Convertibles as an Asset Class
Investors, searching for safer havens, are pulling out of stocks and investing in bonds and government securities. Indeed, the Dow Jones Bond Average gained 0.8% in January, while our All Convertibles Total Return Index grew 1.8%. Even the government is considering the option of buying “convertible securities from financial institutions,” with bailout money (according to an article in the January 21st Wall Street Journal). Because of their hybrid nature, convertibles could be the ideal investment for investors “hooked” on stocks, as we go through this recession. A convertible has an investment value (a bond value); it pays income, which is generally higher than that of the stock; and the warrant portion gives holders a call option on the underlying stock when equity markets perk up again. And, they are more stable than stocks.
