Before launching his relative value/convertible bond arbitrage fund in partnership with Trium Capital in 2017, Dobbs managed similar strategies for well-known hedge fund firms including CQS, Sir Michael Hintze’s multi-strategy credit-focused outfit, BlueCrest Capital Management, the long-running New York-based manager founded by Michael Platt and William Reeves, and Tribeca Global … It involves the simultaneous purchase of convertible securities and … Convertible Arbitrage refers to the trading strategy used in order to capitalize on the pricing inefficiencies present between the stock and the convertible where the person using the strategy will take the long position in the convertible security and the short position in underlying common stock. This increasingly popular strategy, which is especially useful during times of market volatility, allows individuals to increase their returns while decreasing their risks. Contribution from Leverage is very significant. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you, This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. Convertible arbitrage is a market-neutral investment strategy often employed by hedge funds. In the past, most people in the market believed that convertible bond arbitrage was mainly due to convertible underpricing. An equity long-short strategy is an investing strategy which involves taking long positions in stocks that are expected to increase in value and short positions in stocks that are expected to decrease in value. One instance was during 2005, when many arbitrageurs held long positions in General Motors (GM) convertible bonds and short positions in GM stock. In particular, the equity option embedded in the convertible bond may be a source of cheap volatility, which convertible arbitrageurs can then exploit. The CB01 risk metric can be used to ensure convertible arbitrage strategies use the most effective hedges either by adding credit instruments or, more efficiently, by using pure equity. The rising cheapness of bonds made convertible arbitrage an increasingly attractive strategy (since greater cheapness meant higher expected returns when prices ultimately converged to fundamental value). CFA® And Chartered Financial Analyst® Are Registered Trademarks Owned By CFA Institute.Return to top, IB Excel Templates, Accounting, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Video Tutorials, * Please provide your correct email id. Prior to joining Lazard in 2007, Sean was a portfolio manager for convertible arbitrage strategies at SAC Capital Management from April 2003 to August 2006 and, subsequent to this, senior portfolio manager at Sailfish Capital Partners' G2 Multistrategy Fund. Furthermore, convertible bonds are also usually traded in the market just like the shares of the company. Convertible bond arbitrage This trading strategy aims to monetise the optionality premium in convertible bonds versus the equity from the same issuer. Let’s take a practical example of how a convertible arbitrage will work: The initial price of a convertible bond is $108. Convertible bond portfolios are designed to offer some of the capital-appreciation potential of stock portfolios while also supplying some of the safety and yield of bond portfolios. Convertible arbitrage is a strategy that involves taking a long position in a convertible security and a short position in an underlying common stock. With delta The Portfolio is a pure global convertible bond portfolio managed through an active bond picking approach based on fundamental and technical analysis of convertible bonds. Now, convertible arbitrage is a trading strategy that aims to exploit the price difference between a convertible bond issued by a company and its underlying equity shares. While convertible bonds remain a niche asset class, the revival in new issuance and an apparent bottoming in volatility expectations as monetary policy has become less predictable, both bode well for convertible arbitrage strategies. The expectation was that the present value of GM stocks would fall, but the debt will continue to earn revenues. About the Convertible Arbitrage Index This strategy is identified by hedge investing in the convertible securities of a company. Such an approach involves taking a lengthy method in convertible security with a simultaneous short position in the underlying common stock to capitalize on pricing differences between the two securities. Such strategies are known to be very beneficial in choppy market conditions since one is required to take advantage of price differences. It is a long-short trading strategy favored by hedge funds and large-scale traders. Another idea behind adopting a convertible arbitrage is that a firm’s convertible bonds are priced inefficiently relatively to its stock. Other research suggests that arbitrageurs in general take advantage of illiquidity and higher volatility. Convertible Arbitrage The intuition behind this strategy is to capture a liquidity premium. All in One Financial Analyst Bundle (250+ Courses, 40+ Projects), 250+ Courses | 40+ Projects | 1000+ Hours | Full Lifetime Access | Certificate of Completion, Convertible Arbitrage Fund Manager’s Expectations, arbitrageurs held long positions in General Motors (GM) convertible bonds and short positions in GM stock. It involves the simultaneous purchase of convertible securities and the short sale of the same issuer's common stock. By closing this banner, scrolling this page, clicking a link or continuing to browse otherwise, you agree to our Privacy Policy, Christmas Offer - All in One Financial Analyst Bundle (250+ Courses, 40+ Projects) View More. Convertible arbitrage is a trading strategy that typically involves taking a long position (buy) in a convertible security and a short position (sell) in the underlying common stock. E.g., if one is holding $10,000 in foreign equity, this does expose the investor to FOREX risk. To achieve this, Mohican, the sub-adviser to the Fund, expects to […] The returns from the bond are going to be fixed, which keeps the manager in a relatively safer position but is required to predict the market volatility also for maximizing their returns and extract maximum benefit from simultaneous hold and sell strategies. Advent’s Balanced Convertibles Strategies capture the essence of convertible investing by focusing on opportunities in the “balanced” part of the market (convertibles trading within the 50%-85% delta range) where we believe we can capture the upside potential of the equity market with only a portion of the risk. Once we have a handle on these two distinct concepts we can then put them together and have some fun! What is Hedge Ratio in Convertible Arbitrage? Additionally, high leverage is also a potential risk factor since it can reduce the returns earned. The Arbitrage attempts to profit from this pricing error. Expertise. Let’s quickly define Arbitrage: Arbitrage Arbitrage is when you are long and short two related securities (or … To hedge the equity portion, we can short stock as the price rises, or cover additional stock if the price falls. Convertible arbitrage involves purchasing a portfolio of convertible securities-generally convertible bonds-and hedging a portion of the equity risk by selling short the underlying common stock. Convertible Bond Arbitrage Arbitrageurs can exploit the discount on convertible bonds while limiting exposure to unwanted risks, through the strategy of longing the convertible bond and shorting the underlying assets. [1] However, recent studies find empirical evidence that convertible bonds usually generate relatively large positive gammas that can make delta-neutral portfolios highly profitable. Convertible Arbitrage Market Value (Millions of U.S. 1.25% interest on the proceeds of $692,250 based on the initial hedge ratio of 75% [26,000 shares sold at $26.625 = $692,250, relative to the 34,667 shares of the bond equivalency]. However, the debt began to be downgraded by the credit rating agencies. Copyright © 2020. The deciding factor for the success of such a strategy is the manager risk rather than directional equity or bond market risk. The arbitrage manager decides to make initial cash investment of $202,500 + $877,500 of borrowed funds = Total investment of $1,080,000. In theory, when a stock declines, the associated convertible bond will decline less, because it is protected by its value as a fixed-income instrument: it pays interest periodically. Many investors may be unfamiliar with this type of bond, but it is quite simple. Previously he was a convertible arbitrage portfolio manager at the Clinton Group, Inc. • Convertible bonds are usually sold at a discount to their components (bond + option) due to illiquidity. If the value of the stock declines, the arbitrage trader will benefit from the short position in stock since it is equity and matter flows in the direction of the market. Convertible arbitrage starts with the purchase of a convertible bond. In the 1987 stock market crash, however, many convertible bonds declined more than the stocks into which they were convertible, apparently for liquidity reasons, with the market for the stocks being much more liquid than the relatively small market for the bonds. The strategy is successful because as the equity declines, the convertible bond begins to In 2005, investor redemptions had a significant impact on the strategy’s returns, although the maximum drawdown remains significantly less as compared to traditional equity and bond markets. Okay, so yesterday we explained the CONCEPT of convertible bonds. Since most arbitrageurs were long GM debt and short the equity, they were hurt on both sides. "A simple and precise method for pricing convertible bond with credit risk", Journal of Derivatives & Hedge Funds, 19 (4), 259-277. It involves the simultaneous purchase of convertible securities and the short sale of the same issuer's common stock. For example, during the corporate-scandal-Convertible Arbitrage: An … A typical investment is to be long the convertible bond and short the common stock of the same company. A convertible bond arbitrage strategy can exhibit unique return characteristics as a result of how the price of a convertible bond is influenced by credit dynamics and the issuer’s equity price. It is essential to continuously monitor the markets and take advantage of situations whereby the bond/stock is undervalued. Today he will continue to explain how convertible bond arbitrage works along with some