Insights
By: Bryn Hatty
Foreigners have been selling SA Bonds - but who is buying them?
Bryn Hatty, Chief Investment Officer, Stonehage Fleming South Africa
Foreign investors have almost constantly been selling South African Government Bonds (SAGB’s) over the past three and a half years, as the seriousness of the South African fiscal situation and resultant rising debt levels have become clearer. If anything, this selling has increased over the past year as the already dire fiscal situation was exacerbated by the economic impacts of the measures taken by governments to slow the spread of the virus. As a result, in addition to the supply from foreign sellers, the government has increased issuance of new debt to fund the rising fiscal deficits. The important question which many fail to ask, is who has been buying?
The simple answer to the question can be found in the National Treasury statistics – local banks and asset managers have been buying. But, why have they been buying? These are arguably the most knowledgeable and sophisticated of local investors, surely they can also see the dire state of our nation’s finances as regularly highlighted by the global ratings agencies and macro economists? What do the locals see that foreign investors don’t?
Rising inflation concerns and a weakness in US 10-year nominal bond yields have seen a recent sell-off in emerging market bonds and currencies by foreign investors. Driven by the anticipation of a rise in US bond yields, the decision to sell was possibly premature. Global financial conditions are still supportive of many emerging market destinations offering high real yields, such as South Africa.
We caution investors not to write off SA assets prematurely. Local asset managers generally view both the equity and bond markets as extremely good value. Many managers have actually reduced offshore assets to increase exposure to more favourably priced local assets over the past year.
Government Bonds a “No-Brainer” for banks
From early 2020, bank deposits increased substantially as savers looked for safety during this period of increased uncertainty, when the magnitude of the potential COVID impact became clearer. Simultaneously, banks obtained cheap funding from a South African Reserve Bank (SARB) wanting to ensure banks had sufficient liquidity at this time of extreme financial stress. However, demand for new private sector loans reduced significantly as corporates and individuals became exceedingly cautious, delaying capital expenditures that often require bank funding. As a result, banks have had excess capital with little pressure to pay up for funding. At the same time, medium and longer dated government bonds were offering yields higher than many private or commercial loans and, therefore, buying government bonds became very attractive for banks.
What are fund managers doing?
Local asset managers have also been steadily increasing their exposure to SAGB’s over the past few years as the real yields offered by these instruments, particularly over the last year, look very attractive in a world starved of yield. They have been buying both nominal and inflation linked government bonds in their multi-asset mandates where inflation beating returns are generally the objective. Compared to the likes of global government bonds, local money market instruments and corporate bonds, these bonds offer very attractive real yields.
Build in the benefit of bonds
With no pressure expected from global rates and a weak economy, low interest rates are probably here to stay for the next few years, which will directly impact the interest rate that South African investors earn on their bank deposits and money market funds. For this reason, Stonehage Fleming believes that investors seeking inflation beating returns on their local income assets should follow the lead of South African professional investors, and consider increasing their exposure in the government bond space. But what about the risk of the government defaulting on the bonds? The probability of this occurring is negligible for Rand denominated bonds, if the need arose the SARB could print Rands to service these obligations – a second order effect of this would be higher, possibly much higher, inflation and a significant reduction in the real value of the Rands that you receive from the bonds. Further, if treasury did default on its debt obligations, the returns experienced by investors on their holdings of SAGBs would probably be the least of their concerns!
Investors want to gain exposure, but to go all in and buy government bonds may translate to a bumpy ride. Employing an experienced and active income manager to allocate between bonds and other income instruments should afford investors the comfort of a smoother investment journey with attractive risk-adjusted returns.
As the most liquid asset in the fixed income space, government bond allocations can add significant value in the hands of a good asset allocator. Our preference, therefore, is to invest in the best multi-asset income funds which enables the fund manager to benefit from the regular cycles of foreign investor fear-and-greed, rather than using a static allocation to government bonds.
Ultimately, in return for tolerating some shorter-term volatility, the potential additional returns that can be earned are significant for income investors prepared to take on a little more risk.
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This document has been prepared for information purposes only and does not constitute a personal recommendation or advice or a solicitation to buy any product or service. It does not take into account the financial circumstances, needs or objectives of the recipient. In addition to the information provided, you may wish to consult an independent professional adviser. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information provided is accurate and up to date, some of the information may be rendered inaccurate in the future due to any changes. The distribution or possession of this document in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law or other regulatory requirements. Approved for issue in South Africa by Stonehage Fleming Investment Management (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd (FSP No. 42847). © Stonehage Fleming 2021.