Artemis introduces short-dated high-yield strategy

UK active fund manager Artemis has launched the Artemis Short-Dated Global High-Yield Bond Fund. Its aim is to deliver returns in excess of cash over rolling three-year periods. The portfolio managers are David Ennett and Stephen Baines, with support from portfolio managers Juan Valenzuela and, in due course, Jack Holmes and Stephen Snowden.

Ennett said that “while areas of the fixed-income market offer yields below inflation, short maturity high-yield corporate bonds are the mainstay of this new fund.” He added that they provide yields which normally exceed inflation. Short-maturity BB- and B-rated corporate bonds, an important part of the fund’s universe, have typically been less volatile than the lower-rated parts of the high-yield market. “Our aim is to preserve investors’ capital and see it grow steadily in real terms, via re-invested income,” he concluded.

Jasper Berens, Artemis’ head of distribution, commented: “This new fund enhances our capability in fixed income. [Ennett] and [Baines] are experienced and respected managers. By broadening what we offer, we are confident that this new fund will help us continue to meet investors’ needs.”

The fund, a sub-fund of the Artemis Funds (Lux) umbrella, is a UCITS vehicle, currently available to investors in the UK and Luxembourg. Further registrations across Europe are planned shortly.