Big Inflows to Short-Term Bond ETF
Last year was a record year for inflows to fixed income exchange traded funds and with 10-year Treasury yields tumbling again in 2015, the theme of robust inflows to bond ETFs is continuing.
The iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF (SHV) is a prime example. Data show that for the week ended Feb. 2, SHV added nearly $1.8 billion in new assets, more than any other ETF, with the bulk of that money coming into the fund Monday.
SHV “ reported a record deposit of almost $2 billion yesterday. The inflow accounted for a 58 percent increase in existing shares outstanding in the iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF, according to data compiled by Bloomberg,” reports Lisa Abramowicz for Bloomberg.
SHV, which debuted in May 2007, had $3.4 billion in assets as of Feb. 2, according to iShares data. The ETF “seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. Treasury bonds with remaining maturities between one month and one year,” according to the issuer.
SHV, which charges 0.15% per year, has a 30-day SEC yield of 0.16%.
Many investors have turned to ultra-short-duration bond ETFs to hedge against rising rates. Additionally, others are using the ETFs as a money market or cash alternative. However, short-duration bond yields are rising as market observers anticipate the Fed is moving closer to raising interest rates later this year. [Investors Flee Short-Term Bond ETFs]
Investors with long-duration bonds face a deeply discounted market when attempting to sell the security before maturity since rates are more likely to rise in in the long-term. Long-term bonds have more coupon payments left before the debt matures than short-term bonds. Consequently, if the interest rate rises, the long-term bond will be underpaying investors for a longer period, which makes the old debt security less attractive to investors.
Once the Federal Reserve lifts rates, ultra-short funds can reinvest maturing debt at higher yields. However, investors have to be aware that prices could dip.
iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF
ETF Trends editorial team contributed to this post.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.
