Fixed Income

Rediscovery of a classic

Life is change – and that’s good!

Fashion, hairstyles, preferences – our entire lifestyle is subject to constant change. What is popular today can be a thing of the past tomorrow. But some things always come back and eventually become classics. Like interest rates. As soon as they come back, we no longer want to be without them and use them as a matter of course to build up our wealth. One asset class that can do this is bonds.

What you should know about bonds

Bonds are nothing more than debt securities that are used by states (government bonds) or companies (corporate bonds) for financing purposes. Instead of taking out a bank loan, the issuers issue a bond with fixed conditions, such as volume, term, interest and repayment terms. By purchasing these fixed-interest securities, the investor lends money and receives regular interest in return.

Especially in times of higher or increased interest rates, it can make sense to take a closer look at bonds. Because they do not correlate particularly strongly with stocks and can usefully supplement or diversify a portfolio.

Duration

The longer the term, the higher is usually the interest rate!

Duration

Creditworthiness

The worse the debtor's creditworthiness, the higher the risk!

Creditworthiness

Diversification*

Bonds can meaningfully diversify a portfolio of stocks!

Diversification*

  * Diversification neither ensures a profit nor offers a guarantee against loss.

What to consider when buying bonds

Just like stocks, bonds can also be traded. The market is essentially characterized by institutional investors. There are also a few other important points to consider. If you are a private investor who does not want to trade bonds yourself, you can invest in a DWS fund, for example, and thus benefit from the DWS experts' years of experience and comprehensive research.

Put your bond market knowledge to the test

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Question 1

What happens to the price of a bond if interest rates rise?

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Question 2

How will money market interest rates develop in the next 12 months?

Prognosen basieren auf Annahmen, Schätzungen, Ansichten und hypothetischen Modellen oder Analysen, die sich als nicht zutreffend oder nicht korrekt herausstellen können. Quelle: DWS Marktausblick, Stand: April 2024.

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Question 3

What goal does the European Central Bank pursue and what size is the focus?

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Question 4

Who can issue euro bonds?

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Question 5

Which of the following bond segments currently has the highest current interest rate?

‌Source: DWS Marktausblick; as of: April 2024

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Question 6

Which statement about the yield curve is currently true?

‌Forecasts are based on assumptions, estimates, beliefs and hypothetical models or analyzes that may prove to be inaccurate or incorrect. ‌Source: DWS market outlook, as of April 2024.

Current market situation

Find out about our experts' assessment of the current capital market situation and our forecasts for the future.

Product suggestions

DWS Invest Euro Corporate Bonds

DWS Invest Euro Corporate Bonds is mainly invested in corporate bonds that possess a high or even top credit rating (moderate risk/return profile). The major part of the portfolio is invested in "investment grade" bonds.

Fund details

DWS Invest Corporate Green Bonds

The objective of the investment policy of DWS Invest Corporate Green Bonds is to achieve capital appreciation that exceeds the benchmark Bloomberg Barclays MSCI Euro Corporate Green Bond 5% Capped Index.

Fund details

DWS Invest Asian Bonds

The fund has a regional focus on Asia Pacific and invests in fixed income/debt securities issued by governments of Asia Pacific countries, Asia Pacific government agencies, Asia Pacific country municipals and Asia Pacific corporates, that are denominated in Asia Pacific and non-Asia Pacific currencies.

Fund details

Risks[1]

  • Market, industry and company-related price fluctuations.

  • If applicable, exchange rate risk.

  • The fund enters into significant derivatives transactions with various contractual partners. If a contractual partner fails to make payments, for example due to insolvency, this may result in the investment suffering a loss. Financial derivatives are not subject to statutory or voluntary deposit insurance.

  • Due to its composition/the techniques used by the fund management, the special fund has a significantly increased volatility, i.e. the share prices can be subject to significant downward or upward fluctuations, even within short periods of time.

  • Share value may fall below the purchase price at which the customer purchased the share.

  • Limited diversification by focusing on one country, which increases the risk that the fund will be negatively affected by economic and political conditions in the respective regions.

Bond/Fixed Income topics

1. The sales prospectus contains details.

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