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In a period of market volatility, higher interest rates and inflation, more high-net-worth investors desire higher yield and income-producing products for their portfolios that go beyond the traditional stocks or bonds, according to a new report from Investor Economics.
Covered-call exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and private credit are two types of investments investors mention in particular, says Carlos Cardone, managing director of Toronto-based Investor Economics, an ISS Market Intelligence business.
Covered-call strategies are designed to provide exposure to a portfolio of stocks while writing covered calls against them to earn premiums, says Darcie Crowe, senior portfolio manager and senior wealth advisor with Crowe Private Wealth at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management Canada in Vancouver. She cautions clients to look beyond the attractive yield.
Some clients don’t fully recognize the downside risks of the strategies, along with the fees involved. They also don’t understand they’re sacrificing some of the upside in exchange for income, she adds.
“We want to make sure clients are looking at it from a total return perspective,” Ms. Crowe says. “If we have a positive outlook on the underlying stocks, our preference is typically to hold them for the long term, collect the dividends and not cap the upside potential through a covered-call strategy.”
Andrew Feindel, portfolio manager and investment advisor with Richie Feindel Wealth Management at Richardson Wealth Ltd. in Toronto, says clients need to comprehend all the nuances of what they’re buying. He recently landed a few clients who had a bunch of covered calls.
“They didn’t understand why they weren’t protected when markets went down,” Mr. Feindel says. “There’s this whole idea that covered calls protect you and they don’t. If the markets go down, you’ll lose that amount. When the markets go up, you just got a higher dividend because you’re receiving those options.”
Private credit offers strong yields but also higher risk
In terms of private credit, Ms. Crowe says it has been a popular asset class for high-net-worth clients for several years, as some move away from the traditional 60/40 equity-bond portfolio to explore alternatives.
“They’re looking for products that can be included in a portfolio to generate income through a diversified return stream,” she says.
Ms. Crowe positions it for a “very unique investor profile.” For starters, the investor must be accredited to have access to these products and have a minimum amount to invest in them – typically around $25,000.
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Private credit funds provide access to a portfolio of loans, typically to private corporations in the small- to mid-cap space, Ms. Crowe explains, noting that interest rates are typically higher than traditional bank loans.
“Private credit portfolios would be considered higher risk because, usually, the loans within these portfolios are made to companies that aren’t able to access loans from the bank for a variety of reasons,” she adds.
While private credit offers strong yields, the underlying loans are illiquid and have what Ms. Crowe calls “the opposite characteristics of high-interest savings accounts, in many aspects,” which clients can access at any time. In this case, private credit redemptions are typically available on a quarterly basis, sometimes longer, and often have a minimum initial hold period of up to a year.
“It’s important for clients to know that this is a long-term investment horizon,” she says. “It needs to be used specifically in those situations in which clients have no need to draw on those funds in the immediate term.”
Mr. Feindel expects to see more of these types of funds, especially as institutions add to their private equity exposure in pension plans.
“It will become democratized in the sense that it’s not just institutions anymore but individuals purchasing,” he says.
Opportunities in private real estate, preferred shares and bonds
Another trend Ms. Crowe has seen is more investment toward private real estate portfolios. She notes that multi-family residential real estate has been a strong performer and provides attractive yields and cash flow, while also having a limited correlation to equity markets.
“Given the strong rents we have seen in Canada, they have demonstrated solid net operating income growth over the past several years,” she says.
Rate-reset preferred shares are another asset class Ms. Crowe likes due to the attractive tax-efficient yield. She says high-quality companies have preferred share dividend yields ranging from 6 to 8 per cent.
“These preferred shares will typically reset their dividend payment every five years based on a spread above a government bond with a similar term,” she says.
“Looking ahead, many of these preferred shares are going to be resetting at yields significantly higher than at their previous reset date, when government bond yields were exceptionally low.”
That creates a great opportunity for strong yield, in addition tocapital gains potentialas dividends reset higher, she adds.
Meanwhile, Mr. Feindel sees a resurgence in short-term bonds occurring this year.
He says the average bond lost 14 per cent last year, which he notes was “not just their worst year on record,” but the worst year by far due to rising interest rates and other factors.
Now that interest rates may stabilize, there could be an opportunity for a closer look.
“A lot of them are paying 5.8 per cent right now, yield to maturity, and then they’ll likely do well when interest rates start going down,” he adds.
Investor Economics’ Mr. Cardone also says not to count out traditional fixed-income products.
“If we can continue to see this environment where inflation has been easing, and have stable interest rates, we’re going to start to see a massive comeback to fixed income,” he says.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in base metal and utility stocks, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 103.40 points at 24,542.48.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 192.31 points at 42,932.73. The S&P 500 index was up 7.14 points at 5,822.40, while the Nasdaq composite was down 9.03 points at 18,306.56.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.44 cents US on Tuesday.
The November crude oil contract was down 71 cents at US$69.87 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.42 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$7.20 at US$2,686.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.35 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was little changed in late-morning trading as the financial sector fell, but energy and base metal stocks moved higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 0.05 of a point at 24,224.95.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 94.31 points at 42,417.69. The S&P 500 index was down 10.91 points at 5,781.13, while the Nasdaq composite was down 29.59 points at 18,262.03.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.71 cents US compared with 73.05 cents US on Wednesday.
The November crude oil contract was up US$1.69 at US$74.93 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was up a penny at US$2.67 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$14.70 at US$2,640.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up two cents at US$4.42 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2024.