The views expressed are as ofthe dateindicatedand may change based on market or other conditions. Unless otherwise noted, the opinions provided are those of the speaker or author, as applicable, and not necessarily those of Fidelity Investments. The third-party contributors are not employed by Fidelity but are compensated for their services.
This information is intended to be educational and is not tailored to the investment needs of any specific investor.
As with all your investments through Fidelity, you must make your own determination whether an investment in any particular security or securities is consistent with your investment objectives, risk tolerance, financial situation, and evaluation of the security. Fidelity is not recommending or endorsing this investment by makingit available to its customers.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Diversification and asset allocation do not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss.
In general, the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk, liquidity risk, call risk, and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so holding them until maturity to avoid losses caused by price volatility is not possible. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.
High-yield/non-investment-grade bonds involve greater price volatility and risk of default than investment-grade bonds.
While it may seem appealing to look at bonds that offer higher yields, investors should consider those higher yields to be a sign of potentially greater risk. Below are some of the potential risks involved with high yield investing.
Default risk - The risk of default on principal, interest, or both, is greater for high yield bonds than for investment grade bonds.
Credit risk -High yield bonds are subject to credit risk, which increases as the creditworthiness of the issuer falls. It’s important to pay attention to changes in credit quality, as less creditworthy bonds are more likely to default on interest payments or principal repayment.
Business cycle risk - High yield issuers typically have riskier business strategies and more leveraged balance sheets, exposing them to greater risk of default at times of a downturn in business conditions.
Call risk - High yield bonds are more likely to have call provisions, which means they can be redeemed or paid off at the issuer’s discretion prior to maturity. Typically an issuer will call a bond when interest rates fall, potentially leaving investors with capital losses or losses in income and less favorable reinvestment options. Prior to purchasing a corporate bond, determine whether call provisions exist.
Make-whole calls - Some bonds give the issuer the right to call a bond but stipulate that redemption occurs at par plus a premium. This feature is referred to as a make-whole call. The amount of the premium is determined by the yield of a comparable maturity Treasury security, plus additional basis points. Because the cost to the issuer can often be significant, make-whole calls are rarely invoked.
Event risk - A bond’s payments are dependent on the issuer’s ability to generate cash flow. Unforeseen events could impact their ability to meet those commitments.
Concentration risk - Excessive exposure to a specific market sector within any asset class could put investors at greater risk. It’s important to seek diversification across a wide range of issues and industries in order to reduce the negative impact of a default.
Equity correlation risk - The perception that high yield issuers may have trouble generating sufficient cash flow to make interest payments could make them behave like equities. In some cases, high yield bonds may fall along with equities during an economic or stock market downturn. This is a concern for investors using fixed income as a hedge against equity volatility.
Liquidity risk - High yield bonds that may have been easy to buy or sell when market conditions were calm can suddenly become very difficult to sell when volatility increases. Typically, the market for high yield bonds is less liquid than the market for investment grade or government bonds.
Interest rate risk - Although high yield bonds have relatively low levels of interest rate risk for a given duration or maturity compared to other bond types, this risk can nevertheless be a factor. As with all bonds, a rise in interest rates causes prices of bonds and bond funds to decline. Because credit and default risk are the dominant drivers of valuations of high yield bonds, changes in market interest rates are relatively less important. At the same time, a tightening in monetary conditions that usually accompanies a rise in the general level of interest rates may cause a lagging reaction by weaker credits because of their inability to find sufficient funding, which in turn weakens the balance sheet of the high yield entity.
Higher transaction costs - Due to a typically large spread between bid and offer prices, and higher transaction costs associated with less liquid securities, trading high yield bonds can be costly.
Research and monitoring demands - Current and accurate information can be more difficult to obtain for high yield bonds. Investors should conduct due diligence as they consider investment strategies and closely monitor the changing financial condition of the issuing company.
Foreign risk - In addition to the risks mentioned above, there are additional considerations for bonds issued by foreign governments and corporations. These bonds can experience greater volatility due to increased political, regulatory, market, or economic risks. These risks are usually more pronounced in emerging markets, which may be subject to greater social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties.
You could lose money by investing in a money market fund. Although the fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. The Fund may impose a fee upon the sale of your shares. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The fund’s sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the fund and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the fund at any time.
Stock markets are volatile and can fluctuate significantly in response to company, industry, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Investing in stock involves risks, including the loss of principal.
Views expressed are as of the date indicated, based on the information available at that time, and may change based on market or other conditions. Unless otherwise noted, the opinions provided are those of the speaker or author and not necessarily those of Fidelity Investments or its affiliates. Fidelity does not assume any duty to update any of the information.
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