Global Opportunities Fund Institutional

The Investment Manager of the CC High Income Bond Funds – EUR and USD has the duty to ensure that the underlying investments of the funds are well diversified. According to the prospectus, the investment manager has to abide by a number of investment restrictions to safeguard the value of the assets

• The fund may not invest more than 10% of its assets in securities listed by the same body
• The fund may not keep more than 10% of its assets on deposit with any one credit institution. This limit may be increased to 30% in respect of deposits with an Approved Institution
• The fund may not invest more than 20% of its assets in any other funds
• The fund may not carry out uncovered sales (naked short-selling) of securities or other financial instruments

October 2020

Positive gains in US and European stocks over the first few weeks of October were erased in the last week of the month, as market volatility spiked in reaction to new lockdowns. The S&P 500 ended October down -2.7%, while Europe ex-UK stocks were the biggest laggard, down -5.4%. Asia was the regional winner, with strong Chinese data helping emerging market stocks to return 2.1% over the month.

Europe is unfortunately suffering a second wave of coronavirus infections with all major economies now reporting new highs in infection rates. The policy response was originally much more targeted than that seen in the spring, with governments imposing local restrictions in a bid to avoid national lockdowns. Sadly this approach appears to have had limited success with a number of countries now re-imposing national-level restrictions. Against this backdrop, high-frequency measures of European activity have started to move lower as containment measures take hold. Survey data have also highlighted a bifurcation between the manufacturing sector, which has continued to recover, and service sectors, which are once again subject to restrictions. This will bear watching to see if the trend continues as lockdowns tighten.

In the US, while the virus has remained prevalent the news flow has focused primarily on the upcoming elections. Over the month the Democratic nominee Joe Biden extended his lead in the national polls and ended October eight points ahead, as well as holding his lead in a number of the key swing states. Markets responded positively to polls indicating an increased likelihood of a Democratic sweep of the House, Senate, and the presidency against a backdrop of continued gridlock in Washington on a new fiscal package. The pandemic has changed the market’s focus this year. While earlier in the summer the potential for tax hikes under a Democrat sweep was viewed with some caution, a clear-cut outcome that unlocks fiscal stimulus in the near term is now viewed as the most pressing issue.

Given the high degree uncertainty, the Investment Manager continues to believe it makes sense to aim for a defensive portfolio taking up selective positions in cyclical stocks with long term value. In this environment, the Investment Manager favours an up-in-quality approach across for stocks with a focus on valuations relative to fundamentals.