The Latest Insights on Systematic Strategies for Investing in Credit

Systematic Investing in Credit is the latest book of cutting-edge research in credit markets written by the Quantitative Portfolio Strategy (QPS) Group at Barclays Research.

The book starts with empirical evidence that credit, as an asset class, has consistently outperformed a risk-matched combination of equities and Treasuries. A detailed analysis explains the sources of this advantage.

Credit portfolio construction was for decades, and often still is, an index-centric process subjecting managers to index rules and constraints. Barclays QPS Group proceeds by discussing the performance cost of these constraints and ways to exploit resulting inefficiencies to outperform indices.

Next they present their research on the performance implications of bond portfolio characteristics - both traditional ones such as coupon level and maturity distribution and others that came into focus more recently such as ESG scores.

The following part of the book is dedicated to the increasingly popular factor investing in credit. They discuss their original value and momentum models (the latter based on the momentum of the equity of a given issuer) as well as the issuer size factor. They analyze optimal ways of combining the factor signals in a portfolio considering turnover limits and trading costs in a practical implementation.

Finally, they focus on the newest trend in credit investing - the applications of equity market data and methodologies in credit portfolio construction.

Investors will learn:
* How to capitalize on index inefficiencies.
* How to analyze implications of portfolio characteristics (ESG, Coupon, Maturity)
* How to systematically apply factor investing in credit (Value, Momentum, Size)
* How to use equity-related data and methodologies to enhance credit portfolio performance

ARIK BEN DOR, PHD, is a Managing Director in Barclays QPS and Head of Quantitative Equity Research. He joined QPS in 2004 at Lehman Brothers. Arik oversees research in equities, rates, credit, and hedge funds. Arik co-authored two books and published over a dozen articles in leading industry journals. He is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Portfolio Management and Journal of Fixed Income. Arik holds a PhD in finance from Kellogg School of Management.

ALBERT DESCLÉE is a Managing Director in Barclays QPS based in London and is responsible for its European activities. He advises investors on fixed income and multi-asset portfolio construction. Albert joined Barclays in 2008 from Lehman Brothers. Prior to this, he worked at Salomon Brothers in London. Albert graduated from the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium) and obtained an MBA from INSEAD.

LEV DYNKIN, PHD, is the Founder and Head of Quantitative Portfolio Strategy (QPS) Group at Barclays Research. Lev and QPS joined Barclays in 2008 from Lehman Brothers where they had been a part of Global Research since 1987 and helped launch the Lehman fixed income indices. For over a decade, QPS has been top ranked in its category in the Institutional Investor Research survey. Lev and QPS co-authored three books: A Decade of Duration Times Spread (DTS), Barclays, 2015; Quantitative Credit Portfolio Management, Wiley, 2011; and Quantitative Management of Bond Portfolios, Princeton University Press, 2007.

JAY HYMAN, PHD, is a Managing Director in Barclays QPS. He advises clients on portfolio management relative to traditional benchmarks or liabilities, risk budgeting, style analysis, cost of constraints, sufficient diversification, and index replication. Jay has co-authored three books with QPS colleagues. He joined Barclays in 2008 from Lehman Brothers where he worked in quantitative research since 1991. Jay holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University.

SIMON POLBENNIKOV, PHD, is a Managing Director in Barclays QPS. He is responsible for empirical research of all quantitative aspects of the investment process including systematic strategies and investment styles in fixed income, benchmark customization, tactical allocation, and hedging. Simon joined Barclays in 2008 from Lehman Brothers. Simon holds a PhD in empirical finance from Tilburg University, Netherlands.

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Praise for SYSTEMATIC INVESTING in CREDIT

"Lev and QPS continue to shed light on the most important questions facing credit investors. This book focuses on their latest cutting-edge research into the appropriate role of credit as an asset class, the dynamics of credit benchmarks, and potential ways to benefit from equity information to construct effective credit portfolios. It is must-read material for all serious credit investors."
Richard Donick, President and Chief Risk Officer, DCI, LLC, USA

"Lev Dynkin and his team continue to spoil us; this book is yet another example of intuitive, insightful, and pertinent research, which builds on the team's previous research. As such, the relationship with this team is one of the best lifetime learning experiences I have had."
Eduard van Gelderen, Chief Investment Officer, Public Sector Pension Investment Board, Canada

"The rise of a systematic approach in credit is a logical extension of the market's evolution and long overdue. Barclays QPS team does a great job of presenting its latest research in a practical manner."
David Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Agilon Capital, USA

"Systematization reduces human biases and wasteful reinventing of past solutions. It improves the chances of investing success. This book, by a team of experts, shows you the way. You will gain insights into the advanced methodologies of combining fundamental and market data. I recommend this book for all credit investors."
Lim Chow Kiat, Chief Executive Officer, GIC Asset Management, Singapore

"For nearly two decades, QPS conducted extensive and sound research to help investors meet industry challenges. The proprietary research in this volume gives a global overview of cutting-edge developments in alpha generation for credit investors, from signal extraction and ESG considerations to portfolio implementation. The book blazes a trail for enhanced risk adjusted returns by exploring the cross-asset relation between stocks and bonds and adding relevant information for credit portfolio construction. Our core belief at Ostrum AM, is that a robust quantamental approach, yields superior investment outcomes. Indeed, this book is a valuable read for the savvy investor."
Ibrahima Kobar, CFA, Global Chief Investment Officer, Ostrum AM, France

"This book offers a highly engaging account of the current work by the Barclays QPS Group. It is a fascinating mix of original ideas, rigorous analytical techniques, and fundamental insights informed by a long history of frontline work in this area. This is a must-read from the long-time leaders in the field."
Professor Leonid Kogan, Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Professor of Management and Finance, MIT

"This book provides corporate bond portfolio managers with an abundance of relevant, comprehensive, data-driven research for the implementation of superior investment performance strategies."
Professor Stanley J. Kon, Editor, Journal of Fixed income

"This book is a treasure trove for both pension investors and trustees seeking to improve performance through credit. It provides a wealth of empirical evidence to guide long-term allocation to credit, optimize portfolio construction and harvest returns from systematic credit factors. By extending their r…