CLO ETFs outperform 87% of bond ETFs this year
Summary
In 2026, cash is outperforming 87% of bond ETFs, highlighting a shift in fixed income investment strategies, with certain areas, such as AAA-rated CLOs, showing even superior performance. These collateralized loan obligations benefit from floating-rate exposure, as their coupons reset periodically, thus allowing income to rise with short-term interest rates. This makes CLOs an attractive option for investors seeking to enhance fixed-income returns while managing credit quality and limiting duration risk, especially in a rising interest rate environment where longer-duration bonds typically suffer more significant price declines.
Analysis
CLO ETFs: CLO ETFs invest in collateralized loan obligations, often focusing on highly rated tranches or floating-rate structures. They are relevant to the news because their coupons reset with interest rates and their relatively short interest-rate duration can help them outperform conventional bond ETFs when rates rise. bond ETFs: Bond ETFs are exchange-traded funds that hold portfolios of fixed-income securities and provide diversified exposure to debt markets. The news highlights their weaker performance relative to cash in a rising-rate environment, with longer-duration funds particularly exposed to interest-rate losses. Portfolio role: AAA-rated CLOs are being presented as a way to seek additional fixed-income income while maintaining relatively strong credit quality and limiting duration risk. Floating-rate exposure: CLO coupons reset periodically, allowing income to adjust upward as short-term rates increase. Interest-rate sensitivity: Longer-duration bonds generally experience greater price declines when market interest rates rise.
Categories
macro
Related sources
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-26/clo-etfs-how-to-invest-as-rising-interest-rates-hurt-bonds
- https://www.ishares.com/us/insights/portfolio-insights/fed-outlook-rates-kevin-warsh-fixed-income-2026
- https://www.ssga.com/ch/en_gb/intermediary/insights/bond-market-outlook-etf
- https://www.morningstar.com/etfs/arcx/aaa/quote
- https://www.aristotlefunds.com/extra-credit/july-13-to-july-17-2026
- https://www.ssga.com/be/en_gb/institutional/insights/bond-market-outlook-etf
- https://www.ishares.com/us/products/330488/ishares-aaa-clo-active-etf
- https://www.ishares.com/us/products/341497/ishares-bbb-b-clo-active-etf
- https://research2.fidelity.com/fidelity/commentary/main.asp?symbols=&dockey=1460-adbd1c69cbd39c5e13947cd7598e8c4a-67OI60K278PU88K0A8GNUFKJ56&author=&provider=&startRow=10&sort=Views&period=
- https://research2.fidelity.com/fidelity/commentary/main.asp?symbols=&dockey=1460-9f428dab4a537616cb17ae2778886eda-14KU637BFQFD90KE8MFE42J4G3&author=&provider=&startRow=10&sort=Views&period=