Virtually all institutional investors – 98 per cent – globally have some degree of concern that inflation will reduce the real value of bond yields over the next 12 to 24 months, new research has revealed.

International asset management firm Managing Partners Group (MPG) said that in order to address these concerns, just over a third (37 per cent) say they will increase their exposure to higher yielding assets such as fixed asset backed securities (ABSs), the research shows.

Of those who plan to increase their exposure to fixed income ABSs, 58 per cent say they will do so because of the high level of income they generate; 53 per cent say it is because the vehicles are attractive on a risk-return basis; and 41 per cent cite diversification benefits.

Latest data shows inflation rising across Europe. The UK’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 2.3 per cent in February versus 1.8 per cent in January, while in the eurozone, CPI reached 1.8 per cent in January, which was its highest in four years and up from 1.1 per cent in December.

Findings from the research were given at The Malta Solution – Ahead of the Curve seminar in London earlier this week.

The research also shows that 37 per cent of institutional investors anticipate that fund managers will increasingly issue fixed income ABSs to raise their own assets under management, versus just 11 per cent who disagree with this. The primary reason for this expectation, given by 47 per cent was that ABS issuance allows fund managers to raise money under different regulatory regimes.

Other reasons given included that it is much easier to raise money through ABSs rather than market funds in a highly competitive market (41 per cent); they give the ability to target different sectors of the investment community (29 per cent); and because monies raised are held for fixed terms, this means that investments can be planned more effectively (29 per cent) and liquidity managed more easily (18 per cent).

Jeremy Leach, chief executive officer at MPG, said: “The securities market, and fixed income asset back securities in particular, are set for substantial growth in Europe in the next few years. Fixed income ABSs provide the higher yields needed to tackle inflation while being secured against real underlying assets, which investors find reassuring.

“Governments are also putting legislation in place to promote them because of the role they play as an alternative source of finance to banks, which is particularly helpful for SMEs.”

MPG opened an office in Malta in 2015 to launch a securitisation platform for the issuance of asset-backed securities by its asset management and third party buy-side clients.

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