Stay invested
Despite intermittent bouts of market volatility, there is still a case for investors to stay invested and remain medium-term positive, but at this stage in the market cycle, it is also important to stay diversified across asset classes and over time.
Real Estate for the future
Technological innovation and the adoption of digital transformation can potentially bring substantial long-term benefits to the S-REITs sector such as tenant retention, lower operating costs, and higher bargaining power for rents. Data centres often take centre stage in discussions regarding technological disruption within the real estate sector. As the bedrock of the digital economy, data centres are at the forefront of technological advancement, powering artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and big data analytics. The logistics and industrial REITs can optimise their operations, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency by leveraging technology, making them attractive investment opportunities in the real estate market.
Structured Investments
Theme: Rethinking long-term capital allocation
Easing inflation trends and a softening US labour market are setting the stage for the Federal Reserve to start cutting rates by 25bps each in September and December 2024. While the prospect of imminent rate cuts offers some relief to the S-REITs sector, the overall economic outlook remains volatile as growth begins to slow and consumer spending continues to moderate. Against a still uncertain backdrop, S-REITs that are backed by strong sponsors and have healthy financial positions with room for capital recycling are preferred among investors. Additionally, S-REITs can still capitalise on their home advantage amid the resilience and attractiveness of Singapore’s real estate market, which is buttressed by a politically stable environment, infrastructure enhancements and robust capital inflows to the commercial property market.
- CapitaLand Ascendas REIT (CLAR) is the largest listed industrial REIT on the Singapore Stock Exchange based on assets under management (AUM) and market capitalisation. Besides having significant exposure to the business space segment, CLAR also owns properties within the logistics, data centres, and industrial sub-sectors. CLAR is well-positioned for growth, focusing on redevelopment and strategic acquisitions to maximize returns and deliver sustainable value to unitholders.
- Mapletree Industrial Trust (MINT) has a sizeable portfolio of industrial assets in Singapore which includes data centres, hi-tech buildings, flatted factories and business parks. Its data centres are mostly located in North America. It also has some exposure to Singapore and made its maiden entry into the Japanese market in September 2023 with the acquisition of a data centre in Osaka.
- Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust (FLCT) owns a portfolio of prime industrial and logistics (L&I) assets strategically located in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands. It also owns commercial and business park assets in Singapore, Australia and the UK. One of FLCT’s investment merits is its defensive profile given its high portfolio occupancy rate, healthy balance sheet and long weighted average lease to expiry with manageable lease expiries in FY2024. Management is maintaining its focus on seeking opportunities for investing in logistics and industrial assets to improve portfolio resilience.
Bonds
This bond is suitable for those looking for a leading insurer with presence in 18 markets across the Asia Pacific region.
AIA Group Limited (USD)
This bond pays a coupon of 3.375% p.a. callable on 7 January 2030 with maturity date on 7 April 2030.
AIA Group Limited (AIA) sells a wide variety of life insurance products, including traditional individual life, group life and medical, credit life, accident and health, pension and investment linked products - through tied agents, bancassurance, brokers, and direct marketing channels.
AIA’s credit profile is underpinned by its robust solvency ratio, strong business franchise and strong performance track record.
Funds
PIMCO Balanced Income & Growth Fund
The PIMCO Balanced Income & Growth Fund is a global multi-sector strategy that seeks to combine PIMCO’s total return investment process and philosophy with income maximization. The Portfolio construction is founded on the principle of diversification across a broad range of equity and global fixed income securities. The fund has a historical annualised dividend yield of 6.84% p.a. (extracted from Bloomberg as of 30 August 2024).
Note: Past performance figures do not reflect future performance. Dividend figures are from Bloomberg, as of 30 August 2024.
Bond Funds
PIMCO GIS Income Fund
The PIMCO GIS Income Fund is designed for investors who seek steady income with a secondary goal of capital appreciation. It takes a broad-based approach to investing in income-generating bonds. The fund aims to achieve this by employing PIMCO’s best income-generating ideas across global fixed income sectors. The fund has a historical annualised dividend yield of 6.40% p.a. (extracted from Bloomberg as of 30 August 2024).
Note: Past performance figures do not reflect future performance. Dividend figures are from Bloomberg, as of 30 August 2024.
M&G (Lux) Optimal Income
The M&G (Lux) Optimal Income Fund is a global bond fund that aims to provide a combination of capital growth and income to deliver a return based on exposure to optimal income streams in investment markets, while applying environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The fund has a historical annualised dividend yield of 5.87% p.a. (extracted from Bloomberg as of 30 August 2024).
Note: Past performance figures do not reflect future performance. Dividend figures are from Bloomberg, as of 30 August 2024.
Equity Funds
AB Low Volatility Equity Portfolio Fund
The AB Low Volatility Equity Portfolio fund is a global equity fund seeking capital growth through securities of companies that the fund manager believes have lower volatility. Its investment approach focuses on quality, stability and price, where the fund seeks high quality stocks of companies with stable performance and predictable earnings, trading at attractive prices. The fund also has distribution share classes for investors looking for dividend income.
Currencies
Our view for the US Dollar (USD) to trend lower is gradually coming to fruition as the US exceptionalism narrative fades and Fed rhetoric has turned decisively dovish. The extent of the USD’s decline hinges on (i) how quick and deep the Fed cuts are; and (ii) the sustainability of the goldilocks theme. That said, US elections risk is a big known unknown. There will be implications for currency markets as shifts in fiscal, foreign and trade policies may occur, depending on whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris is elected as the next president. A Trump outcome may see US-China trade tensions increasing and it should inject some uncertainty to markets, thereby implying that the downward path of the USD may be bumpy, and the currency may even see intermittent upward pressure if US-China trade tensions escalate. However, a Harris outcome could see greater focus on domestic issues and more measured engagements with China which should augur well for Asian currencies.
This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
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