Asia Total Return Bond Strategy

The strategy takes an unconstrained approach to Asian fixed-income investing, enabling the team to pursue alpha by targeting interest-rate, credit, and currency opportunities in the region’s hard and local currency bond markets. The strategy seeks to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns by maintaining a flexible portfolio that dynamically allocates across sovereign, quasisovereign, and corporate debt.

Overview

Philosophy

The team believes the inefficiencies embedded within Asia’s many heterogeneous fixed-income markets create opportunities in interest rates, credit, and currencies, allowing the potential to generate consistent, attractive, risk-adjusted returns. Leveraging the firm’s extensive footprint on the continent, the team is supported by the largest Asia-dedicated fixed-income platform in the industry, giving the team what it believes is an information advantage against many of its peers. 

Managed by

Endre Pedersen

Senior Managing Director, Deputy Head, Global Fixed Income, Head of Global Emerging-Market Fixed Income, Manulife Investment Management

Based in London, Endre is senior managing director, deputy head, global fixed income, and head of global emerging-market fixed income. He’s the lead manager for the company’s Pan-Asian fixed-income strategies. Endre has extensive investment experience in developed Asian markets, having managed single- and multiple-currency funds with exposure to Asian sovereign and corporate debt. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as a senior fixed-income portfolio manager for DBS Asset Management and, before that, he was a fixed-income portfolio manager for Hermes Investment Management and F&C Management in London.

Education: B.Fin., Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde

Joined the company: 2008

Began career: 1999

Endre Pedersen

Chris Lam

Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, Asia Fixed Income

Based in Hong Kong, Chris is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager with the Asia Fixed Income team.

Before becoming a portfolio manager in 2021, Chris was a senior Asian credit analyst. Prior to joining the firm, he was a market risk analyst in the Capital Markets Credit Risk Group at J.P. Morgan & Chase Private Bank in Hong Kong. Earlier in his career, Chris worked at Moody's Analytics in New York as a credit analyst covering global corporate credits.

  • Education: Chris holds a BA in Economics from Brandeis University, Boston and a MS in Financial Engineering from Columbia University, New York. He is a CFA charterholder.
  • Joined Firm: 2011
  • Began Career: 2005
Chris Lam

Eric Lo, CFA

Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, Asia Fixed Income

Based in Hong Kong, Eric is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager with the Asia Fixed Income team. He is an experienced portfolio manager of multi-and single currency Asia Pacific bond mandates invested in both sovereign and corporate debt. He supports the pan-Asia bond strategies with an emphasis on Asian local currency debt markets.

Eric joined the firm in 2010 with the Asia Fixed Income team in Hong Kong. He has been a member of the pan-Asia bond team since joining. Earlier in his career, Eric worked for RBC Dexia in Toronto as a derivatives analyst.

  • Education: Eric holds a Bachelor of Mathematics in Finance from the University of Waterloo in Canada. He is a CFA charterholder and has completed the CFA UK Certificate in ESG Investing.
  • Joined Firm: 2010
  • Began Career: 2008
Eric Lo, CFA

Murray Collis

Head of Asia ex-Japan Fixed Income

Based in Singapore, Murray is a Senior Managing Director, Head of Asia ex-Japan Fixed Income and lead portfolio manager of our Singapore-based fixed income strategies. He is also a core member of the pan-Asian fixed income team in the management of pan-Asia strategies.

Murray has over 25 years of industry experience in markets including London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney. Before joining Manulife Investment Management, he was the Head of Asian Fixed Income and CEO for Standish Mellon Asset Management Singapore. Prior to that, Murray spent 16 years with First Sentier Investors as a Senior Portfolio Manager for Global Fixed Income and the Head of Asian Fixed Income.

Murray holds a Master of Liberal Arts, extension studies in Sustainability, from Harvard University. He is a graduate of the University of Newcastle, Australia, with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Economics (honors). Murray also holds the Certified Financial Technician (CFTe) designation.

  • Education: B.Com., B.Econ., University of Newcastle, Australia
  • Joined the company: 2016
  • Began career: 1996
Murray Collis

Vehicles

At Manulife Investment Management, we offer investment strategies through a variety of vehicles to suit a broad range of client needs. Contact our institutional sales or consultant relations team to find out if this strategy/vehicle is offered in your region. 

Separate accounts

Our separate accounts and separately managed accounts (SMAs) are designed for institutions and high-net-worth clients seeking tailored investment solutions and direct ownership of securities. 

Pooled Funds

Our professionally managed Pooled Funds are available to qualified institutions.

Mutual funds

Mutual funds are liquid, professionally managed portfolios which are available to both institutional and retail investors.


Key facts

Inception date

October 2009

Strategy AUM (USD)

$50.05 million

Benchmark

50% JPMorgan Asia Credit Index,

50% JPMorgan Emerging Local Market Plus Asia Index

Style

Multi-sector Asian bonds

Expected tracking error

Maximum of 3.5%

Average portfolio manager experience

24 years

Important disclosures

All information shown is as of December 31, 2024, unless otherwise indicated. Strategy-level information may differ from vehicle-specific information. Not all vehicles are available in all locations and may be offered through affiliates of Manulife Investment Management.


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