Global multi-sector fixed-income team
The Manulife global multi-sector fixed-income team has an average 30 years of experience managing portfolios for retail investors, with portfolio managers located in Boston and Hong Kong.
Why now is the perfect opportunity for global fixed-income investments
Christopher Chapman, our senior portfolio manager and head of global multi-sector fixed income, explains why global fixed-income opportunities compelling right are now.
The global multi-sector difference
- Constant vigilance—Using the global resources of the team and strength of Manulife’s global footprint of supporting traders, research analysts, and risk managers located on the ground in Boston and Hong Kong, funds are managed 24 hours a day 6 days a week.
- Flexibility—Fund mandates are highly flexible and dynamic in nature, which allows the team to take advantage of changing credit and currency markets
- Risk managers first—The team focuses on four key risks: interest rate, credit, currency, and liquidity while adhering to a disciplined investment approach that combines fundamental top-down and bottom-up analysis.
Get to know the Manulife global multi-sector fixed-income team
The sun never sets on the funds the team manages. Team members are located in Boston and Hong Kong, and combined with Manulife’s global footprint of supporting traders, research analysts, and risk managers, funds are managed 24 hours a day, 6 days a week (markets are closed on the weekend, but due to a time difference, Asian markets are open while it’s still Sunday in Boston).
Team members see themselves as risk managers first and foremost. Every decision they make is focused on the four key risks of fixed-income investing: interest-rate, credit, currency, and liquidity risk. Their funds tend to be highly flexible, incorporating dynamic asset allocation and active currency management which allows them to take advantage of changing credit and currency markets. Few competitors in Canada can match this team’s expertise in managing currency risk. They employ both risk-reducing and return-enhancing hedging strategies.
Meet the team behind the funds
Left to right:
Joseph Rothwell
Senior Investment Analyst, Boston
Investing since 2008
Charles C. Tomes
Director and Associate Portfolio Manager, Boston
Investing since 2008
Christopher Chapman, CFA
Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of Global Multi-Sector Fixed Income, Boston
Investing since 1999
Important disclosure
Team members and responsibilities listed are as of April 1, 2023
Investment process
The team aims to generate returns by investing primarily in a portfolio of global government and corporate bonds, including emerging markets and high-yield securities. Currency management enables them to further diversify the portfolio, mitigate risk, and potentially add returns. By expanding the investment universe to include multiple sectors and currencies, they look to increase potential return while reducing risk.
The process allows the team to focus on the management of four key risks to the portfolio—credit, liquidity, interest rate, and currency—while being able to access the most attractive opportunities from any fixed-income asset from any area in the world.
How does the team actively manage interest rate risk?
Chris Chapman speaks to the team’s prudent approach – being dynamic when managing interest rate risk
How does the team actively manage credit risk?
Chris Chapman describes how the team leverages its investment process to mitigate credit risk
How does the team actively manage currency risk?
Chris Chapman speaks to active currency management in the portfolio and how it can be a risk mitigator, a diversifier, and an alpha generator.
How does the team actively manage liquidity risk?
Chris Chapman talks about how the liquidity decision is built into the team’s investment process
Important disclosure
Portfolio managers may use some or all of the techniques described. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee returns or eliminate risk in any market environment. Characteristics, guidelines, and constraints are for illustrative purposes only. They may change at any time and may differ for a specific account.
Funds/pools managed
Important disclosure
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the fund facts as well as the prospectus of the mutual funds before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Manulife Funds and Manulife Corporate Classes are managed by Manulife Investments, a division of Manulife Asset Management Limited. Manulife, Manulife & Stylized M Design, Stylized M Design, and Manulife Investments are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it, and by its affiliates under license.
Any amount that is allocated to a segregated fund is invested at the risk of the contractholder and may increase or decrease in value. Returns shown are after the MER has been deducted. Performance histories are not indicative of future performance. For information on guarantees, fees and expenses that may apply to segregated funds, please read the information folder, contract and fund facts of the segregated funds. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife) is the issuer of insurance contracts containing Manulife segregated funds and the guarantor of any guarantee provisions therein. Manulife Investment Management is a trade name of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company.
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