Aberdeen to launch Strategic Bond fund for Boulind's credit team

Aberdeen Asset Management has launched a strategic bond fund for its experienced global credit team.

The new vehicle, a UK-domiciled open-ended investment company, will be run by the team based in London and opens today for general investment.

Employing the group’s comprehensive bottom-up approach, the team, led by Oliver Boulind, Aberdeen's head of global credit and global high yield, will aim to achieve a long-term total return by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of global investment and sub-investment grade debt.

They will also invest in debt-related securities issued by companies, governments, government-related bodies and supranational institutions.

Aberdeen said the launch comes amid rising demand from investors looking to generate positive real returns in the current low growth environment, while sticking to a comprehensive risk management framework.

The Aberdeen Strategic Bond fund will adjust its asset allocation across both corporate and government bonds in order to best suit the changing economic environment and market conditions.

Boulind said that after a 30-year bull run in bonds, many investors are 'quite rightly questioning' their fixed income exposure.

'Whilst low yields in many markets don’t match the weak fundamentals, opportunities do remain for investors that have a dynamic and global remit,' he added.

'A strategic approach to bond management provides investors with several benefits. It enables the fund to invest in a variety of markets and the flexibility to increase or reduce exposure. For instance, there are times in a market cycle we will want to reduce risk dramatically and in this fund we have those tools.'

Aberdeen has an established global fixed income footprint with the US, European, Asian and emerging market capabilities.