Emerging Market Debt Strategy

The strategy seeks to deliver competitive total returns by using a combination of top-down macroeconomic analysis combined with a bottom-up fundamental assessment to identify attractive countries and securities.

 

Philosophy

The team takes a long-term horizon when investing in emerging-market economies, seeking countries with improving sovereign credit outlooks and attractive, stable companies. The team believes a successful emerging-market debt strategy should incorporate a flexible approach, making strategic allocations to hard currency sovereign and corporate debt and tactical allocations to local currency debt. The team believes their flexible approach allows them to achieve a deeper level of insight across the full spectrum of investment opportunities in the emerging-market debt universe.

Managed by

Roberto Sanchez-Dahl, CFA

Senior Portfolio Manager, Emerging Markets Debt

Roberto provides portfolio management and investment analysis on emerging-market debt. Prior to joining the firm, he was a senior portfolio manager and senior investment analyst at Federated Investment Management and an associate in the credit department at Goldman Sachs; he began his career in 1993 with Moody’s Investors Service. Roberto holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

  • Education: B.S. in Mechanical Electric Engineering, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico; A.C.F., Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico; M.B.A., Columbia University, New York
  • Joined the company: 2013
  • Began career: 1993
Roberto Sanchez-Dahl, CFA

Neal Capecci, CFA

Senior Portfolio Manager, Emerging Markets Debt

Neal is a senior portfolio manager with Manulife IM’s Emerging Markets Debt Team. Based in London, Neal is responsible for driving Asia insights into our emerging market debt portfolios.

Neal is an experienced portfolio manager of multi- and single currency Asia Pacific bond mandates invested in both sovereign and corporate debt. Before relocating to London in 2017, Neal worked for more than eight years at Manulife Investment Management’s Hong Kong office. Prior to that, he served as a dedicated analyst and trader for the strategic income and international fixed income strategies of Manulife’s Boston office. Earlier in his career, he was an investment associate at State Street Global Advisors in the U.S. Neal is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Society Boston, Inc.

  • Education: College of the Holy Cross, BA in Economics; University of Notre Dame, MBA
  • Joined the company: 2005
  • Began career: 1999
Neal Capecci, CFA

Elina Theodorakopoulou

Portfolio Manager, Emerging Markets Debt

Elina provides portfolio management and investment analysis on emerging-market debt. Prior to joining the company, she worked at Fulcrum Asset Management, where she was the manager of two absolute return fixed-income funds and a senior member of the global macro discretionary team. Prior to that, she worked at Société Générale in cross-asset sales to institutional clients. She began her career at Santander Global Banking.

  • Education: B.Sc. International and European Economic Studies, Athens University of Economics and Business; M.Sc. International Securities, M.Sc. in International Banking and Financial Services, University of Reading
  • Joined the company: 2019
  • Began career: 2008
Elina Theodorakopoulou

Vehicles

At Manulife Investment Management, we offer investment strategies through a variety of vehicles to suit a broad range of client needs. Contact our institutional sales or consultant relations team to find out if this strategy/vehicle is offered in your region. 

  • Separate accounts

    Our separate accounts and separately managed accounts (SMAs) are designed for institutions and high-net-worth clients seeking tailored investment solutions and direct ownership of securities. 

  • Pooled Funds

    Our professionally managed Pooled Funds are available to qualified institutions.

  • Mutual funds

    Mutual funds are liquid, professionally managed portfolios which are available to both institutional and retail investors.

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Important information

The material contains information regarding the investment approach described herein and is not a complete description of the investment objectives, risks, policies, guidelines or portfolio management and research that supports this investment approach. Any decision to engage Manulife Investment Management should be based upon a review of the terms of the prospectus, offering documents or investment management agreement, as applicable, and the specific investment objectives, policies and guidelines that apply under the terms of such agreement. There is no guarantee investment objectives will be met. The investment process may change over time. The characteristics set forth above are intended as a general illustration of some of the criteria the strategy team considers in selecting securities for client portfolios. Client portfolios are managed according to mutually agreed upon investment guidelines.

This information has been provided by Manulife Investment Management. All material is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and correct but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This is not to be construed as an offer to buy or sell any financial instrument nor does it constitute an offer or invitation to invest in any fund managed by Manulife Investment Management and has not been prepared in connection with any such offer. This information does not constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice or recommendations with respect to the securities and sectors listed.

References to securities, transactions or holdings should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell a particular security and there is no assurance that, as of the date of publication, the securities remain in the portfolio. Additionally, it is noted that the securities or transactions referenced do not represent all of the securities purchased, sold or recommended during the period referenced and there is no guarantee as to the future profitability of the securities identified and discussed herein.

The indices cited are widely accepted benchmarks for investment performance within their relevant regions, sectors or asset classes, and represent non managed investment portfolio.