PIMCO GIS Euro Bond Instl EUR Inc |



by Jeana Marie Doubell

Pimco Euro Bond’s strengths are rooted in the depth and experience of its team and its wide-ranging investment approach. This strategy boasts a trio of skilled and seasoned managers. Industry veteran Lorenzo Pagani joined the management roster here in 2014 and took the lead in 2017, when his predecessor Andrew Balls took on the role of Pimco’s head of global fixed income. Balls is still a valuable backup comanager for the strategy. Pagani’s workload is significant, though; in addition to his duties here, he comanages the firm’s global bond and global inflation-linked bond strategies. However, we are comforted by further resources backing him here; in addition to Balls, Pagani is supported by comanager Konstantin Veit, who assists with day-to-day responsibilities. Veit formally joined the roster in 2021 but has worked at Pimco for 13 years and currently serves as head of its European rates desk. Pagani and his team rely on a group of 40 portfolio managers specializing in European rates, currencies, and corporate and securitized credit, along with over 80 credit analysts globally. Aiming to outperform the FTSE Euro Broad Investment Grade Index, the trio actively manages the fund’s duration, interest-rate curve positioning, and country exposures, as well as its allocation to government, corporate, and securitized debt. The team also dabbles outside the investment-grade euro-denominated bond universe in emerging-markets debt, asset-backed securities, and currencies (though the latter are limited to 10% of the fund’s overall risk budget) and makes extensive use of derivatives. The fund boasts an attractive long-term record. Though it stumbled uncharacteristically in 2021 and 2022 (owing to overweightings in rates-sensitive Danish mortgage bonds and Spanish debt), its institutional share class’ 10- and 15-year returns through March 2024 beat 70% of peers in the EUR Diversified Bond Morningstar Category, as well as its benchmark. We remain confident that the experienced management, deep resources, and proven investment approach at play here should stand investors in good stead. |
Morningstar Pillars | |
People | High |
Parent | Above Average |
Process | High |
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