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How to find real yield in 2021

Past performance does not predict future returns. You may get back less than you originally invested. Reference to specific securities is not intended as a recommendation to purchase or sell any investment.

With lingering concerns remaining about equity dividends, which halved in 2020, plus growing risk and generally lower yields available from bonds, income seeking investors are understandably wondering about options for 2021 and beyond.

To deal with the equity point first, there are suggestions we may not see UK dividends return to pre-Covid levels until 2025 or later, with figures from Link Group revealing the £61.9 billion in distributions from UK plc last year was the lowest annual total since 2011. Two-thirds of listed firms either cancelled or cut dividends in the last nine months of 2020, with the make-up of the UK market leaving it harder hit than other countries as most of the payout comes from a handful of large oil, mining and banking companies. Income seekers can obviously look to overseas equities but broadly speaking, there is a clear need for more diversified sources of yield.

Diversification is vital throughout the economic cycle, whether building portfolios for income or not, and this is clear from our position on the other traditional yield-providing asset class. Broadly speaking, we have been bearish on fixed income for at least four years (and with interest rates unlikely to rise for the foreseeable future, yields look rangebound at current low levels) but have maintained exposure as zero weighting any asset class negates the long-term benefits of diversification. Bonds continue to meet four roles in our portfolios: providing some income, capital preservation, inflation protection and diversification from equities.

As with equities, we encourage a global approach to fixed income, with opportunities beyond the sterling government and corporate bond markets. Strategic bond funds, with flexibility on duration and credit risk, are one option but we tend to avoid these as they are dynamic in their positioning by nature and therefore difficult to fit within our target risk portfolios. At present, given worsening conditions for bonds overall, we are avoiding market beta and focusing on areas where there is more alpha available: we are overweight high yield bonds (which offer a more attractive risk/return and greater yield than investment grade credit), hold some emerging market debt, and recently increased our position in index-linked bonds to protect against any rise in inflation. We are not expecting a huge spike in prices but, given the fact central banks around the world are prepared to accept higher inflation as a corollary of recovery from Covid-19, index-linked exposure is a sensible holding.

Beyond these standard areas, we also press the case for real assets as a solid income option, again bringing further diversification to a portfolio. ‘Real’ here means tangible assets such as buildings, toll roads, solar or wind farms or commodities such as energy, livestock or grains, which derive value from their availability and usability by consumers and businesses.

A unique feature of infrastructure is the fact that a significant amount of revenues benefit from stable and predictable demand, making these assets more economically resilient and less affected by the business cycle. These defensive qualities are supported by long-term inflation-linked contracted cashflow streams, which are typically government backed. Given these sectors often provide critical services, used for social or environmental purposes, they also tend to enjoy accommodative government policy (through tariffs and grants) and regulation.

Looking at some of the examples within our Liontrust Diversified Real Assets Fund (DRAF), core infrastructure focuses on essential assets providing support for communities, such as schools and hospitals, and benefits from the kind of state-backed cashflows outlined above. We hold HICL, for example, a fund investing in equity stakes of social infrastructure projects based primarily in the UK and owning 118 assets across a range of sectors. The fund aims to produce long-term stable income and has a dividend yield of around 5%.

Renewables are another branch of infrastructure. But, while they also benefit from long-term contractual cashflows, these are a combination of government subsidies and revenues from selling electricity to power companies and that element of demand in the latter introduces an element of economic risk. To compensate for this, dividend yields available are often slightly higher.

We always have to consider the challenges of any asset class as well as the opportunities, and beyond the complexity of certain areas, the main issues with many real assets are access and liquidity – and both have dogged property over recent years. On the surface, this is another real asset option to diversify income exposure, benefiting from long-dated rental income and protection against inflation – often enjoying upward-only rent reviews linked to the Consumer or Retail Price Index (CPI or RPI – with yields also tending to offer an attractive spread over government bonds.

Given nuances within the sector, however, and the liquidity concerns surrounding open-ended property funds, it is important to have an active and well-diversified approach to the asset class. With open-ended funds, issues have come from the dichotomy between the retail market’s need for daily pricing and the liquidity profile of what remains an illiquid asset class. A number of larger direct property funds have been forced to suspend trading as a result of redemptions in recent years, which reignites questions around this asset’s suitability as a retail investment.

