fallen angel bonds from two energy sector issuers entered the index in January, increasing the allocation to 14.4% versus the broad high yield bond market’s 10.4%, as of January 31, 2016.

What are Fallen Angel Bonds?

Watch this educational video on fallen angel bonds and the investment opportunities they may offer.

”…In a way, fallen angel investing is a contrarian strategy. You’re buying bonds that have crossed over from investment grade to high yield and that have seen a lot more selling than buying in the months leading up to the crossover.”

Learn More About ANGL

Additional resources and information on Market Vectors® Fallen Angel High Yield Bond ETF (ANGL) »