case studies. iShares Convertible Bond ETF provides investors risk exposure to a lesser-known part of the hybrid fixed income market – that of convertible bonds. The Fund seeks to achieve positive absolute returns over the long-term with low volatility when compared to traditional market indices. As a result, under normal market conditions, the arbitrageur expects the combined position to be insensitive to small fluctuations in the price of the underlying stock. Purchased at a price of 108 and assuming sold at a price of 120 per $1,000, Sold equity stock at $26.625 and stock rose to $31.00 [i.e. Yesterday, Preet Banerjee from WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com explained the basics behind convertible bonds. The number of shares sold short usually reflects a delta-neutral or market-neutral ratio. Arbitrageurs can fall victim to unpredictable events with no limits to the downside effects. The premise of the strategy is that the convertible is sometimes priced inefficiently relative to the underlying stock, for reasons that range from illiquidity to market psychology. The convertible arbitrage strategy has produced attractive returns over the past two decades, which are not correlated with the individual performance of the bond or the equity market. Xiao, Tim (2013). Convertible arbitrage is a type of equity long-short investing strategy often used by hedge funds. Convertible bonds. As with most successful arbitrage strategies, convertible arbitrage has attracted a large number of market participants, creating intense competition and reducing the effectiveness of the strategy. The rationale for adopting a convertible arbitrage strategy is that the long-short position enhances the possibility of gains is made with a relatively lower degree of risk. On the other hand, the convertible bond or Debentures will have limited risks since it is an instrument having a fixed rate of income. However, if the stock gains, the loss on the short stock position will be capped since the profits on the convertible security will offset it. Loss of $4.375*26,000 shares], Interest of $50,000 earned/bond price of $1,080,000*100 = 4.6%, Interest of $8,653 earned/bond price of $1,080,000*100 = 0.8%, Dividends of $6,922 paid/bond price of $1,080,000*100 = -0.6%, Interest of $17,550 paid/bond price of $1,080,000*100 = -1.6%, Return of $6,250 earned/bond price of $1,080,000*100 = 0.6%. If the investor decides to hedge $5,000 worth of the equity with a currency position, the hedge ratio is 0.5 (50/100). The strategy covers the following areas: convertible bond arbitrage, tail protection, volatility or opportunistic trades in this area, including but not limited to other areas such as capital structure arbitrage, ETF arbitrage or arbitrage of other closely related instruments. For example, many convertible arbitrageurs suffered losses in early 2005 when the credit of General Motors was downgraded at the same time Kirk Kerkorian was making an offer for GM's stock. The trader will buy the bond and sell the underlying equity (by borrowing them) in a close-to-perfect hedge (‘Delta 1’) and at maturity convert the bond to equity and close out the borrow. Convertible Arbitrage faces the following risks –. • Convertible bond buyers hope to earn a liquidity premium for holding an illiquid asset and providing Also, a Hedge ratio of 75% is to be maintained, and therefore the bond’s ratio of conversion will be (26,000/ 0.75) = 34,667 shares. The debt to equity ratio, in this case, will be 4.33:1 (Debt being 4.33 times of the equity investment amount). Convertible arbitrage strategies typically involve buying a convertible bond and simultaneously selling short equity of the same company. Arbitrage – Convertible Bond… In August 2017, The Absolute Convertible Arbitrage Fund was converted from a hedge fund managed by Mohican Financial Management (which was launched in 2002). Also, look at Accounting for convertible bonds. Going back a lot further, many such "arbs" sustained big losses in the so-called "crash of '87". Convertible bond arbitrage is typically a delta-neutral strategy in which the investor purchases a convertible bond and simultaneously sells short the underlying stock in an amount equivalent to the theoretical equity delta of the bond (calculated using a convertible bond pricing model). This culminates that 50% of the equity position is prevented from exchange rate risks. Convertible arbitrage is a market-neutral investment strategy often employed by hedge funds. Convertible Bond Arbitrage Definition - Investopedia Convertible Arbitrage refers to the trading strategy used in order to capitalize on the pricing inefficiencies present between the stock and the Event-driven investments include a suite of other arbitrage strategies typically occurring around corporate actions and events. This ratio compares the value of the position held through the use of the hedge compared to the whole place itself. The share price is at 26.625 per share, and the manager shorts 26,000 shares costing $692,250. Since one generally must hold the convertible bonds for a specified amount of time before conversion into equity stock, it is critical for the arbitrageur/fund manager to evaluate the market carefully and determine