While we wait for managers of open-ended property funds, in conjunction with the regulator, to find a solution, there are other ways to access the asset class, including closed-ended Reits and investment trusts. We believe these vehicles are more transparent, giving greater access to, and understanding of, the underlying assets. The universe also allows us to access more specialist property managers who focus on subsectors such as healthcare, logistics, offshore wind, battery storage and digital infrastructure.

In contrast, most open-ended funds continue to have exposure to commercial property – offices, retail, residential and industrial – and these areas face considerable challenges in the post-Covid environment. The underlying quality and resilience of the cashflows from Reits in more specialist subsectors showed their strength in 2020, delivering attractive yields above 5% while the broader market slashed or suspended dividends.

As the DRAF portfolio shows, there are many options for income beyond traditional equities and bonds and we continue to believe expanding your sources of yield is a sensible approach given current constraints on both these asset classes.

For a comprehensive list of common financial words and terms, see our glossary here.

 

Key Risks & Disclaimer

Please remember that past performance is not a guide to future performance and the value of an investment and any income generated from them can fall as well as rise and is not guaranteed, therefore you may not get back the amount originally invested and potentially risk total loss of capital.

This content should not be construed as advice for investment in any product or security mentioned, an offer to buy or sell units/shares of Funds mentioned, or a solicitation to purchase securities in any company or investment product. Examples of stocks are provided for general information only to demonstrate our investment philosophy.  It contains information and analysis that is believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but is subject to change without notice. Whilst care has been taken in compiling the content of this document, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made by Liontrust as to its accuracy or completeness, including for external sources (which may have been used) which have not been verified. It should not be copied, faxed, reproduced, divulged or distributed, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of Liontrust.

Understand common financial words and terms See our glossary
Key Risks 
 
Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of an investment and the income generated from it can fall as well as rise and is not guaranteed. You may get back less than you originally invested. The issue of units/shares in Liontrust Funds may be subject to an initial charge, which will have an impact on the realisable value of the investment, particularly in the short term. Investments should always be considered as long term.
 
Some of the Funds and Model Portfolios managed by the Multi-Asset Team have exposure to foreign currencies and may be subject to fluctuations in value due to movements in exchange rates. The majority of the Funds and Model Portfolios invest in Fixed Income securities indirectly through collective investment schemes. The value of fixed income securities will fall if the issuer is unable to repay its debt or has its credit rating reduced. Generally, the higher the perceived credit risk of the issuer, the higher the rate of interest. Bond markets may be subject to reduced liquidity. Some Funds may have exposure to property via collective investment schemes. Property funds may be more difficult to value objectively so may be incorrectly priced, and may at times be harder to sell. This could lead to reduced liquidity in the Fund. Some Funds and Model Portfolios also invest in non-mainstream (alternative) assets indirectly through collective investment schemes. During periods of stressed market conditions non-mainstream (alternative) assets may be difficult to sell at a fair price, which may cause prices to fluctuate more sharply.
 
Disclaimer
 
This is a marketing communication. Before making an investment, you should read the relevant Prospectus and the Key Investor Information Document (KIID), which provide full product details including investment charges and risks. These documents can be obtained, free of charge, from www.liontrust.co.uk or direct from Liontrust. Always research your own investments. If you are not a professional investor please consult a regulated financial adviser regarding the suitability of such an investment for you and your personal circumstances. 
 
This should not be construed as advice for investment in any product or security mentioned, an offer to buy or sell units/shares of Funds mentioned, or a solicitation to purchase securities in any company or investment product. Examples of stocks are provided for general information only to demonstrate our investment philosophy. The investment being promoted is for units in a fund, not directly in the underlying assets. It contains information and analysis that is believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but is subject to change without notice. Whilst care has been taken in compiling the content of this document, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made by Liontrust as to its accuracy or completeness, including for external sources (which may have been used) which have not been verified. It should not be copied, forwarded, reproduced, divulged or otherwise distributed in any form whether by way of fax, email, oral or otherwise, in whole or in part without the express and prior written consent of Liontrust. Always research your own investments and if you are not a professional investor please consult a regulated financial adviser regarding the suitability of such an investment for you and your personal circumstances. 
John Husselbee
John Husselbee John Husselbee has 39 years’ experience managing multi-asset, multi-manager funds and portfolios. Before joining Liontrust in 2013, John was co-founder and CIO of North Investment Partners and Director of Multi-Manager Investments at Henderson Global Investors.

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