iShares € HY Corp Bd ESG SRI ETF EUR Acc | EHYA |



by Jose Garcia-Zarate

The high-yield bond market is comparatively illiquid and can prove particularly vulnerable to changes in the business cycle. Passive funds fully expose investors to the inherent high volatility of this market. The fee advantage relative to active peers is the key factor in their favor. However, this remains an area where experienced active managers can add value. This environmental, social, and governance-themed strategy tracks an index that focuses on the most liquid bonds. This narrows the investable universe, leaving pockets of value that active managers can exploit. Besides, this fund tracks an index that excludes several issuers and sectors deemed non-ESG-compliant, and so its comparative performance in its Morningstar Category will be primarily shaped by the returns of the missing components. The value of research and the flexibility of active mandates can give experienced high-yield bond active managers an edge on performance over the long term. By contrast, investors in a passive fund will be fully exposed to the inherent high volatility of the high-yield bond market over a full market cycle. The quality tilt of this ESG-themed strategy, as measured in terms of credit ratings, may help it cushion the downside better than its non-ESG parent. However, the fund will struggle when issuers involved in excluded activities are on the rise. Overall, an index-tracking approach to the high-yield bond market comes with shortcomings. Indexes typically fall short of providing the broadest representation of the available opportunity set and expose investors to the full volatility of the market. In the case of this fund, its performance will also be conditioned by the effects of the ESG selection filters. However, this is not to say that there are no positives. Passive funds are useful instruments to quickly lock in positions in the high-yield bond market, and this strategy could be used to provide an ESG tilt to a portfolio. Also, the cost advantage relative to active peers remains a key advantage. Even accounting for this, the high-yield bond market remains an area where experienced active managers can retain an edge. |
Morningstar Pillars | |
People | Above Average |
Parent | Above Average |
Process | Below Average |