Limited Term Income Fund - Overview - Thornburg Investment Management

SEEKING INCOME FROM HIGH-QUALITY U.S. DOLLAR-DENOMINATED BONDS

Thornburg Limited Term Income Fund is a flexible, actively managed, core portfolio of high-quality U.S. dollar-denominated bonds. This centerpiece investment-grade portfolio seeks a reasonable level of income and lower volatility than some peers, without overextending in the pursuit of yield.

“The fund is designed to look for the best opportunities available in the context of a high quality, laddered portfolio. We strive to bring as much income as is consistent with lower volatility and our focus on balancing risk with reward.”

— Jason Brady

A HIGH-QUALITY CORE PORTFOLIO

In this portfolio, issuer credit quality generally is high, as the fund invests at least 65% of its net assets in debt obligations rated A or higher by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or if no credit rating is available, those we judge to be of equivalent quality. When purchased, all bonds must be investment grade quality.

FLEXIBILITY

While Limited Term Income is structured as a 10-year ladder, we enjoy the flexibility to invest wherever we see the most value. Analysts and portfolio managers are expected to be conversant across a wide range of asset classes and geographies.

LOWER VOLATILITY

The fund is a 10-year laddered portfolio, managed with an eye toward mitigated volatility. As markets are inherently volatile, some price movement is expected. But through careful credit research and portfolio construction, we seek to mute price change.

SEEKING REASONABLE INCOME

Many “core” investment-grade bond funds seek to enhance yield by extending duration, lowering credit quality, and even through the use of leverage. While the fund is flexible in pursuit of its goals, we keep things reasonable. We want a reasonable level of income commensurate with a moderate level of risk; we won’t assume undue risk in pursuit of a few extra basis points.

AN ACTIVELY MANAGED LADDER

Laddering involves building a portfolio of staggered maturities so that a portion will mature each year. Money from maturing bonds provides an organic source of cash flow and is typically reinvested in longer-maturity bonds within the range of the ladder. For this fund, the ladder ranges from zero to 10 years.

Related Resources

Commentary: Income and U.S. Government Bond Funds

4th Quarter 2020

We continued the work that began over the summer by fine-tuning risk exposures and shifting allocations as COVID-19 cases rose, election-related volatility increased, and leverage across corporations and governments rose. Our ability to find value helped boost quarterly results despite the concerns over government stimulus and unemployment.

Finding Relative Value in Volatile Credit Markets

September 21, 2020

Taking a Holistic View of Fixed Income Portfolio Construction

July 13, 2020

Thornburg Portfolio Managers Jeff Klingelhofer and Lon Erickson spoke with the Wall Street Transcript about Limited Term Income and Strategic Income. The Q&A is in depth, covering lots of ground such as the funds’ objectives; Jeff, Lon, and the team’s strategy during the recent recession; and the long-term outcomes they aim to generate for clients.

The Fed’s “Not Thinking” Singular Focus

June 11, 2020

Charles Roth

Supporting the beaten-down labor market is the Federal Reserve’s “major focus,” not inflation nor risk asset prices. Doing “whatever we can and for as long as it takes.”

Steering your portfolio clear of the silo trap

June 1, 2020

Why a generalist research approach can triumph over siloed team structures.