in advance if market conditions or any other macroeconomic factors can have an impact during the time frame in which conversion is permitted. A billionaire investor attempted to make a bulk purchase of their stocks, causing strategies of fund managers to a tailspin. The short stock position “hedges” the long stock position that is obtained via the convertible portion of the bond. For instance, if a fund has acquired a convertible instrument of ABC Co. with a lock-in period of 1 year. This can be since the firm may lure investors into investing in the debt stock of the firm and hence offer lucrative rates. Trade specifics: BAA/Grupo Ferrovial. The strategy still appears to be a good portfolio hedge in situations of volatility. However, maintaining a market-neutral position may require rebalancing transactions, a process called dynamic delta hedging. Such a measure will have an impact on the market and also the question of holding a convertible stock over the long run. Convertible Arbitrage is trickier than it sounds. The Total return can be shown with the help of the below table: The sources of the ROE can be shown with the help of the below table: In general, convertible arbitrageurs look for convertibles that exhibit the following characteristics: There are many convertible arbitrage trades, but some of the common ones are: The convertible arbitrage strategy has produced attractive returns over the past two decades, which are not correlated with the individual performance of the bond or the equity market. A typical convertible bond arbitrage employs delta-neutral hedging, in which an arbitrageur buys a convertible bond and sells the underlying equity at the current delta (see Choi et al (2009), Loncarski et al (2009), etc.). A critical concept to be familiar with convertible arbitrages is the hedge ratio. It is useful to examine the basics of the convertible arbitrage strategy. "A simple and precise method for pricing convertible bond with credit risk", Hedge Fund Strategy - Convertible Arbitrage, Taxation of private equity and hedge funds, Alternative investment management companies, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Convertible_arbitrage&oldid=960725705, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 June 2020, at 15:32. The deciding factor for the success of such a strategy is the manager risk rather than directional equity or bond market risk. However, successful convertible bond strategies require precise hedging to ensure other directional risk factors do not adversely impact the strategy. To speak about convertible bond arbitrage first we should look individually at convertible bonds and then separately at arbitrage itself. Arbitrageurs who relied on the traditional relationship between stock and bond gained less from their short stock positions than they lost on their long bond positions. At the same time, the performance of convertible arbitrage managers suffered. Convexity is the right asset for your portfolio. CFA Institute Does Not Endorse, Promote, Or Warrant The Accuracy Or Quality Of WallStreetMojo. MicroStrategy, a well-known business intelligence firm, has recently announced that it has raised $650 million of convertible bonds. This is similar to being long a call option on the stock. A convertible bond arbitrage strategy is one that benefits from the difference in pricing between a convertible bond and the stock price. If the stock is trading at par and not going either up or down, the convertible security or the debenture will continue to pay a steady coupon rate, which shall offset the costs of holding the short stock. Convertible bond arbitrage is a strategy executed mostly by hedge funds. Convertible Bond Arbitrage involves taking a long position in a convertible bond and a short position in the underlying common stock. …uh, okay maybe fun is the wrong word. This involves going long the Convertible Bond and shorting the underlying stock according to the calculated delta-hedge. Dollars) Convertible arbitrage market (millions of U.S. $) % Change in asset flows other arbitrage practices that tend to gain more investor attention during sideways or declining markets. Convertible arbitrage is a market-neutral investment strategy often employed by hedge funds. Marc joined UBP in 2018 from AXA IM where he headed the global and European convertible bond strategies team for over fifteen years, after his previous role as convertible arbitrage strategy fund manager at BFT. Balanced Convertibles. It’s similar in most respects to a traditional bond—it is legally bound to fulfill its interest payments and repay its principal, unlike a … A convertible security is one that can be converted into another form, such as a convertible preferred stock, which can be changed from a Convertible Preference share to an Equity share/Common stock. This is in contrast to the good performance for the convertible arbitrage strategy during 2000-02 when the markets were highly volatile due to the dot com crisis. However, post one year, the countries Annual budget is going to be announced whereby they are expected to impose a 10% Dividend Distribution tax on the dividends declared by the company on the equity shares. 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