Nomura Asset Management launches new bond fund to provide exposure to full range of global fixed income opportunities

Nomura Asset Management U.K. Ltd. (NAM) has launched the Global Dynamic Bond Fund, designed to provide investors with a more diversified approach to fixed income investing. Unconstrained by benchmark allocations, the fund seeks to generate attractive total returns by investing across a full range of fixed income securities.

Managed by Richard Hodges, the fund utilises top-down analysis of macroeconomic and market themes to construct a strategic core portfolio of cash bonds, accounting for at least 80% of the assets within the strategy. Allocations will look to benefit from expected changes in markets, with the fund’s diversification allowing greater flexibility to invest across all fixed income assets, including convertible bonds and local currency instruments.

Risk control plays a pivotal role in the strategy. The portfolio manager will use derivatives to provide cost effective hedging strategies to protect and position the fund to benefit from short-term market movements and shocks.

The fund launch marks the extension of NAM’s fixed income offering, which currently has $53bn of assets under management in active fixed income accounts globally.

The Global Dynamic Bond Fund managers are fully supported by the group’s wider resources, drawing on the company’s global fixed income team to access both top-down strategic and bottom-up asset selection ideas.

Richard Bisson, President of Nomura Asset Management U.K. Ltd, said: “We are seeing a significant rise in demand from investors for unconstrained, opportunistic fixed income solutions given the low yields currently provided by fixed income assets and concerns over interest rate fluctuations. The new Global Dynamic Bond Fund offers investors a flexible approach that directly addresses these needs, delivering both attractive returns and protection from adverse short term market movements.”

Richard Hodges added: “Nomura’s global presence and extensive resources have helped us to build a diversified portfolio that can deliver attractive yields and potential for capital return. The fund will invest across multiple fixed income asset classes, credit ratings, geographies and sectors, allowing us to dynamically position the portfolio to enable investors to benefit from short and longterm themes.”

Richard Hodges joined NAM in November 2014 from Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), where he held the role of Head of High Alpha Fixed Income and launched the company’s multi-award winning Dynamic Bond Trust. Ben Bugg also joined from LGIM, where he was an Assistant Fund Manager in its High Alpha Fixed Income team, working across a range of strategies including, amongst others, the Dynamic Bond Trust.