The top-down investment process begins with PIMCO's annual secular forum at which the firm develops a 3- to 5-year outlook for the global economy and interest rates. This helps set the basic portfolio parameters, including duration, yield-curve positioning, sector weightings, credit quality breakdown and finally, individual issue selection. The Fund's top-down strategy begins with a country bond allocation model that helps determine which countries have the best risk-adjusted yield. Currency allocations are determined according to short-term yields, market trends, technical factors and fundamental analysis focused on measures of relative purchasing power. The bottom-up strategy of the Fund includes sector selection and credit research, which stresses fundamental and in-depth analysis of all holdings. The Fund may at times use futures to replicate bond positions.** This strategy can offer the opportunity to outperform physical bond securities due to the relative pricing of the futures contracts and PIMCO's active management of the collateral backing the futures.
** Futures may also be used to manage the Fund portfolio's overall duration and sector exposure.
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